Communications
Airports [time series]
69 total, 64 usable; 37 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
73,661 km total; 61,599 km paved (bituminous, gravel, and crushed stone), including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km improved earth; 4,100 km unimproved earth (motorable tracks)
Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]
820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
Merchant marine [time series]
50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 576,654 GRT/1,005,740 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 21 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note--Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira (MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will have the taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; although only one ship is currently known to fly the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that a majority of Portuguese flag ships will transfer to this subregister in a few years
Pipelines [time series]
crude oil, 11 km; refined products, 58 km
Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal, Sines
Railways (Railroads) [time series]
3,613 km total; state-owned Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates 2,858 km 1.665-meter gauge (434 km electrified and 426 km double track), 755 km 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km (1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double track, privately owned
Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]
facilities are generally adequate; 2,250,000 telephones; stations--44 AM, 66 (22 relays) FM, 25 (23 relays) TV; 7 submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems (mainland and Azores)
Defense Forces
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
$1.3 billion (1989 est.)
Military manpower [time series]
males 15-49, 2,583,782; 2,102,835 fit for military service; 88,384 reach military age (20) annually
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
accounts for 9% of GDP and 20% of labor force; small inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops--grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector--sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $998 million
Budget [time series]
revenues $19.0 billion; expenditures $22.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
Portuguese escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Electricity [time series]
6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates [time series]
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1--149.15 (January 1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987), 149.59 (1986), 170.39 (1985)
Exports [time series]
$11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cotton textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances; partners--EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 6%
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$17.2 billion (1988)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
$72.1 billion, per capita $6,900; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)
Imports [time series]
$17.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum, cotton, foodgrains, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals; partners--EC 67%, other developed countries 13%, less developed countries 15%, US 4%
Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]
growth rate 5.5% (1988)
Industries [time series]
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
11.8% (1989 est.)
Economic overview (Overview) [time series]
During the past four years, the economy has made a sustained recovery from the severe recession of 1983-85. The economy grew by 4.7% in 1987, 4.1% in 1988, and 3.5% in 1989, largely because of strong domestic consumption and investment spending. Unemployment has declined for the third consecutive year, but inflation continues to be about three times the European Community average. The government is pushing economic restructuring and privatization measures in anticipation of the 1992 European Community timetable to form a single large market in Europe.
Unemployment rate [time series]
5.9% (1989 est.)
Geography
Climate [time series]
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline [time series]
1,793 km
Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]
slightly smaller than Indiana
Continental shelf [time series]
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]
Macau is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999; East Timor question with Indonesia
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Extended economic zone [time series]
200 nm;
Land boundaries (Land boundary) [time series]
1,214 km with Spain
Land use [time series]
32% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes 7% irrigated
Natural resources [time series]
fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Terrain [time series]
mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south
Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]
12 nm
Area (Total area) [time series]
92,080 km2; land area: 91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
18 districts (distritos, singular--distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular--regiao autonoma); Acores*, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Capital [time series]
Lisbon
Political parties (Communists) [time series]
Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
Constitution [time series]
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982; new discussions on constitutional revision began October 1987
Dependency status (Dependent area) [time series]
Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]
Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island); US--Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002); telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there are US Consulates in Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Executive branch [time series]
president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
Independence [time series]
1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
Judicial branch [time series]
Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica) Chief of State--President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
Legal system [time series]
civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
Country name (Long-form name) [time series]
Portuguese Republic
International organization participation (Member of) [time series]
CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday [time series]
Day of Portugal, 10 June
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal Cavaco Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge Sampaio; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio Martinho; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro Cunhal; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Suffrage [time series]
universal at age 18 President--last held 16 February 1986 (next to be held January 1991); results--Dr. Mario Lopes Soares 51.3%, Prof. Diogo Freitas do Amal 48.7%; Assembly of the Republic--last held 19 July 1987 (next to be held July 1991); results--Social Democrats 59.2%, Socialists 24.0%, Communists (in a front coalition) 12.4%, Democratic Renewal 2.8%, Center Democrats 1.6%; seats--(250 total) Social Democrats 148, Socialists 60, Communists (in a front coalition) 31 seats, Democratic Renewal 7, Center Democrats 4
Government type (Type) [time series]
republic
People
Birth rate [time series]
12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate [time series]
10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
Infant mortality rate [time series]
14 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force [time series]
4,605,700; 45% services, 35% industry, 20% agriculture (1988)
Languages (Language) [time series]
Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
71 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Literacy [time series]
83%
Nationality [time series]
noun--Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Portuguese
Net migration rate [time series]
1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor [time series]
about 55% of the labor force; the Communist-dominated General Confederation of Portuguese Workers--Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized labor force; its main competition, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized labor
Population [time series]
10,354,497 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Religions (Religion) [time series]
97% Roman Catholic, 1% Protestant denominations, 2% other
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.5 children born/woman (1990)