Economy overview: Portugal has a developing capitalist economy with a share of GDP per capita that is two thirds of that of the four major Western European powers. In 1998, the country prepared to join the European Monetary Union and on January 1, 1999, with 10 other European countries, created the euro area. In 2000, moderate growth continued in Portugal, and inflation and unemployment rates were fairly low. A significant foreign trade deficit persists. The government is working on reforming the tax system, aiming to modernize production and increase the country’s competitiveness in the face of growing integration of world markets. Economic growth is projected to slow down somewhat in 2000. Improving the education system is critical in the long term. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $159 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 2.7% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $15,800 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 4%; industry: 36%; services: 60% (1999 est.). Proportion of the population below the poverty line: no data available. Percentage distribution of household income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 3.1%; top 10% of families: 28.4% (1995 est.). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 2.8% (2000 est.), Labor force: 5 million people. (1999 est.). Employment structure: services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.). Unemployment rate: 4.3% (2000 est.). Budget: revenues: $48.6 billion; expenditures: $50.7 billion, including capital investments – $7.7 billion (2000 est.). Spheres of economy: textile and footwear industry; production of pulp, paper and cork products; metalworking; oil refining; production of chemicals; production of canned fish; winemaking; tourism. Growth in industrial production: 2.9% (1999 est.). Electricity generation: 41.696 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 79.97%; hydropower: 17.25%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 2.78% (1999). Electricity consumption: 37.915 billion kWh (1999). Electricity export: 4.49 billion kWh (1999) Electricity import: 3.628 billion kWh (1999), Agricultural products: grain, potatoes, sawdust, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products. Exports: $26.1 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Exports: clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, leather. Export partners: EU 83% (Germany 20%, Spain 18%, France 14%, UK 12% Netherlands 5%, Benelux 5%, Italy), US 5% (1999). Imports: $41 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Import articles: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, oil, textiles, agricultural products. Import partners: EU 78% (Spain 25%, Germany 15%, France 11%, Italy 8%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%), US 3% Japan 3% (1999). External debt: $13.1 billion (1997 est.) Economic aid donor: official development support – $271 million (1995). Currency: Portuguese Escudo, Euro; note: on January 1, 1999, the EU introduced a single currency, which is used by financial institutions in some EU member states, at a fixed rate of 200.482 escudos per euro; from 2002, the euro will be used for all financial transactions and will replace the national currencies of countries in the euro area. Currency code: PTE; EUR. Exchange rate: EUR/USD – 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); PTE/USD -180.10 (1998), 175.31 (1997), 154.24 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 5.3 million (end 1998). Mobile cellular telephones: 3,074,194 (1999). Telephone system: Rapidly developing in recent years, Portugal’s telephone system currently consists of high-capacity broadband telephone lines; domestic: network consisting of coaxial cables, overhead lines, microwave radio relay and domestic satellite earth stations; international: 6 submarine cables; ground satellite stations – 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), Eutelsat (no data on the number of stations); troposcatter link with the Azores; note – it is planned to commission the Inmarsat station (Atlantic Ocean region). Broadcasting stations: AM – 47, FM – 172 (many repeaters among them), shortwave – 2 (1998). Radio receivers: 3.02 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 62 (and 166 repeaters); note: includes Azores and Madeira (1995). Televisions: 3.31 million (1997) Internet Country Code: pt Internet Service Providers: 16 (2000). Number of users: 700,000 (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total: 2,850 km; broad gauge: 2,576 km (1.668 m gauge) (623 km electrified; 426 km dual track); narrow gauge: 274 km (1,000 m gauge) (1998). Roads: total: 68,732 km; paved: 59,110 km (including 797 km of expressways); unpaved: 9,622 km (1999 est.) Waterways: navigable 820 km; of little importance to the national economy, used by shallow draft vessels of 300 metric tons or less. Pipelines: for crude oil – 22 km; for oil products – 58 km; for natural gas – 700 km; note: additional lines for the gas pipeline, which will have a length of 300 km, have not yet been laid. Ports and harbours: Aveiro, Viana do Castelo, La Goush, Lisbon, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Porto, Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores). Merchant fleet: total: 158 vessels (displacement of 1,000 tons or more) with a total displacement of 1,053,586 gross register tons / 1,611,238 long tons of gross tonnage; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 14, cargo ships – 84, chemical tankers – 16, container ships – 10, liquefied gas tankers – 7, multifunctional heavy cargo ships – 1, oil tankers – 11, refrigerated ships – 1, ferries – 6, coastal passenger ships – 4, cargo ships for the transport of vehicles – 4; note: including foreign vessels registered here for flag of convenience reasons: Spain 1 (2000 est.). Airports: 66 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 40; over 3,047 m: 5; from 2438 to 3047 m: 9; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4; from 914 to 1523 m:17; less than 914 m: 5 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 26; from 914 to 1523 m:1; less than 914 m: 25 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the armed forces: ground forces, navy (including marines), air force, national republican guard. See militarynous.com to know more about Portugal Military. Enlistment age: 20 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 2,530,466 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: men aged 15 to 49: 2,030,759 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: male: 71,404 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $2.458 billion (1997) Military spending as part of GDP: 2.6% (1997). International issues
International Issues
International Issues International Disputes: Illicit Drugs: Large quantities of Latin American cocaine and heroin from Southwest Asia pass through Portugal and then on to the European market; transit point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; a heroin user from Southwest Asia.
