Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.pt
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
836,616 (2007)
Internet users [time series]
3.213 million (2006)
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 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 (1998)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
4.231 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
12.226 million (2006)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
62 (plus 166 repeaters; includes Azores and Madeira Islands) (1995)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $81.9 billion expenditures: $89.49 billion (2006 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [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
Current account balance [time series]
$-18.28 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$368.2 billion (2006 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
38.5 (1997)
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 two decades, 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 European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990s, but fell back in 2001-06. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-25 average. 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 budget deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% of GDP in 2005 but was reduced to 4.6% in 2006. The government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
46.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports [time series]
2.802 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports [time series]
9.626 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production [time series]
43.69 billion kWh (2005)
Exchange rates [time series]
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Exports [time series]
$43.58 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Exports - partners [time series]
Spain 26.5%, Germany 12.9%, France 12%, UK 6.7%, US 6.1% (2006)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$176.8 billion (2006 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$210.1 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 8% industry: 25.8% services: 66.2% (2006 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$19,800 (2006 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
1.3% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
Imports [time series]
$64.45 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports - partners [time series]
Spain 29%, Germany 13.1%, France 8.1%, Italy 5.6%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
0.9% (2006 est.)
Industries [time series]
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metals and metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; rubber and plastic products; ceramics; electronics and communications equipment; rail transportation equipment; aerospace equipment; ship construction and refurbishment; wine; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
3.1% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed) [time series]
20.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Labor force [time series]
5.59 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 10% industry: 30% services: 60% (2001 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$66.98 billion (2005)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
4.125 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports [time series]
4.281 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption [time series]
332,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports [time series]
43,070 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports [time series]
361,300 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - production [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves [time series]
0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Public debt [time series]
65.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$9.883 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$54.85 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$85.52 billion (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
7.6% (2006 est.)
Geography
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, Whaling 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]
6,500 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 17.29% permanent crops: 7.84% other: 74.87% (2005)
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 (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Capital [time series]
name: Lisbon geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Constitution [time series]
adopted 2 April 1976; effective 25 April 1976; revised many times
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 Alfred J. HOFFMAN Jr. embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon mailing address: Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; 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 Joao DE VALLERA chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 350-5400 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Francisco consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (since 12 March 2005) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011); 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: Anibal CAVACO SILVA elected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%
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 (republic proclaimed)
International organization participation [time series]
ABEDA, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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]
based on 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 20 February 2005 (next to be held in February 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%, CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14, PP 12, BE 8
National holiday [time series]
Portugal Day (Day of Portugal), 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 Augusta Baiao de Brito 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 [Luis Manuel Goncalves Marques MENDES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes PEV and PCP)
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
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 2,435,042 females age 18-49: 2,405,816 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 1,952,819 females age 18-49: 1,977,264 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]
males age 18-49: 67,189 females age 18-49: 60,626 (2005 est.)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Army, Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana) (2005)
Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]
2.3% (2005 est.)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties (2005)
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 914,480/female 837,525) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,501,206/female 3,551,706) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 757,220/female 1,080,699) (2007 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
10.59 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate [time series]
10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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]
0.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
22,000 (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Languages [time series]
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 77.87 years male: 74.6 years female: 81.36 years (2007 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: 38.8 years male: 36.7 years female: 41 years (2007 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Net migration rate [time series]
3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Population [time series]
10,642,836 (July 2007 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
0.334% (2007 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.092 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.701 male(s)/female total population: 0.946 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.48 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Illicit drugs [time series]
seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
Transportation
Airports [time series]
66 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 44 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 12 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 117 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,022,783 GRT/1,287,951 DWT by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 37, carrier 1, chemical tanker 16, container 6, liquefied gas 9, passenger 10, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 10 foreign-owned: 80 (Belgium 9, Denmark 3, Germany 22, Greece 4, Italy 11, Japan 10, Malta 1, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, Spain 10, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2, US 1) registered in other countries: 15 (Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 1, Malta 3, Panama 9, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)
Pipelines [time series]
gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2006)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines
Railways [time series]
total: 2,786 km broad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified) narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways [time series]
total: 78,470 km paved: 67,484 km (includes 2,002 km of expressways) unpaved: 10,986 km (2004)
Waterways [time series]
210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2006)