World Facts Index > Portugal > Lisbon, Porto
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.
Geography of Portugal
|
Location:
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Southwestern Europe,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain |
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Coordinates:
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39 30 N, 8 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 92,391 sq km
land: 91,951 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
water: 440 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Indiana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,214 km
border countries: Spain 1,214 km |
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Coastline:
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1,793 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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maritime temperate; cool
and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
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Terrain:
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mountainous north of the
Tagus River, rolling plains in south |
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Elevation extremes:
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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 |
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Natural resources:
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fish, forests (cork),
tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower |
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Natural hazards:
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Azores subject to severe
earthquakes |
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Environment current issues:
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soil erosion; air pollution
caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially
in coastal areas |
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Geography - note:
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Azores and Madeira Islands
occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of
Gibraltar
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More Geography
Population of Portugal
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Population:
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10,676,910 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.5% (male 915,604/female 839,004)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,484,545/female 3,544,674)
65 years and over: 17.2% (male 751,899/female 1,070,144) |
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Median age:
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38.5 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.36% |
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Infant mortality:
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4.98 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.7 years
male: 74.43 years
female: 81.2 years |
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Fertility rate:
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1.47 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: Portuguese (singular and
plural)
adjective: Portuguese |
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Ethnic groups:
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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 |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995) |
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Languages:
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Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official
- but locally used) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.3%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Portuguese
Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Lisbon |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5
October 1910) |
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National holiday:
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Portugal Day, 10 June (1580) |
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Constitution:
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25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1
June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997 |
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Legal system:
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civil law system; the Constitutional
Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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. |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de
Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura) |
Economy
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 2001-07. GDP per capita stands
at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 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 the government reduced the
deficit to 2.6% in 2007 - a year ahead of Portugal's targeted schedule.
Nonetheless, 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.
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GDP:
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$232.3 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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0.3% |
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GDP per capita:
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$19,300 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 5.3%
industry: 27.4%
services: 67.3% |
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Inflation rate:
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2.3% |
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Labor force:
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5.52 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% |
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Unemployment:
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7.6% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $78.84 billion
expenditures: $90.27 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 64.5%
hydro: 31.3%
other: 4.1% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Industries:
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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 |
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Agriculture:
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grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle,
goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish |
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Exports:
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clothing and footwear, machinery,
chemicals, cork and paper products, hides |
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Export partners:
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Spain 25.5%, France 12.8%, Germany 11.8%, UK 8.1%, US
5.4%, Italy 4.1% |
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Imports:
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machinery and transport equipment,
chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products |
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Import partners:
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Spain 28.5%, Germany 13.2%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.1%, UK
4.3%, Netherlands 4.2% |
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Currency:
|
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 |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |