Communications
Airports [time series]
total: 65 usable: 63 with permanent-surface runways: 37 with runways over 3,659 m: 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 11
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 73,661 km paved and gravel: 61,599 km (including 453 km of expressways) unpaved: earth 12,062 km
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]
61 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 962,293 GRT/1,779,855 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 25, chemical tanker 4, container 3, liquified gas 2, oil tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2 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 22 km; petroleum products 58 km
Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal, Sines
Railways (Railroads) [time series]
3,625 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 microwave 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
Affiliation [time series]
(commonwealth associated with the US)
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 - $2.1 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1993)
Manpower availability [time series]
males age 15-49 2,723,987; fit for military service 2,207,637; reach military age (20) annually 89,380 (1994 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
accounts for 6.1% 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
Budget [time series]
revenues: $27.3 billion expenditures: $33.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.5 billion (1991 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: 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]
capacity: 6,624,000 kW production: 26.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,520 kWh (1992)
Exchange rates [time series]
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 176.16 (January 1994), 160.80 (1993), 135.00 (1992), 144.48 (1991), 142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989)
Exports [time series]
$17.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: cotton textiles, cork and paper products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances partners: EC 75.4%, other developed countries 12.4%, US 3.8% (1992)
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$20 billion (1993 est.)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Illicit drugs [time series]
increasingly important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe
Imports [time series]
$28 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, petroleum, textiles partners: EC 72%, other developed countries 10.9% less developed countries 12.9%, US 3.4%
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]
7% (1993 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $91.5 billion (1993)
Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]
$8,700 (1993)
Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]
-0.4% (1993)
Economic overview (Overview) [time series]
Portugal's economy registered only 1.1% growth in 1992 and contracted by 0.4% in 1993, in contrast to the 4.5% average of the fast-paced 1986-90 period. Recession in the European Union, which accounts for 75% of Portugal's international trade, is the key factor in the downturn. The government's long-run economic goal is the modernization of Portuguese markets, industry, infrastructure, and workforce in order to catch up with productivity and income levels of the more advanced EU countries. Per capita income now equals only 55% of the EU average. The government's medium-term economic objective is to be in the first tier of EU countries eligible to join the economic and monetary union (EMU) as early as 1997. Economic policy in 1993 focused on reducing inflationary pressures by lowering the fiscal deficit, maintaining a stable escudo, moderating wage increases, and encouraging increased competition. Resumption of growth in the short run depends on the revival of growth in Europe as a whole, not a likely prospect in the immediate future.
Unemployment rate [time series]
7% (1993 est.)
Geography
total area: 92,080 sq km land area: 91,640 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Climate [time series]
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline [time series]
1,793 km
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]
sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
Irrigated land [time series]
6,340 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries [time series]
total 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%
Location [time series]
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean west of Spain
Map references [time series]
Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
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
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
Legislative branch (Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)) [time series]
elections 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 136, PS 71, CDU 17, Center Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1
Capital [time series]
Lisbon
Constitution [time series]
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
Legislative branch (Council of State) [time series]
acts as a consultative body to the president cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Dependent areas [time series]
Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 20 December 1999)
Digraph [time series]
PO
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Jose Laco Treichler KNOPFLI chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 328-8610
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986); election 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% head of government: Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985)
Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]
(202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island)
Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]
[351] (1) 726-9109 consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
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)
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
International organization participation (Member of) [time series]
AfDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name (Names) [time series]
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal
National holiday [time series]
Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal CAVACO Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Antonio GUTERRES; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Pedro CANAVARRO; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Carlos CARVALHAS; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Manuel MONTEIRO; National Solidarity Party (PSN), Manuel SERGIO; Center Democratic Party (CDS); United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists)
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Government type (Type) [time series]
republic
Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sharon P. WILKINSON embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, Lisbon; APO AE 09726 telephone: [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880
People
Birth rate [time series]
11.66 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate [time series]
9.7 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
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]
9.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Labor force [time series]
4,605,700 by occupation: services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (1988)
Languages [time series]
Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 75.2 years male: 71.77 years female: 78.86 years (1994 est.)
Literacy [time series]
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 85% male: 89% female: 82%
Nationality [time series]
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Net migration rate [time series]
1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Population [time series]
10,524,210 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
0.36% (1994 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)