| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
39° 30' North Latitude
8° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
92,391 sq km |
| Climate |
Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
| Natural Resources |
Fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Portuguese Republic |
| Capital City |
Lisbon |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Independence Day |
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
10,566,212 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Portuguese |
| Ethnic Groups |
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 |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995) |
| Languages |
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.39% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| Industries |
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 |
| Labor Force |
5.48 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (1999 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products |
| Export Commodities |
Clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides |
| Export Partners |
Spain 24.8%, France 14%, Germany 13.5%, UK 9.6%, US 6%, Italy 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products |
| Import Partners |
Spain 29.3%, Germany 14.4%, France 9.7%, Italy 6.1%, Netherlands 4.6%, UK 4.5% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
2,850 km |
| Highways |
17,135 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004) |
| Airports |
65 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+351 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.pt |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
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. |
|
| www.kfrawy.com |
