Portugal

A Little About Portugal: 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 entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Economy: 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 European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating its new currency, 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 GDP per capita stands at just 75% of that of the leading EU economies. The government has failed to reign in a widening deficit and to advance structural reforms needed to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness. 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.

Military: Branches: Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard (includes Fiscal Guard)

Climate:
Current weather conditions in Portugal:
General Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
People
Population: 10,084,245 people
Birth Rate: 11.50 births per 1k people

Ethnic Groups: 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 
 
  
Primary Language: Portuguese
 
Other Languages: Portuguese
 
Primary Religion: Roman Catholic.
 
Other Religions: Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant.

Geography:
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain.
 
Continent: Europe Land Area Total: 92,391 sq. km 
Region: Western Europe Land Area Land: 91,951 sq. km
Capital: Lisbon Land Area Water: 440 sq. km
Current Time:
      
Latitude: 039 30 N Border Boundary Land: 1,214  km
Longitude: 008 00 W Border Boundary Coastline: 1,793 km 
  
Arable Land: 22.00 % Pastures: 0.00  %
Crops: 8.00 % Woodlands & Forests: 0.00 % 
  
Highest Elevation: 2,351 m Location: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores.
Lowest Elevation: 0 m. Location: Atlantic Ocean .
  
Largest City: Lisbon. Lisbon Population: 3,754,000.
   
Irrigated Land: 6,320.
 
Threatened Species: 131.
 
Environmental Issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas.
 
Environmental Agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Decertification, 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, Nuclear Test Ban .
 
Bordering Countries: Spain 1,214 km.
 
Natural Resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower.
 
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south.
 

Political:

Government Type: parliamentary democracy
 
Independence: 1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
 
Constitution: 1976 April 25, revised 1982 October 30, 1989 June 1, 1992 November 5, and 1997 September 3
 
National Holiday: Portugal Day, 10 June

Legal System: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations 
 
Suffrage: 18 years of age

Illicit Drugs: gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin 

Bibliography:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/po.html 3/26/04- The World Factbook

http://www.portugal.org/ 3/29/04- Welcome To Portgual

http://studyabroad.com/ 3/29/04- StudyAbroad.com