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

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

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:

0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

noun:

Portuguese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Portuguese

• 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

conventional long form:

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form:

Portugal

local long form:

Republica Portuguesa

local short form:

Portugal

name:

Lisbon

geographic coordinates:

38 43 N, 9 08 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

• 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 Anibal CAVACO Silva (since 9 March 2006)

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 (eligible for a second term);
• election last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held January 2011);
• 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:

Anibal CAVACO Silva elected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO Silva 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo de SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

• 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 CDU (includes PEV and PCP) [Jeronimo de SOUSA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO

chancery:

2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 350-5400

FAX:

[1] (202) 462-3726

consulate(s) general:

Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Francisco

consulate(s):

New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Alfred J. HOFFMAN Jr.

embassy:

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon

mailing address:

Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE 09726

telephone:

[351] (21) 727-3300

FAX:

[351] (21) 726-9109

consulate(s):

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

agriculture:

10%

industry:

30%

services:

60% (1999 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.1%

highest 10%:

28.4% (1995 est.)

• grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes;
• sheep, cattle, goats, swine, poultry, dairy products;
• fish

• 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

general assessment:

Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities

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

total:

2,850 km

broad gauge:

2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

274 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

total:

72,600 km

paved:

62,436 km (including 1,700 km of expressways)

unpaved:

10,164 km (2002)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• compulsory military service was ended in 2004;
• women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties (2005)

males age 18-49:

2,435,042

females age 18-49:

2,405,816 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

1,952,819

females age 18-49:

1,977,264 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

67,189

females age 18-49:

60,626 (2005 est.)

• 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