Currency:
1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 145.51 (January 1993), 135.00 (1992),
144.48 (1991), 142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Portugal, Communications
Railroads:
3,625 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:
51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 634,072 GRT/1,130,515 DWT; includes 1
short-sea passenger, 21 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 oil tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk, 2
liquified gas; 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
Airports:
total:
64
usable:
62
with permanent-surface runways:
36
with runways over 3,659 m:
2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
11
Telecommunications:
generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire and
microwave 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 age 15-49 2,696,325; fit for military service 2,188,041; reach
military age (20) annually 88,735 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1992)
*Puerto Rico, Header
Affiliation: (commonwealth associated with the US)
*Puerto Rico, Geography
Location:
in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin
Islands group
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
9,104 km2
land area:
8,959 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
501 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to
sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Natural resources:
some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
Land use:
arable land:
8%
permanent crops:
9%
meadows and pastures:
41%
forest and woodland:
20%
other:
22%
Irrigated land:
390 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered;
south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Note:
important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the
Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the
Caribbean
*Puerto Rico, People