Portugal

lowest point:

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:

Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m

arable land:

26%

permanent crops:

9%

permanent pastures:

9%

forests and woodland:

36%

other:

20% (1993 est.)

• soil erosion;
• air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions;
• water pollution, especially in coastal areas

0-14 years:

17% (male 866,115; female 820,438)

15-64 years:

68% (male 3,283,345; female 3,428,427)

65 years and over:

15% (male 619,086; female 900,629) (1999 est.)

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

noun:

Portuguese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Portuguese

conventional long form:

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form:

Portugal

local long form:

Republica Portuguesa

local short form:

Portugal

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)

head of government:

Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held 14 January 1996 (next to be held NA January 2001);
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president

election results:

Jorge SAMPAIO elected president; percent of vote--Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%, Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Social Democrat) 46.2%

• Social Democratic Party or PSD Popular Party or PP (formerly known as Center Democratic Party or SERGIO];
• United Democratic Coalition or CDU (communists; includes

chief of mission:

Ambassador Fernando Antonio de Lacerda ANDRESEN GUIMARAES

chancery:

2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general:

Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island), and San Francisco

consulate(s):

Los Angeles

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gerald S. MCGOWAN

embassy:

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon

mailing address:

PSC 83, APO AE 09726

consulate(s):

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

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

total:

3,072 km

broad gauge:

2,769 km 1.668-m gauge (528 km electrified; 426 km double track)

narrow gauge:

303 km 1.000-m gauge (1996)

total:

68,732 km

paved:

59,110 km (including 687 km of expressways)

unpaved:

9,622 km (1995 est.)

• crude oil 22 km;
• petroleum products 58 km;
• natural gas 700 km

note: the secondary lines for the natural gas pipeline that will be 300 km long have not yet been built

• important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market;
• transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
• consumer of Southwest Asian heroin