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Portugal Country Guide
Explore Portugal in Europe
The topography includes mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south. The average density of population is approximately 116 per km². The notable climate conditions in Portugal can be described as maritime temperate with cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south. Possible natural disasters include Azores subject to severe earthquakes.
To reach someone in Portugal dial +351 prior to a number. There are 4,049,000 installed telephones. And there are 15,178,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".pt". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Portugal
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.
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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: Spain Capital: Lisbon |
| Size | 92,391 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 35,672 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Population | 10,676,000 |
| Currency | Name Euro, Currency Code:EUR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .pt |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +351 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 15,178,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 4,049,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 92,090 (sq km) | 111 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,799,270 | 80 |
| Population growth rate | 0.15 (%) | 179 |
| Birth rate | 9.59 (births/1,000 population) | 199 |
| Death rate | 10.91 (deaths/1,000 population) | 40 |
| Net migration rate | 2.82 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 31 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 8.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 163 |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.54 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 188 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.85 (years) | 49 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.51 (children born/woman) | 189 |
| Health expenditures | 11.00 (% of GDP) | 20 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.60 (%) | 63 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 42,000 | 60 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 500 | 82 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 24.00 (%) | 69 |
| Education expenditures | 5.80 (% of GDP) | 46 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 30.10 (%) | 23 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 250,600,000,000 | 52 |
| GDP - real growth rate | -3.20 (%) | 213 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 23,800 | 65 |
| Labor force | 5,480,000 | 73 |
| Unemployment rate | 15.30 (%) | 148 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 38.50 | 71 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 16.10 (% of GDP) | 131 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 44.50 (% of GDP) | 28 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -6.00 (% of GDP) | 172 |
| Public debt | 119.70 (% of GDP) | 9 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.90 (%) | 73 |
| Central bank discount rate | 1.75 (%) | 124 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 5.71 (%) | 146 |
| Stock of narrow money | 86,550,000,000 | 38 |
| Stock of broad money | 298,300,000,000 | 31 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 390,400,000,000 | 31 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 82,000,000,000 | 46 |
| Industrial production growth rate | -2.00 (%) | 156 |
| Current account balance | -6,000,000,000 | 168 |
| Exports | 57,800,000,000 | 57 |
| Imports | 67,030,000,000 | 46 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 21,340,000,000 | 56 |
| Debt - external | 508,300,000,000 | 26 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 128,200,000,000 | 31 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 64,250,000,000 | 32 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 50,300,000,000 (kWh) | 52 |
| Electricity - consumption | 47,810,000,000 (kWh) | 47 |
| Electricity - exports | 3,191,000,000 (kWh) | 36 |
| Electricity - imports | 5,814,000,000 (kWh) | 35 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 17,390,000 (kW) | 42 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 48.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 160 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 23.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 84 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 22.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 5 |
| Crude oil - production | 1,926 (bbl/day) | 94 |
| Crude oil - imports | 205,400 (bbl/day) | 33 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 237,000 (bbl/day) | 52 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 259,700 (bbl/day) | 49 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 49,650 (bbl/day) | 59 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 83,520 (bbl/day) | 53 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 5,212,000,000 (cu m) | 59 |
| Natural gas - imports | 5,181,000,000 (cu m) | 33 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 51,430,000 (Mt) | 60 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 4,530,000 | 36 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 12,335,000 | 64 |
| Internet hosts | 3,748,000 | 28 |
| Internet users | 5,168,000 | 45 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 65 | 77 |
| Railways | 3,319 (km) | 53 |
| Roadways | 82,900 (km) | 54 |
| Waterways | 210 (km) | 96 |
| Merchant marine | 109 | 48 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.30 (% of GDP) | 60 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Alto Douro Wine Region Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural la ... | 2001 |
| Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique ... | 1983 |
| Convent of Christ in Tomar Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ) came to symbolize just the opposite during the Manueline period – the opening up of ... | 1983 |
| Cultural Landscape of Sintra In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and i ... | 1995 |
| Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elva ... | 2012 |
| Historic Centre of Évora This museum-city, whose roots go back to Roman times, reached its golden age in the 15th century, when it became the residence of the Portuguese kings. Its unique quality stems from the whitewashed houses decorated with azulejos and wrought-iron balc ... | 1986 |
| Historic Centre of Guimarães The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich buil ... | 2001 |
| Historic Centre of Oporto The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be seen i ... | 1996 |
| Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in the Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore. The walls were built to protect the ... | 2004 |
| Laurisilva of Madeira The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including ... | 1999 |
| Monastery of Alcobaça The Monastery of Santa Maria d'Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Its size, the purity of its architectural style, the beauty of the materials and the care with which it was built make this a masterpiece of ... | 1989 |
| Monastery of Batalha The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here ... | 1983 |
| Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of ... | 1983 |
| Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age ... | 1998 |
| University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra with its colleges grew and evolved over more than seven centuries within the old town. Notable university buildings include the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Cruz and a number of 16 ... | 2013 |