Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
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Geographic coordinates:
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39 30 N, 8 00 W
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 92,391 sq km
land: 91,951 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
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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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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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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), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 21.75%
permanent crops: 7.81%
other: 70.44% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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6,320 sq km (1998 est.)
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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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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification
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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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Population:
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10,524,145 (July 2004 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.7% (male 916,106; female 840,574)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 3,454,970; female 3,535,108)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 735,407; female 1,041,980) (2004 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 37.9 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 40 years (2004 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.41% (2004 est.)
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Birth rate:
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10.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Death rate:
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10.37 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.35 years
male: 74.06 years
female: 80.85 years (2004 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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27,000 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
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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% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal
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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 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed)
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National holiday:
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Portugal Day, 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died
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Constitution:
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25 April 1976; revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, 3 September 1997, 12 December 2001, and 24 July 2004
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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 Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES (since 17 July 2004); note - Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO resigned 5 July 2004 to take over the Presidency of the European Commission; Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES and his government resigned 11 December 2004, but will stay on in a caretaker capacity until February 2005 elections
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 2001 (next to be held NA January 2006); 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 reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%
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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)
elections: last held 17 March 2002 (next to be held 20 February 2005); note - President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving Parliament on 10 December 2004 because he lacked confidence in the four-month center-right government
election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3
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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)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa 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 [Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco
consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Adrienne S. O'NEAL
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address: Apartado 4258, 1507 Lisboa Codex; PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
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Flag description:
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two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
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Economy - overview:
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Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, 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 Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of that of the leading EU economies. 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 coalition government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $181.8 billion (2003 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1.3% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2003 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 5.8%
industry: 30.7%
services: 63.2% (2003)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.3% of GDP (2003)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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35.6 (1994-95)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.3% (2003 est.)
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Labor force:
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5.409 million (2003)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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6.4% (2003 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $64.81 billion
expenditures: $69.09 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
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Public debt:
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59.8% of GDP (2003)
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Agriculture - products:
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grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
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Industries:
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textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.4% (2003 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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44.32 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - consumption:
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41.48 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports:
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3.479 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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3.743 billion kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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339,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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28,830 bbl/day (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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357,300 bbl/day (2001)
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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2.542 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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2.553 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Current account balance:
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$-7.592 billion (2003)
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Exports:
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$31.13 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
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Exports - partners:
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Spain 22.7%, Germany 15.2%, France 12.9%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.6% (2003)
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Imports:
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$43.73 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
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Imports - partners:
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Spain 29.1%, Germany 14.7%, France 9.9%, Italy 6.4%, UK 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2003)
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$12.81 billion (2003)
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Debt - external:
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$250.7 billion (2003 est.)
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $271 million (1995)
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Currency:
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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
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Currency code:
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EUR
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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4,278,800 (2003)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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9,341,400 (2003)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%
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
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
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Television broadcast stations:
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62 (plus 166 repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
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Internet country code:
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.pt
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Internet hosts:
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346,078 (2004)
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Internet users:
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3.6 million (2002)
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Railways:
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total: 2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
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Highways:
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total: 68,732 km
paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,622 km (2000)
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Waterways:
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210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004)
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Ports and harbors:
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Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
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Merchant marine:
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total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT
by type: bulk 12, cargo 49, chemical tanker 19, container 8, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 5, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: Australia 1, Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, Germany 21, Greece 2, Guadeloupe 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Japan 1, Malta 1, Norway 7, Panama 1, Spain 18, Switzerland 7, Ukraine 1, United Kingdom 1
registered in other countries: 24 (2004 est.)
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Airports:
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66 (2003 est.)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 42
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.)
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This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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