Portugal

PORTUGAL

Information about travelling to Portugal

Portugal is located in Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Facts about Portugal
Population10,676,910 (July 2008 est
CapitalLisbon
Time zoneUTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begin
Location Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

General info about Portugal
Following its heyday as a world 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 in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. 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.
Languages spoken
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
What about drugs?
seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
Ethnic division
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
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
0.4% (2001 est.)
Climate
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Resources
fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
Economy
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past two decades, 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 the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990s, but fell back in 2001-08. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 average. 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. The budget deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% of GDP in 2005, but the government reduced the deficit to 2.6% in 2007 - a year ahead of Portugal's targeted schedule. Nonetheless, the government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost the economy, which grew by 0.9% in 2008, while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.
Environment
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

Cities in Portugal

a dos cunhados     abrantes     abraveses     adaufe     aguada de cima     aguas santas     agucadoura     agueda     albufeira     alcabideche     alcacer do sal     alcains     alcanede     alcanena     alcobaca     alcochete     alcoentre     aldeia de paio pires     alenquer     alfena     alferrarede     alges     alhadas     alhandra     alhos vedros     aljezur     aljubarrota     aljustrel     almada     almancil     almargem do bispo     almeirim     alpiarca     alvor     amadora     amarante     amor     amora     angra     anta     antas     apelacao     apulia     aradas     arazede     arcos     arcozelo     areosa     arganil     argoncilhe     armacao de pera     aroes     arrentela     arrifana     arrifes     arruda dos vinhos     arvore     atouguia da baleia     avanca     aveiras de cima     aveiro     aves     avintes     azambuja     baguim do monte     baltar     barcarena     barcelos     barreiro     barrosas     batalha     beduido     beja     belas     benavente     benedita     bobadela     boliqueime     bombarral     borba     bougado     braga     braganca     branca     brito     buarcos     bucelas     cacilhas     caldas da rainha     caldas de vizela     caldelas     calendario     camacha     camara de lobos     camarate     campanario     campo     campo maior     candoso     canecas     canedo     canelas     canico     canidelo     cantanhede     caparica     caranguejeira     carcavelos     carnaxide     carregado     cartaxo     carvalhosa     cascais     castanheira de pera     castanheira do ribatejo     castelo branco     casteloes de cepeda     castro daire     castro marim     castro verde     cercal     charneca de caparica     chaves     coimbra     colares     coronado     corroios     cortegaca     coruche     cova da piedade     covilha     custoias     darque     eixo     elvas     entroncamento     ericeira     esmoriz     espinho     estombar     estoril     estremoz     evora     fafe     faja de baixo     famoes     fanzeres     faro     fatima     fazendas de almeirim     feira     ferreira     ferreira do alentejo     ferreiras     ferreiros     fiaes     figueira da foz     figueiro     foz do sousa     frazao     freamunde     funchal     fundao     gafanha da encarnacao     gafanha da nazare     galegos     gandra     gemunde     godim     golega     gondomar     grandola     grijo     guarda     guia     guifoes     guimaraes     gulpilhares     horta     ilhavo     joane     jovim     lagoa     lagos     lamego     laranjeiro     lavos     lavra     leca da palmeira     leca do bailio     leiria     linda-a-velha     lisbon     lobao     lordelo     lorvao     loule     loures     lourical     lourinha     lourosa     lousa     lustosa     luz     macedo de cavaleiros     maceira     machico     macieira de cambra     madalena     mafra     maia     malveira     mangualde     margaride     marinha grande     marinhais     marinhas     matosinhos     meadela     mealhada     meinedo     milharado     milheiros     milheiros de poiares     mira     miranda do corvo     mirandela     mogadouro     moita     moncarapacho     monchique     monte gordo     monte redondo     montemor-o-novo     montijo     moreira     moreira de conegos     moscavide     moura     mozelos     nazare     negrelos     nelas     nogueira     nogueira da regedoura     odemira     odivelas     oia     olhao     olival     oliveira     oliveira de azemeis     oliveira do bairro     oliveira do douro     oliveira do hospital     oliveirinha     ourem     ovar     paco de arcos     pacos de brandao     pacos de ferreira     palmela     pampilhosa     pardilho     parede     pataias     pedroso     pedroucos     penafiel     peniche     perafita     pero pinheiro     perozinho     peso da regua     pinhal novo     poceirao     poiares     pombal     ponta delgada     ponta do sol     ponte     ponte de sor     pontevel     pontinha     portalegre     portimao     porto     porto de mos     porto salvo     porto santo     povoa de lanhoso     povoa de santa iria     povoa de santo adriao     povoa de varzim     pragal     praia da vitoria     quarteira     queijas     queluz     quinta do anjo     rabo de peixe     ramada     real     rebordosa     recarei     redondo     refojos de basto     reguengos de monsaraz     riachos     ribeira brava     ribeira grande     ribeirao     rio de loba     rio de mouro     rio maior     rio meao     rio tinto     ronfe     rosto do cao     sacavem     salreu     salvaterra de magos     samora correia     sande     sandim     sangalhos     santa barbara de nexe     santa catarina da serra     santa cruz     santa cruz do bispo     santa iria de azoia     santarem     santiago do cacem     santo andre     santo antao do tojal     santo antonio da charneca     santo tirso     sao bartolomeu de messines     sao bras de alportel     sao domingos de rana     sao felix da marinha     sao joao     sao joao da madeira     sao joao da talha     sao joao de ver     sao joao dos montes     sao mamede de infesta     sao pedro da cadeira     sao pedro da cova     sao pedro do sul     sao roque     sao teotonio     satao     seia     selho     senhora da hora     seroa     serpa     serta     serzedelo     serzedo     sesimbra     setubal     silvalde     silveira     silves     sines     sintra     sobrado     sobralinho     sobreda     sobreira     soure     souto     souto da carpalhosa     tavarede     tavira     teixoso     teloes     terrugem     tomar     tondela     torres novas     torres vedras     trafaria     tramagal     turquel     unhos     vagos     valadares     valbom     vale     vale da amoreira     valega     valongo     valpacos     venda do pinheiro     vendas novas     ventosa     vialonga     viana do castelo     vila cha     vila do conde     vila franca de xira     vila franca do campo     vila frescainha     vila nova da telha     vila nova de famalicao     vila nova de gaia     vila nova de milfontes     vila praia de ancora     vila real     vila real de santo antonio     vila verde     vila vicosa     vilar de andorinho     vilar do paraiso     vilarinho     vilela     viseu     vizela    

