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Data types | Fact sheet
Country fact boxes: Sample
This sample shows the structure of a fact box, and the type of information that is included.
Portugal
National name: República Portuguesa/Republic of Portugal
Area: 92,000 sq km/35,521 sq mi (including the Azores and Madeira)
Capital: Lisbon
Major towns/cities: Porto, Coimbra, Amadora, Setúbal, Funchal, Braga, Vila Nova de Gaia
Major ports: Porto, Setúbal
Physical features: mountainous in the north (Serra da Estrêla mountains); plains in the south; rivers Minho, Douro, Tagus (Tejo), Guadiana
Government
Head of state: Jorge Sampaio from 1996
Head of government: José Manuel Durão Barroso from 2002
Political system: liberal democracy
Political executive: dual executive
Administrative divisions: 18 districts and two autonomous regions
Political parties: Social Democratic Party (PSD), moderate left of centre; Socialist Party (PS), left of centre; People's Party (PP), right wing, anti-European integration
Armed forces: 44,700 (2000)
Conscription: 4–18 months
Death penalty: abolished in 1976
Defence spend: (% GDP) 2.2 (2000)
Education spend: (% GDP) 5.5 (1999)
Health spend: (% GDP) 5.2 (1998)
Economy and resources
Currency: euro (escudo until 2002)
GDP: (US$) 103.9 billion (2000)
Real GDP growth: (% change on previous year) 2.6 (2000)
GNI: (US$) 110.7 billion (2000)
GNI per capita (PPP): (US$) 16,880 (2000)
Consumer price inflation: 2.3% (1999)
Unemployment: 4.9% (1998)
Major trading partners: EU (principally Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium–Luxembourg), USA, Japan
Resources: limestone, granite, marble, iron, tungsten, copper, pyrites, gold, uranium, coal, forests
Industries: textiles and clothing, footwear, paper pulp, cork items (world's largest producer of cork), chemicals, petroleum refining, fish processing, viticulture, electrical appliances, ceramics, tourism
Exports: textiles, clothing, footwear, pulp and waste paper, wood and cork manufactures, tinned fish, electrical equipment, wine, refined petroleum. Principal market: Germany 19.9% (1999)
Imports: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, crude petroleum, natural gas, textile yarn, coal, rubber, plastics, tobacco. Principal source: Spain 24.8% (1999)
Arable land: 20.5% (1998)
Agricultural products: wheat, maize, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, olives, fruit; fishing (1993 sardine catch was the world's largest at 89,914 tonnes)
Population and society
Population: 10,033,000 (2001 est)
Population growth rate: 0.1% (2000–05)
Population density: (per sq km) 109 (2001 est)
Urban population: (% of total) 64 (2000 est)
Age distribution: (% of total population) 0–14 17%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 21% (2001 est)
Ethnic groups: most of the population is descended from Caucasoid peoples who inhabited the whole of the Iberian peninsula in classical and pre-classical times; there are a number of minorities from Portugal's overseas possessions and former possessions
Language: Portuguese (official)
Religion: Roman Catholic 97%
Education: (compulsory years) 9
Literacy rate: 95% (men); 90% (women) (2000 est)
Labour force: 13.7% agriculture, 31.5% industry, 54.8% services (1997)
Life expectancy: 73 (men); 80 (women) (2000–05)
Child mortality rate: (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 11 (1995–2000)
Physicians: 1 per 333 people (1996)
Hospital beds: 1 per 244 people (1996)
TV sets: (per 1,000 people) 560 (1999)
Radios: (per 1,000 people) 304 (1997)
Internet users: (per 10,000 people) 2,494.1 (2000)
Personal computer users: (per 100 people) 29.9 (2000)
Transport
Airports: six international airports; domestic services operate between these; total passengers carried: 7.3 million (1999)
Railways: total length: 3,038 km/1,888 mi; total passenger journeys: 164 million (1999)
Roads: total road network: 68,732 km/42,710 mi, of which 86% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 321 per 1,000 people (1998 est)
