ARCHIVE // PT // 2004
Portugal
2004 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Internet country code
[time series]
.pt
Internet users
(Internet hosts)
[time series]
346,078 (2004)
Internet users
[time series]
3.6 million (2002)
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
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
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
4,278,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
9,341,400 (2003)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $64.81 billion expenditures: $69.09 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Exchange rates
(Currency code)
[time series]
EUR
Current account balance
[time series]
$-7.592 billion (2003)
Debt - external
[time series]
$250.7 billion (2003 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
(Distribution of family income - Gini index)
[time series]
35.6 (1994-95)
Economic aid
(Economic aid - donor)
[time series]
ODA, $271 million (1995)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of that of the leading EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The coalition government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
41.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
3.479 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
3.743 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production
[time series]
44.32 billion kWh (2001)
Exchange rates
[time series]
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Exports
[time series]
$31.13 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Exports - partners
[time series]
Spain 22.7%, Germany 15.2%, France 12.9%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.6% (2003)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $181.8 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 5.8% industry: 30.7% services: 63.2% (2003)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2003 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
-1.3% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
Imports
[time series]
$43.73 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports - partners
[time series]
Spain 29.1%, Germany 14.7%, France 9.9%, Italy 6.4%, UK 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2003)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
0.4% (2003 est.)
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]
3.3% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
[time series]
22.3% of GDP (2003)
Labor force
[time series]
5.409 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (1999 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
2.542 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
2.553 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - production
[time series]
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption
[time series]
339,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports
[time series]
28,830 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports
[time series]
357,300 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
NA
Public debt
[time series]
59.8% of GDP (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
(Reserves of foreign exchange & gold)
[time series]
$12.81 billion (2003)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
6.4% (2003 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 92,391 sq km land: 91,951 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than Indiana
Climate
[time series]
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline
[time series]
1,793 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
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
Environment - current issues
[time series]
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
39 30 N, 8 00 W
Geography - note
[time series]
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Irrigated land
[time series]
6,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 21.75% permanent crops: 7.81% other: 70.44% (2001)
Location
[time series]
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references
[time series]
Europe
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
[time series]
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Natural resources
[time series]
fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
Terrain
[time series]
mountainous north of the Tagus River, 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
Capital
[time series]
Lisbon
Constitution
[time series]
25 April 1976; revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, 3 September 1997, 12 December 2001, and 24 July 2004
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) 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; Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES and his government resigned 11 December 2004, but will stay on in a caretaker capacity until February 2005 elections 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; 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%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
Government type
[time series]
parliamentary democracy
Independence
[time series]
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed)
International organization participation
[time series]
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), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch
[time series]
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)
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 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 20 February 2005); note - President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving Parliament on 10 December 2004 because he lacked confidence in the four-month center-right government 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
National holiday
[time series]
Portugal Day, 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo de SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
NA
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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.
Military
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Army, Navy (PON; including Marines), Air Force (FAP), Republican Guard (including Fiscal Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure
[time series]
$3,497.8 million (2003)
Military expenditures
(Military expenditures - percent of GDP)
[time series]
2.3% (2003)
Military manpower - availability
[time series]
males age 15-49: 2,628,892 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
[time series]
males age 15-49: 2,107,502 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age and obligation
[time series]
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service was ended in September 2004 (September 2004)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
[time series]
males: 72,821 (2004 est.)
People
Age structure
[time series]
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.)
Birth rate
[time series]
10.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
10.37 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
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
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
0.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
27,000 (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 77.35 years male: 74.06 years female: 80.85 years (2004 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.3% male: 95.5% female: 91.3% (2003 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 37.9 years male: 35.8 years female: 40 years (2004 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Net migration rate
[time series]
3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Population
[time series]
10,524,145 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.41% (2004 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)
Sex ratio
[time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
some Portuguese groups assert dormant claims to territories ceded to Spain around the town of Olivenza
Illicit drugs
[time series]
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
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
66 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
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
[time series]
total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (2000)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT 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 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 registered in other countries: 24 (2004 est.)
Pipelines
[time series]
gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004)
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
Railways
[time series]
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)
Waterways
[time series]
210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)