Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)
Political parties and leaders: The Greens or PEV [no leader]; Popular
Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or
PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo
Ferro RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO
Barroso]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU [leader NA]; The Left Bloc
[no leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: AfDB, Australia Group, BIS,
CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WEU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Joao Alberto Bacelar ROCHA PARIS consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford
(Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island) consulate(s) general: Boston,
New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610 chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington,
DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate John N. PALMER embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726 [351] (21) 727-9109 consulate(s): Flag description: 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 Portugal
Economy - overview: Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating its new currency, the euro, on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but GDP per capita stands at just 75% of that of the leading EU economies. The government has failed to reign in a widening deficit and to advance structural reforms needed to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $174.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)