Practical information
Visa requirements: UK: visa not required for a stay of up to three months. USA: visa not required for a stay of up to two months
Embassy in the UK: 11 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PP. Tel: (020) 7235 5331/4; fax: (020) 7245 1287
British embassy: Rua de São Bernardo 33, 1200 Lisbon. Tel: (1) 396 1191; fax: (1) 397 6768
Chamber of commerce: Confederação do Comércio Português, Rua dos Correeiros 79, 1o Andar, 1100 Lisbon. Tel: (1) 301 0192; fax: (1) 301 0626
Office hours: 0900–1300 and 1500–1900 Mon–Fri
Banking hours: generally 0830–1500 Mon–Fri
Time difference: GMT +/–0
Chief tourist attractions: mild climate; historic town of Lisbon; summer resorts in the Algarve; winter resorts on Madeira and the Azores
Major holidays: 1 January, 25 April, 10 June, 15 August, 5 October, 1 November, 1, 8, 24–25 December; variable: Carnival, Corpus Christi, Good Friday
Chronology
2nd century BC: Romans conquered Iberian peninsula.
5th century AD: Iberia overrun by Vandals and Visigoths after fall of Roman Empire.
711: Visigoth kingdom overthrown by Muslims invading from North Africa.
997–1064: Christians resettled northern area, which came under rule of Léon and Castile.
1139: Afonso I, son of Henry of Burgundy, defeated Muslims; the area became an independent kingdom.
1340: Final Muslim invasion defeated.
15th century: Age of exploration: Portuguese mariners surveyed coast of Africa, opened sea route to India (Vasco da Gama), and reached Brazil (Pedro Cabral).
16th century: 'Golden Age': Portugal flourished as commercial and colonial power.
1580: Philip II of Spain took throne of Portugal.
1640: Spanish rule overthrown in bloodless coup; Duke of Braganza proclaimed as King John IV.
1668: Spain recognized Portuguese independence.
1755: Lisbon devastated by earthquake.
1807: Napoleonic France invaded Portugal; Portuguese court fled to Brazil.
1807–11: In the Peninsular War British forces played a leading part in liberating Portugal from the French.
1820: Liberal revolution forced King John VI to return from Brazil and accept constitutional government.
1822: First Portuguese constitution adopted.
1828: Dom Miguel blocked the succession of his niece, Queen Maria, and declared himself absolute monarch; civil war ensued
between liberals and conservatives.
1834: Queen Maria regained the throne with British, French, and Brazilian help; constitutional government restored.
1840s: Severe disputes between supporters of radical 1822 constitution and more conservative 1826 constitution.
late 19th century: Government faced severe financial difficulties; rise of socialist, anarchist, and republican parties.
1908: Assassination of King Carlos I.
1910: Portugal became republic after a three-day insurrection forced King Manuel II to flee.
1911: New regime adopted liberal constitution, but republic proved unstable, violent, and corrupt.
1916–18: Portugal fought in World War I on Allied side.
1926–51: Popular military coup installed Gen António de Fragoso Carmona as president.
1933: Authoritarian 'Estado Novo' ('New State') constitution adopted.
1949: Portugal became founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
1974: Army seized power to end stalemate situation in African colonial wars.
1975: Portuguese colonies achieved independence.
1976: First free elections in 50 years.
1986: Soares became the first civilian president in 60 years; Portugal joined the European Community (EC).
1989: The Social Democrat government started to dismantle the socialist economy and privatize major industries.
1995: Antonio Gutteres was elected prime minister in the legislative elections.
1996: Jorge Sampaio was elected president.
2001: Sampaio was re-elected president. A cattle slaughter programme was instituted to combat the growing threat of mad cow disease (BSE). A bridge over the River Douro collapsed, killing 70 and prompting the resignation of the public works minister.
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