National airlines
TAP Air Portugalairline website
Englishairline website


Airports in Portugal
BragancaBGC
BragaBGZ
CoimbraCBP
ChavesCHV
CovilhaCOV
Aeroporto Internacional de FaroFAO
FunchalFNC
HortaHOR
LisboaLIS
PortoOPO
NordelaPDL
PortimaoPRM
Porto SantoPXO
SinesSIE
Vila Do PortoSMA
Vila RealVRL
ViseuVSE


Beer in Portugal (0.33l)
Albufeira~ 1.6 EUR
Albufeira~ 1.6 EUR
Almada~ 0.9 EUR
Alvor~ 1.3 EUR
Amadora~ 0.7 EUR
Antes~ 0.4 EUR
Aveiro~ 1.5 EUR
Aveiro~ 1.5 EUR
Bairro Alto~ 1 EUR
Bairro Alto~ 1 EUR
Barrancos~ 0.6 EUR
Beja~ 0.9 EUR
Bombarral~ 1.3 EUR
Braga~ 1 EUR
Braga~ 1 EUR
Bragança~ 0.8 EUR
Campo Maior~ 0.9 EUR
Coimbra~ 1.2 EUR
Coimbra~ 1.2 EUR
Costa De Caparica~ 0.3 EUR
Cótimos~ 0.5 EUR
Covilhã~ 0.8 EUR
Espinho~ 1.3 EUR
Estarreja~ 0.9 EUR
Évora~ 0.9 EUR
Famalicão~ 0.9 EUR
Faro~ 1.8 EUR
Ferreiras~ 0.3 EUR
Fundão~ 0.7 EUR
Guarda~ 0.9 EUR
Lagos~ 1.8 EUR
Lagos~ 1.8 EUR
Lisboa~ 1.2 EUR
Lisbon~ 0.8 EUR
Lisbon~ 0.8 EUR
Mirandela~ 0.3 EUR
Oeiras~ 0.7 EUR
Olhão~ 0.4 EUR
Paredes~ 0.5 EUR
Pinhal Novo~ 0.5 EUR
Porto~ 0.9 EUR
Porto~ 0.9 EUR
Rebordelo~ 0.5 EUR
Rio Mau~ 0.6 EUR
Salreu~ 0.6 EUR
Seixal~ 0.8 EUR
Setubal~ 1 EUR
Tavira~ 1.2 EUR
Torreira~ 0.9 EUR
Vale Do Peso~ 0.6 EUR
Vila Real~ 0.8 EUR
Vila Real~ 0.8 EUR
Vila Verde~ 0.6 EUR
Viseu~ 0.5 EUR
Viseu~ 0.5 EUR

Articles about Portugal
Explore countries around the world