Facts And Figures About Portugal

Country Name:

Portugal

Portugal location:

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

Portugal Area:

92,391 sq km

Coastline:

1,793 km

Land Boundaries:

total: 1,214 km

Border Countries:

Spain 1,214 km

Coastline:

1,793 km

Currency:

Euro

Climate:

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

Terrain:

Mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Natural Resources:

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

Geography:

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

Population:

10,642,836 (July 2007 est.)

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 16.5% (male 914,480/female 837,525)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,501,206/female 3,551,706)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 757,220/female 1,080,699) (2007 est.)

Average Age:

total: 38.8 years
male: 36.7 years
female: 41 years (2007 est.)

Population Growth Rate:

0.334% (2007 est.)

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

Religions:

Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant and other 6% (1995)

Languages:

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

GOVERNMENT:

Government Type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

Lisbon

Independence:

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

COMMUNICATIONS:

Telephone Main Lines in Use:

4.234 million (2005)

Cellular Telephones:

11.448 million (2005)

Internet Users:

7.783 million (2006)

TRANSPORTATION:

Highways:

total: 78,470 km
paved: 67,484 km (includes 2,002 km of expressways)
unpaved: 10,986 km (2004)

Ports and Harbours:

210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)

Airports:

66 (2006) 43 paved