Communications
Airports [time series]
65 total, 62 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air [time series]
43 major transport aircraft
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
73,661 km total; 61,599 km surfaced (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]
53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 738,774 GRT/1,300,787 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 8 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier; 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 currently is 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; petroleum 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]
generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire and radio relay; 2,690,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 57 AM, 66 (22 repeaters) FM, 66 (23 repeaters) TV; 6 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT earth stations (2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, domestic satellite systems (mainland and Azores); tropospheric link to Azores
Defense Forces
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 2.8% of GDP (1991)
Manpower availability [time series]
males 15-49, 2,666,450; 2,166,341 fit for military service; 88,826 reach military age (20) annually
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
accounts for 6.1% of GDP and about 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
Budget [time series]
revenues $27.0 billion; expenditures $33.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.7 billion (1991 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
Portuguese escudo (plural - escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Economic aid [time series]
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.2 billion
Electricity [time series]
6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates [time series]
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 143.09 (March 1992), 144.48 (1991), 142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987)
Exports [time series]
$16.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: cotton textiles, cork and paper products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances partners: EC 74%, other developed countries 13.2%, US 4.8%
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$15.0 billion (1991 est.)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power equivalent - $87.3 billion, per capita $8,400; real growth rate 2.7% (1991 est.)
Illicit drugs [time series]
increasingly import gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market
Imports [time series]
$25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, petroleum, textiles partners: EC 69.1%, other developed countries 11.4% less developed countries 15.1%, US 3.9%
Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]
growth rate 9.1% (1990); accounts for 40% of GDP
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]
12.0% (1991 est.)
Economic overview (Overview) [time series]
Although Portugal has experienced strong growth since joining the EC in 1986 - at least 4% each year through 1990 - it remains one of the poorest members. To prepare for the European single market, the government is restructuring and modernizing the economy and in 1989 embarked on a major privatization program. The global slowdown and tight monetary policies to counter inflation caused growth to slow in 1991, but it is likely to recover in 1992.
Unemployment rate [time series]
4.0% (1991 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
Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]
sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Area (Land area) [time series]
91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Land boundaries [time series]
1,214 km; Spain 1,214 km
Land use [time series]
arable land 32%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 40%; other 16%; includes irrigated 7%
Maritime claims [time series]
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Area (Total area) [time series]
92,080 km2
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
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
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 and 1 June 1989
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 Everett E. BRIGGS; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is PSC 83, APO AE 09726); telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; FAX [351] (1) 726-9109; there is a US Consulate in Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Executive branch (Elections) [time series]
President: last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - Dr. Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos MARQUES 3% Assembly of the Republic: last held 6 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - PSD 50.4%, PS 29.3%, CDU 8.8%, Center Democrats 4.4%, National Solidarity Party 1.7%, PRD 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats - (230 total) PSD 135, PS 72, CDU 17, Center Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1
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)
Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]
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)
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]
AfDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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), Andriano MORREIRA (interim); National Solidarity Party, Manuel SERGIO; Center Democratic Party; United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists)
Suffrage [time series]
universal at age 18
Government type (Type) [time series]
republic
People
Birth rate [time series]
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate [time series]
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
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]
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force [time series]
4,605,700; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (1988)
Languages [time series]
Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Literacy [time series]
85% (male 89%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun - Portuguese (singular and plural); adjective - Portuguese
Net migration rate [time series]
2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
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]
10,448,509 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.4 children born/woman (1992)