Portugal

Portuguese RepublicRepublica Portuguesa

parliamentary democracyIndependence 1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized)

Portugal as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 125 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

Area92,391 sq km

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

Populationas each edition published it

10.57 million July 2005 est. · 10.35m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.39% 2005 est. · 0.36% in 1993

Median ageyears

38.2 years 2005 est. · 37.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.53 years 2005 est. · 74.89 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.47 children per woman 2005 est. · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5.05 deaths per 1,000 live births 2005 est. · 14 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$17,900 2004 est. · $9,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.1% 2004 est. · 1.1% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 92,391 sq km

arable land 21.75%permanent crops 7.81%other 70.44% (2001)irrigated 6,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Area

92,391sq km

land: 91,951 sq kmwater: 440 sq kmnote: includes Azores and Madeira Islandsslightly smaller than Indiana

Coastline

1,793km

territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Land boundaries

1,214km

border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

39 30 N, 8 00 W

Map references

Europe

Climate

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

Terrain

mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Elevation extremes

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

Natural resources

fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower

Natural hazards

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification

Geography - note

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

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)

744,787

65 and over17.1%

1,057,633

3,468,844

15-6466.3%

3,538,779

916,234

0-1416.6%

839,935

MaleFemale

Population

10,566,212

(July 2005 est.)growth rate: 0.39% (2005 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)

Birth

10.82Death

10.43Net migration

3.49

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2005 est.)77.53

74.25 · 81.03Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)5.05

5.53 · 4.55

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)93.3%

95.5% · 91.3%Median age years (2005 est.)38.2

36.06 · 40.33

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4%

(2001 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.47 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

22,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

homogeneous Mediterranean stock;
citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000;
since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Religions

Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)

Languages

Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996); Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES (since 12 March 2005)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

55.8%

Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held January 2006)

Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica, 230 seats, elected 20 February 2005one dot, one seat

PS 121PSD 75CDU 14PP 12BE 8

Percent of vote

PS 45.1%PSD 28.7%CDU 7.6%PP 7.3%BE 6.4%

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

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

Independence

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed)

National holiday

Portugal Day, 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died

Constitution

25 April 1976; revised many times

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)
head of government:: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES (since 12 March 2005)
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 2001 (next to be held January 2006);
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 reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009);
note - President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving parliament on 10 December 2004 because he lacked confidence in the four-month center-right government
election results:: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%, CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14, PP 12, BE 8

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA];
Popular Party or PP [Jose Ribeiro e CASTRO];
Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo de SOUSA];
Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES];
The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA];
Unitarian Democratic Coalition or UDC [Jeronimo de SOUSA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
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):: New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Adrienne S. O'NEAL
embassy:: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address:: Apartado 4258, 1507 Lisboa Codex; PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone:: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX:: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s):: Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description

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

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986.

43 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$188.7billion

(2004 est.)

Real growth rate

1.1%

(2004 est.)industrial production growth: 1.1% (2004 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(2004 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5%

(2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2004 est.)

agriculture 5.9%industry 30.2%services 63.9% (2004 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

25%

Spain

29.3%

13.5%

Germany

14.3%

14%

France

9.3%

9.6%

4.6%

4.3%

Italy

6.1%

Netherlands

4.6%

Exports $37.68 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)Imports $52.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)(2004)

Budget

Revenues

$74.38 billionExpenditures

$79.86 billion (2004 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of NA

Electricity

Electricity production

43.28 billion (2002)Electricity consumption

42.15 billion (2002)Electricity exports

3.4 billion (2002)Electricity imports

5.3 billion (2002)

Economy - overview

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors.

The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-04. GDP per capita stands at two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies.

A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $17,900 (2004 est.)

Labor force

5.48 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35.6 (1994-95)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

Public debt

61.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

textiles and footwear;
wood pulp, paper, and cork;
metals and metalworking;
oil refining;
chemicals;
fish canning;
rubber and plastic products;
ceramics;
electronics and communications equipment;
rail transportation equipment;
aerospace equipment;
ship construction and refurbishment;
wine;
tourism

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

339,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

28,830 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

357,300 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

2.542 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

2.553 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance

$-8.12 billion (2004 est.)

Exports

$37.68 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides

Imports

$52.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$12.3 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external

$274.7 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $271 million (1995)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries;

on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

9,341,400

(2003)

Internet users

346,078

(2004)

Fixed lines

4,278,800

(2003) · country code .pt

Telephone system

general assessment:: Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%
domestic:: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international:: country code - 351;
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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)

Internet users

3.6 million (2002)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 42Unpaved 23

Networkskm

Highways

17,135Railways

2,850Waterways

210 (2003)

Highways: paved: 14,736 km (including 1,659 km of expressways) · unpaved: 2,399 km (2002) · Railways: broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) · Waterways: (on Douro River from Porto)

Railways

total:: 2,850 km
broad gauge:: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
narrow gauge:: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Highways

total:: 17,135 km
paved:: 14,736 km (including 1,659 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 2,399 km (2002)

Waterways

210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)

Pipelines

gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Merchant marine

total:: 114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT
by type:: bulk carrier 10, cargo 38, chemical tanker 14, container 7, liquefied gas 9, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned:: 97 (Australia 1, Belgium 6, Denmark 5, Germany 18, Greece 4, Iceland 1, Italy 11, Japan 8, Lebanon 1, Malta 1, Norway 4, Spain 19, Switzerland 4)
registered in other countries:: 28 (2005)

Airports

65 (2004 est.)

Military

Army, Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana) (2005)

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.3%

(2003)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market (especially from Brazil);
transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

Central Intelligence Agency. “Portugal.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/portugal/2005.

How to cite ← 2004 edition 2006 edition →

Introduction

Geography

People

Government

Economy

Communications

Transportation

Military

Transnational Issues

Cite this entry