1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 92,391 sq km land: 91,951 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Indiana
Climate
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline
1,793 km
Elevation extremes
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
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
Environment--international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic coordinates
39 30 N, 8 00 W
Geography--note
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Irrigated land
6,300 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use
arable land: 26% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 36% other: 20% (1993 est.)
Location
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references
Europe
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Natural resources
fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
Terrain
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 866,115; female 820,438) 15-64 years: 68% (male 3,283,345; female 3,428,427) 65 years and over: 15% (male 619,086; female 900,629) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
10.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
10.25 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
Infant mortality rate
6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.88 years male: 72.51 years female: 79.46 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85% male: 89% female: 82% (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Net migration rate
-1.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
9,918,040 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.13% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.34 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
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
Lisbon
Constitution
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997
Country name
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal
Data code
PO
Dependent areas
Macau (scheduled to revert to China on 20 December 1999)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995) 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 1996 (next to be held NA January 2001); 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 elected president; percent of vote--Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%, Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Social Democrat) 46.2%
Flag description
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
parliamentary democracy
Independence
1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
International organization participation
AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURCA, MINURSO, MONUA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Fernando Antonio de Lacerda ANDRESEN GUIMARAES chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island), and San Francisco consulate(s): Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald S. MCGOWAN embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726 consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica, judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party or PSD Popular Party or PP (formerly known as Center Democratic Party or SERGIO]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU (communists; includes
Legal system
civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
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 1 October 1995 (next to be held by 1 October 1999) election results: percent of vote by party--PSD 34.0%, PS 43.8%, CDU 8.6%, CDS/PP 9.1%; seats by party--PSD 88, PS 112, CDU 15, CDS/PP 15
National holiday
Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues: $48 billion expenditures: $52 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.4 billion (1996 est.)
Currency
1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Debt--external
$13.1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--donor
ODA, $271 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Portugal, in 1998, continued to see strong economic growth, falling interest rates, and low unemployment. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and joined with 10 other European countries in launching the euro on 1 January 1999. Portugal's inflation rate for 1998, 2.8%, was low but higher than most of its European partners. The country continues to run a trade deficit and a balance of payments deficit. The government is working to modernize capital plant and increase the country's competitiveness in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth is expected to slow to 3% in 1999 because of a slowdown in public investment and sluggish demand for exports.
Electricity--consumption
31.92 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--exports
3 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
4.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
32.839 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 55% hydro: 45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998 est.)
Exchange rates
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1--172.78 (January 1999), 180.10 (1998), 175.31 (1997), 154.24 (1996), 151.11 (1995), 165.99 (1994) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 200.482 escudos per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Exports
$25 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Exports--partners
EU 81% (Germany 20%, Spain 15%, France 14%, UK 12% Netherlands 5%, Benelux 5%, Italy 4%), US 5% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$144.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 4% industry: 36% services: 60% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$14,600 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
4.2% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$34.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports--partners
EU 76% (Spain 24%, Germany 15%, France 11%, Italy 8%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%), US 3%, Japan 2% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
4.1% (1998 est.)
Industries
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.8% (1998 est.)
Labor force
4.75 million (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
services 56%, manufacturing 22%, agriculture, forestry, fisheries 12%, construction 9%, mining 1% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
5% (August 1998)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 57, FM 66 (repeaters 22), shortwave 0
Radios
2.2 million (1993 est.)
Telephone system
domestic: generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations international: 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
3.7 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations
36 (in addition, there are 62 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
2,970,892 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
66 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 40 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 687 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (1995 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 894,640 GRT/1,366,955 DWT ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 72, chemical tanker 14, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 4, vehicle carrier 2 note: Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira for Portuguese-owned ships; ships on the Madeira Register (MAR) will have taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 22 km; petroleum products 58 km; natural gas 700 km note: the secondary lines for the natural gas pipeline that will be 300 km long have not yet been built Ports and harbors: Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
Railways
total: 3,072 km broad gauge: 2,769 km 1.668-m gauge (528 km electrified; 426 km double track) narrow gauge: 303 km 1.000-m gauge (1996)
Waterways
820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$2.458 billion (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2.6% (1997)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 2,542,188 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,042,730 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
20 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 73,405 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
as former colonial power, Portugal plays a key role in the issue of Indonesia's sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province), which has not been recognized by the UN
Illicit drugs
important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin