About Portugal

COUNTRY PROFILE

National Flag

Location: Southwest Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean west of Spain. Iberian Peninsula.

Area of Continental Portugal: 88,889 km2, (218 km wide, 561 km long, 832 km of Atlantic coast, 1,215 km of land border with Spain).

Area of the Portuguese Islands: Azores - 2,355 km2; Madeira - 741 km2, both in the Atlantic Ocean.

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

Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus (Tejo) River, rolling plains in south.

Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble.

Local time: Greenwich Mean Time (same as United Kingdom).

Population: 10,318,084 (2001 census, preliminary results).

Resident population: 9.957 million (1997).

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%.

Languages: Portuguese.

Capital: Lisbon (Lisboa).

Independence: 1143.

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

Political status: Democratic Republic.

Legal system: civil law system.

National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June.

Executive branch: president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet).

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica).

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica).

Suffrage: universal at 18 years of age.

Local authorities (autarquias locais) - either the municipality or the freguesia (parish).

Autonomous regions: The islands of the Azores and Madeira are Autonomous Regions with Governments and Regional Legislative Assemblies with considerable powers.

 National anthem: A Portuguesa (Listen the Portuguese national anthem here)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PORTUGAL

Portugal is a nation-state and one of the worlds' oldest countries. It’s foundation as an independent nation remount to the year of 1143. Portugal became a republic on October 5, 1910 and today is a strong democracy. Nearly half of the population is economically active. Population density is highest in the Lisbon area, in the northern city of Porto and other coastal cities.

The Portuguese where the first to discover the ocean routes to India, Brazil, China and Japan, in the fifteen century, and at the same time founded settlements on the east and west coasts of Africa. Traces of this worldwide historic presence may be seen as trademarks of the Portuguese genius. The Portuguese language became one of the most widely spoken in the world. More than 200 million people speak Portuguese worldwide - only 10 million in Portugal but over 160 million in Brazil and the rest in former Portuguese territories in Africa and Asia (including Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verd, Stº. Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau, Timor and Macau).