:Portugal Government
Member of:
AfDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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 Everett E. BRIGGS; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600
Lisbon (mailing address is PSC 83, APO AE 09726); telephone [351] (1)
726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; FAX [351] (1) 726-9109; there is a US
Consulate 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
:Portugal Economy
Overview:
Although Portugal has experienced strong growth since joining the EC in 1986
- at least 4% each year through 1990 - it remains one of the poorest
members. To prepare for the European single market, the government is
restructuring and modernizing the economy and in 1989 embarked on a major
privatization program. The global slowdown and tight monetary policies to
counter inflation caused growth to slow in 1991, but it is likely to recover
in 1992.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $87.3 billion, per capita $8,400; real growth
rate 2.7% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.0% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $27.0 billion; expenditures $33.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $6.7 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
$16.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
cotton textiles, cork and paper products, canned fish, wine, timber and
timber products, resin, machinery, appliances
partners:
EC 74%, other developed countries 13.2%, US 4.8%
Imports:
$25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals,
petroleum, textiles
partners:
EC 69.1%, other developed countries 11.4% less developed countries 15.1%, US
3.9%
External debt:
$15.0 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 9.1% (1990); accounts for 40% of GDP
Electricity:
6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil
refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for 6.1% of GDP and about 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
Illicit drugs:
increasingly import gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the
European market
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.2 billion
Currency:
Portuguese escudo (plural - escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100
centavos
:Portugal Economy
Exchange rates:
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 143.09 (March 1992), 144.48 (1991),
142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Portugal 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 (1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double track,
privately owned
Highways:
73,661 km total; 61,599 km surfaced (bituminous, gravel, and crushed stone),
including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km improved earth;
4,100 km unimproved earth (motorable tracks)
Inland waterways:
820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by
shallow-draft craft limited to 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
Pipelines:
crude oil 11 km; petroleum products 58 km
Ports:
Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal,
Sines
Merchant marine:
53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 738,774 GRT/1,300,787 DWT; includes 1
short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 8 bulk, 2
vehicle carrier; note - Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira
(MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will have the taxation and crewing
benefits of a flag of convenience; although only one ship currently is known
to fly the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that a majority
of Portuguese flag ships will transfer to this subregister in a few years
Civil air:
43 major transport aircraft
Airports:
65 total, 62 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire and radio
relay; 2,690,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 57 AM, 66 (22 repeaters)
FM, 66 (23 repeaters) TV; 6 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT earth stations (2
Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, domestic satellite systems
(mainland and Azores); tropospheric link to Azores
:Portugal Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal
Guard, Public Security Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,666,450; 2,166,341 fit for military service; 88,826 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 2.8% of GDP (1991)