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

total:

11.09 cu km/yr (10%/12%/78%)

per capita:

1,056 cu m/yr (1998)

• 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:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.7 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2008 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 (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

• adopted 2 April 1976;
• note - subsequent revisions of the Constitution placed the military under strict civilian control, trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy;
• as well, they allowed for the privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned communications media

• based on 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 Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (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 in 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 Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

• Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS];
• Green Ecologist Party (The Greens) or PEV [leadership commission elected by members];
• Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo DE SOUSA];
• Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa];
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Manuela FERREIRA Leite];
• The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA];
• Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes PCP and PEV)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Joao DE VALLERA

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 Thomas F. STEPHENSON

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% (2007 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, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, diary products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications;
• ship construction and refurbishment;
• tourism

agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semi-conductors and related devices, household goods, passenger cars new and used, and wine products

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;
• a combination of submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the US;
• satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
• tropospheric scatter to Azores (1998)

total:

2,786 km

broad gauge:

2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

183 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

total:

82,900 km

paved:

71,294 km (includes 2,300 km of expressways)

unpaved:

11,606 km (2005)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• compulsory military service ended in 2004;
• women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties;
• reserve obligation to age 35 (2007)

males age 16-49:

2,573,913

females age 16-49:

2,498,262 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

2,099,647

females age 16-49:

2,060,559 (2008 est.)

male:

64,910

female:

58,599 (2008 est.)

• seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe;
• a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin;
• transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
• consumer of Southwest Asian heroin