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| Introduction | Portugal |
| 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. |
| People | Portugal |
| Population: | 10,524,145 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 16.7% (male 916,106; female 840,574) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 3,454,970; female 3,535,108) 65 years and over: 16.9% (male 735,407; female 1,041,980) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 37.9 years male: 35.8 years female: 40 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.41% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 10.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 10.37 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.35 years male: 74.06 years female: 80.85 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.46 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.5% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 27,000 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,000 (2001 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) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.3% male: 95.5% female: 91.3% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Portugal |
| 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 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910) |
| National holiday: | Portugal Day, 10 June (1580) |
| Constitution: | 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997 |
| 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) note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president head of government: Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES (since 17 July 2004); note - Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO resigned 5 July 2004 to take over the Presidency of the European Commission later this year cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA 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 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura) |
| Political parties and leaders: | The Greens or PEV [no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The Left Bloc [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| 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), NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island) consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610 chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| 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 |
| Communications | Portugal |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 4,278,800 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 9,341,400 (2003) |
| 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) |
| Radios: | 3.02 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995) |
| Televisions: | 3.31 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .pt |
| Internet hosts: | 346,078 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 16 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 3.6 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Portugal |
| 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 (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (2000) |
| 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: | Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo |
| Merchant marine: | total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT registered in other countries: 24 (2003 est.) foreign-owned: Australia 1, Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, Germany 21, Greece 2, Guadeloupe 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Japan 1, Malta 1, Norway 7, Panama 1, Spain 18, Switzerland 7, Ukraine 1, United Kingdom 1 by type: bulk 12, cargo 49, chemical tanker 19, container 8, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 5, vehicle carrier 2 |
| Airports: | 66 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 42 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Portugal |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy (PON; including Marines), Air Force (FAP), Republican Guard (including Fiscal Guard) |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service was ended in September 2004 (September 2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 2,628,892 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 2,107,502 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 72,821 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $3,497.8 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.3% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Portugal |
| Disputes - international: | some Portuguese groups assert dormant claims to territories ceded to Spain around the town of Olivenza |
| 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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