Portugal

Portuguese RepublicRepublica Portuguesa

republic

Portugal as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 90 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLisbon

Position39 30 N, 8 00 W

Area92,080 sq km

LocationSouthwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,

Populationas each edition published it

9.87 million July 1996 est. · 10.35m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.02% 1996 est. · 0.36% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 37.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.31 years 1996 est. · 74.89 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.36 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 14 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$11,000 1995 est. · $9,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.8% 1995 est. · 1.1% in 1993

Geography

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, | west of Spain

15 fields

Area

92,080sq km

land area: 91,640 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Indiananote: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

Coastline

1,793km

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,214km

border country: Spain 1,214 km

Irrigated land

6,340sq km

(1989 est.)

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

International disputes

sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia and not recognized by the UN

Climate

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Terrain

mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south

lowest point:: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Ponta do Pico in Azores 2,351 m

Natural resources

fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble

Land use

arable land:: 32%
permanent crops:: 6%
meadows and pastures:: 6%
forest and woodland:: 40%
other:: 16%

Environment

current issues:: soil erosion;
air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions;
water pollution, especially in coastal areas
natural hazards:: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note

Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People

15 fields

Population

9,865,114

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.02% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

10.53Death

10.2Net migration

-0.18

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years75.31

71.52 · 79.31

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy85%

89% · 82%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%Protestant denominations 1%other 2%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 18% (male 888,157; female 843,309)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 3,249,973; female 3,414,793)
65 years and over:: 14% (male 601,913; female 866,969) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.69 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.92 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Portuguese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Portuguese

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands;
citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000

Government

Republic; President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995) was appointed by the president following the October 1995 legislative elections

23 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53.8%

Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Conservative) 46.2%

Legislature, 230 seatsone dot, one seat

PSD 88PS 112CDU 15CDS/PP 15

Name of country

conventional long form:: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form:: Portugal
local long form:: Republica Portuguesa
local short form:: Portugal

Data code

Type of government

republic

Capital

Lisbon

Administrative divisions

18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma);
Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Dependent areas

Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 20 December 1999)

Independence

1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)

National holiday

Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)

Constitution

25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989

Legal system

civil law system;
the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage;
election last held 14 January 1996 (next to be held NA January 2001);
results - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%, Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Conservative) 46.2%
head of government:: Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995) was appointed by the president following the October 1995 legislative elections

Council of State

acts as a consultative body to the president; cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral

Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

elections last held 1 October 1995 (next to be held NA October 1999);
results - PSD 34.0%, PS 43.8%, CDU 8.6%, CDS/PP 9.1%;
seats - (230 total) PSD 88, PS 112, CDU 15, CDS/PP 15

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal de Justica), judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcelo Rebelo DE SOUSA;
Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Antonio GUTERRES;
Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Pedro CANAVARRO;
Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Carlos CARVALHAS;
Social Democratic Center (CDS), Manuel MONTEIRO;
National Solidarity Party (PSN), Manuel SERGIO;
Center Democratic Party (CDS);
United Democratic Coalition (CDU; communists)

International organization participation

AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Fernando Antonio de Lacerda ANDRESEN GUIMARAES
chancery:: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 328-8610

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3726

consulate(s) general:: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco
consulate(s):: Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley BAGLEY
embassy:: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon
mailing address:: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone:: [351] (1) 7266600, 7266659, 7268670, 7268880

FAX

[351] (1) 7269109; consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag

two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line

Economy

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$11,000

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

2.8%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 2.1% (1995 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.6%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.1%

(1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 6%industry 35.8%services 58.2% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$31 billionExpenditures

$41 billion (1994)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 8,220,000 kW

Electricity production

29.5 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,642 (1993)

Economic overview

Portugal's short-term economic fundamentals are strong - the economy grew by 2.8% in 1995, with similar growth expected in 1996 and 1997, and unemployment is among the lowest in the EU. The Socialist government has pledged its dedication both to meeting the Maastricht monetary convergence criteria and to increasing social spending, including provision of a guaranteed minimum income.

The government's 1996 budget, passed in March 1996, includes a budget deficit target of 4.2%, to be attained largely through cuts in non-social-service government spending and income from an ambitious privatization program. As for the long run, Portugal hopes for a steady modernization of its capital plant, its work force, and its infrastructure in order to catch up with the productivity and income levels of the Big Four economies of Western Europe.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $116.2 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

4.24 million (1994 est.); by occupation: services 54.5%, manufacturing 24.4%, agriculture, forestry, fisheries 11.2%, construction 8.3%, utilities 1.0%, mining 0.5% (1992)

Industries

textiles and footwear;
wood pulp, paper, and cork;
metalworking;
oil refining;
chemicals;
fish canning;
wine;
tourism

Agriculture

grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products

Illicit drugs

important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe

Exports

$18.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities:: clothing and footwear, machinery, cork and paper products, hides
partners:: EU 75.1%, other developed countries 12.4% (US 5.2%) (1995)

Imports

$24.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, petroleum, textiles
partners:: EU 71%, other developed countries 10.9% (US 2.5%), less developed countries 12.9% (1995)

External debt

$11.8 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

donor:: ODA, $248 million (1993)
recipient:: ODA, $70 million (1993)

Currency

1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 151.61 (January 1996), 149.97 (1995), 165.99 (1994), 160.80 (1993), 135.00 (1992), 144.48 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 67 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

70,176Railways

3,068Waterways

820

Highways: (statistics for continental Portugal only) · paved: 60,351 km (including 519 km of expressways) · unpaved: 9,825 km (1992 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 2,761 km 1.668-m gauge (464 km electrified; 426 km double track) · narrow gauge: 307 km 1.000-m gauge note: in 1992, Portugal had 3,588 km of track of which 464 km were electrified · Waterways: ; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity

Railways

total:: 3,068 km
broad gauge:: 2,761 km 1.668-m gauge (464 km electrified; 426 km double track)
narrow gauge:: 307 km 1.000-m gauge

note: in 1992, Portugal had 3,588 km of track of which 464 km were electrified

Highways

total:: 70,176 km (statistics for continental Portugal only)
paved:: 60,351 km (including 519 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 9,825 km (1992 est.)

Waterways

820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity

Pipelines

crude oil 22 km; petroleum products 58 km

Ports

Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo

Merchant marine

total:: 72 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 795,725 GRT/1,418,538 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 7, cargo 35, chemical tanker 5, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 12, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1

note: Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira for Portuguese-owned ships; ships on the Madeira Register (MAR) will have taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; Portugal owns an additional 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 155,776 DWT operating under the registries of Panama and Malta (1995 est.)

Communications

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National | Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police

9 fields

Fixed lines

2,236,411

(1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international:: 6 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to Azores;
note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean Region) is planned

males age 15-49:: 2,498,965
males fit for military service:: 2,014,653
males reach military age (20) annually:: 83,427 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.9 billion, 2.4% of GDP (1995)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Portugal.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/portugal/1996.

How to cite ← 1995 edition 1997 edition →

Geography

People

Government

Economy

Transportation

Communications

Cite this entry