Following its heyday as a global maritime 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 of its wealthiest colony of Brazil in 1822. 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.

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

39 30 N, 8 00 W

Europe

slightly smaller than Indiana

1,793 km

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

mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower

6,500 sq km (2003)

73.6 cu km (2005)

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

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

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

10,735,765 (July 2010 est.)

0.244% (2010 est.)

10.12 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

10.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.5 children born/woman (2010 est.)

0.5% (2007 est.)

34,000 (2007 est.)

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

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

Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)

Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

4.4% of GDP (2008)

republic; parliamentary democracy

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 (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died

adopted 2 April 1976; subsequently revised

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

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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

Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Manuela FERREIRA LEITE]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes Portuguese Communist Party or PCP and Ecologist Party ("The Greens") or PEV)

the media; labor unions

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club (associate), PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) centered on the dividing line; explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past two decades, 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 European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990s, but fell back in 2001-08, and shrank 2.8% in 2009. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 average. 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 budget deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% of GDP in 2005, but the government reduced the deficit to 2.6% in 2007 - a year ahead of Portugal's targeted schedule. Portugal's financial sector has been relatively insulated from the global financial crisis and the government has not spent much on shoring up banks. Nonetheless, the government faces tough choices in its attempts to stimulate the economy, while trying to keep the budget deficit within the euro-zone 3%-of-GDP ceiling. In 2009, the deficit reached 6.7% of GDP.

$233.4 billion (2009 est.)

$240.1 billion (2008 est.)

$240.1 billion (2007 est.)

$222.4 billion (2009 est.)

-2.8% (2009 est.)

0% (2008 est.)

1.9% (2007 est.)

$21,800 (2009 est.)

$22,500 (2008 est.)

$22,600 (2007 est.)

5.58 million (2009 est.)

9.2% (2009 est.)

7.6% (2008 est.)

18% (2006)

38.5 (2007)

35.6 (1995)

19.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

75.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

66.4% of GDP (2008 est.)

-0.9% (2009 est.)

2.6% (2008 est.)

3% (31 December 2008)

5% (31 December 2007)

8.35% (31 December 2008)

7.92% (31 December 2007)

$NA

$NA

$491 billion (31 December 2008)

$412.7 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$132.3 billion (31 December 2007)

$104.2 billion (31 December 2006)

grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy products; fish

textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, diary products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism

-5.5% (2009 est.)

44.47 billion kWh (2007 est.)

48.78 billion kWh (2007 est.)

1.313 billion kWh (2008 est.)

10.74 billion kWh (2008 est.)

7,861 bbl/day (2008 est.)

291,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)

53,260 bbl/day (2008 est.)

351,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 bbl

0 cu m (2008 est.)

4.754 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

4.763 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$18.61 billion (2009 est.)

-$29.6 billion (2008 est.)

$41.43 billion (2009 est.)

$56.42 billion (2008 est.)

agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision instruments

Spain 25.6%, Germany 12.6%, France 11.1%, Angola 5.9%, UK 5.3% (2008)

$58.79 billion (2009 est.)

$87.83 billion (2008 est.)

agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semi-conductors and related devices, household goods, passenger cars new and used, and wine products

Spain 28.9%, Germany 11.6%, France 8%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2008)

$NA (31 December 2009 est.)

$11.95 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$507 billion (30 June 2009)

$484.7 billion (31 December 2008)

$120.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$117.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009 est.)

$69.24 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005)

4.121 million (2008)

14.91 million (2008)

AM 2, FM 63, shortwave 1 (2008)

42 (2008)

.pt

1.967 million (2009)

4.476 million (2008)

65 (2009)

gas 1,098 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2009)

210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2008)

Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP) (2010)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2007)

2.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin