1996 Edition

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

Location

39 30 N, 8 00 W -- Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Indiana

land area

91,640 sq km

note

includes Azores and Madeira Islands

total area

92,080 sq km

Climate

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Coastline

1,793 km

Environment

current issues

soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

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 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

natural hazards

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Geographic coordinates

39 30 N, 8 00 W

Geographic note

Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

International disputes

sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia and not recognized by the UN

Irrigated land

6,340 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border country

Spain 1,214 km

total

1,214 km

Land use

arable land

32%

forest and woodland

40%

meadows and pastures

6%

other

16%

permanent crops

6%

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 resources

fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble

Terrain

mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south

highest point

Ponta do Pico in Azores 2,351 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 888,157; female 843,309) 15-64 years: 68% (male 3,249,973; female 3,414,793) 65 years and over: 14% (male 601,913; female 866,969) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

10.53 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Portuguese

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.31 years (1996 est.)

male

71.52 years

total population

75.31 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

female

82%

male

89%

total population

85%

Nationality

adjective

Portuguese

noun

Portuguese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

9,865,114 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.02% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.92 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

elections last held 1 October 1995 (next to be held NA October 1999); results - PSD 34.0%, PS 43.8%, CDU 8.6%, CDS/PP 9.1%; seats - (230 total) PSD 88, PS 112, CDU 15, CDS/PP 15

Capital

Lisbon

Constitution

25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989

Council of State

acts as a consultative body to the president

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Data code

PO

Dependent areas

Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 20 December 1999)

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Fernando Antonio de Lacerda ANDRESEN GUIMARAES

telephone

[1] (202) 328-8610

Executive branch

chief of state

President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 14 January 1996 (next to be held NA January 2001); results - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%, Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Conservative) 46.2%

head of government

Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995) was appointed by the president following the October 1995 legislative elections

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3726

[351] (1) 7269109

consulate(s)

Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

consulate(s)

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

consulate(s) general

Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco

Flag

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

1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)

International organization participation

AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal de Justica), judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura

Legal system

civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form

Portugal

local long form

Republica Portuguesa

local short form

Portugal

National holiday

Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcelo Rebelo DE SOUSA; 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

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley BAGLEY

embassy

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon

mailing address

PSC 83, APO AE 09726

telephone

[351] (1) 7266600, 7266659, 7268670, 7268880

Agriculture

grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products

Budget

expenditures

$41 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

revenues

$31 billion

Currency

1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $248 million (1993)

recipient

ODA, $70 million (1993)

Economic overview

Portugal's short-term economic fundamentals are strong - the economy grew by 2.8% in 1995, with similar growth expected in 1996 and 1997, and unemployment is among the lowest in the EU. The Socialist government has pledged its dedication both to meeting the Maastricht monetary convergence criteria and to increasing social spending, including provision of a guaranteed minimum income. The government's 1996 budget, passed in March 1996, includes a budget deficit target of 4.2%, to be attained largely through cuts in non-social-service government spending and income from an ambitious privatization program. As for the long run, Portugal hopes for a steady modernization of its capital plant, its work force, and its infrastructure in order to catch up with the productivity and income levels of the Big Four economies of Western Europe.

Electricity

capacity

8,220,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,642 kWh (1993)

production

29.5 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 151.61 (January 1996), 149.97 (1995), 165.99 (1994), 160.80 (1993), 135.00 (1992), 144.48 (1991)

Exports

$18.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

clothing and footwear, machinery, cork and paper products, hides

partners

EU 75.1%, other developed countries 12.4% (US 5.2%) (1995)

External debt

$11.8 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $116.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

35.8%

services

58.2% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$11,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.8% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe

Imports

$24.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities

machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, petroleum, textiles

partners

EU 71%, other developed countries 10.9% (US 2.5%), less developed countries 12.9% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

2.1% (1995 est.)

Industries

textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.6% (1995 est.)

Labor force

4.24 million (1994 est.)

by occupation

services 54.5%, manufacturing 24.4%, agriculture, forestry, fisheries 11.2%, construction 8.3%, utilities 1.0%, mining 0.5% (1992)

Unemployment rate

7.1% (1995 est.)

Branches

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.9 billion, 2.4% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,498,965

males fit for military service

2,014,653

males reach military age (20) annually

83,427 (1996 est.)

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

2,236,411 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

66 (repeaters 23)

Televisions

2,970,892 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

67

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

3

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

8

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

18

with paved runways over 3 047 m

5

with paved runways under 914 m

30

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

60,351 km (including 519 km of expressways)

total

70,176 km (statistics for continental Portugal only)

unpaved

9,825 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

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; Portugal owns an additional 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 155,776 DWT operating under the registries of Panama and Malta (1995 est.)

ships by type

bulk 7, cargo 35, chemical tanker 5, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 12, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1

total

72 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 795,725 GRT/1,418,538 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 22 km; petroleum products 58 km

Ports

Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo

Railways

broad gauge

2,761 km 1.668-m gauge (464 km electrified; 426 km double track)

narrow gauge

307 km 1.000-m gauge

note

in 1992, Portugal had 3,588 km of track of which 464 km were electrified

total

3,068 km

Waterways

820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity