Portugal
Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon
History
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
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
92,090
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
1,214
km
|
| Border Countries |
Spain 1,214 km |
| Coastline |
1,793
km
|
| Terrain |
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,351
m
|
| Climate |
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
| Natural Resources |
fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
11.88% |
| Permanent Crops |
7.71% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$57.8 billion |
| Export Items |
agricultural products, food products, wine, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, hides, leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, machinery and tools, base metals |
| Export Partners |
Spain 25.1%, Germany 13.6%, France 12.1%, Angola 5.5%, UK 5.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$67.03 billion |
| Import Items |
agricultural products, chemical products, vehicles and other transport material, optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semi-conductors and related devices, oil products, base metals, food products, textile materials |
| Import Partners |
Spain 31.8%, Germany 12.4%, France 6.9%, Italy 5.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2011) |
People
| Population |
10,799,270 |
| Population Growth |
0.15% |
| 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 |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
78.85 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.95 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
1 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
