Portugal (continued)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Portuguese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 1% Protestant denominations, 2% other
Language: Portuguese
Literacy: 83%
Labor force: 4,605,700; 45% services, 35% industry, 20% agriculture (1988)
Organized labor: about 55% of the labor force; the Communist-dominated General Confederation of Portuguese Workers—Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized labor force; its main competition, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized labor
Government
Long-form name: Portuguese Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Lisbon
Administrative divisions: 18 districts (distritos, singular—distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiões autónomas, singular—região autónoma); Açores*, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Dependent area: Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)
Independence: 1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982; new discussions on constitutional revision began October 1987
Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 (Assembléia da República)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça)
Leaders: Chief of State—President Dr. Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Anibal CAVAÇO SILVA (since 6 November 1985); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal Cavaço Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge Sampaio; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio Martinho; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro Cunhal; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 16 February 1986 (next to be held January 1991); results—Dr. Mário Lopes Soares 51.3%, Prof. Diogo Freitas do Amal 48.7%;
Assembly of the Republic—last held 19 July 1987 (next to be held July 1991); results—Social Democrats 59.2%, Socialists 24.0%, Communists (in a front coalition) 12.4%, Democratic Renewal 2.8%, Center Democrats 1.6%; seats—(250 total) Social Democrats 148, Socialists 60, Communists (in a front coalition) 31 seats, Democratic Renewal 7, Center Democrats 4
Communists: Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island); US—Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002); telephone [351](1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there are US Consulates in Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
Economy
Overview: During the past four years, the
economy has made a sustained recovery
from the severe recession of 1983-85. The
economy grew by 4.7% in 1987, 4.1% in
1988, and 3.5% in 1989, largely because
of strong domestic consumption and
investment spending. Unemployment has
declined for the third consecutive year,
but inflation continues to be about three
times the European Community average.
The government is pushing economic
restructuring and privatization measures in
anticipation of the 1992 European
Community timetable to form a single large
market in Europe.
GDP: $72.1 billion, per capita $6,900; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.9% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $19.0 billion; expenditures $22.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—cotton textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances; partners—EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 6%
Imports: $17.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—petroleum, cotton, foodgrains, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals; partners—EC 67%, other developed countries 13%, less developed countries 15%, US 4%
External debt: $17.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.5% (1988)
Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and 20% of labor force; small inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops—grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector—sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $998 million
Currency: Portuguese escudo (plural—escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1—149.15 (January 1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987), 149.59 (1986), 170.39 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,613 km total; state-owned
Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates
2,858 km 1.665-meter gauge (434 km
electrified and 426 km double track), 755
km 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km
