Portugal

Portugal is an independent nation since the first half of century XI. Sovereign state of the Europe, Portugal makes border the north and the east with Spain and ocidente and the south with the Atlantic Ocean. Of the Portuguese Republic they are part, beyond the continental territory, two Autonomous Regions - Açores and Madeira -, situated archipelagoes in the Atlantic Ocean.

The borders of the country are remained constant since century XIII, what it constitutes a significant pointer of internal cohesion and stability in the international relations. The excellent geographic localization of Portugal, in the southwestern extremity of the Europe, not only provides a fast access to the European market, but also to the coast east of U.S.A. and to the African continent.

AREA: 91 905 km2 POPULATION: 10 024 thousands (2000P)
ACTIVE POPULATION: 5 127 thousands (2000P)
POPULATION DENSITY for km2: 109 (2000)
OFFICIAL ASSIGNMENT:
CAPITAL Portuguese Republic: Lisbon
DISTRICT CAPITALS: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castello Branco, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Funchal (in the Madeira), Keep, Leiria, Thin Tip (in the Açores), Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana of the Castle, Village Real and Viseu.
MAIN RELIGION: Catholic Roman
LANGUAGE: Portuguese
CURRENCY: Euro (divided in 100 we cêntimos)
1 Euro = 200,482 PTE (tax of fixed conversion since January of 1999) Shield (denomination of the Euro)
1 USD = 217,066 PTE (average 2000) the GIP p.m.: 105 336 million USD (2000) the GIP p.m. per capita: 10 518 USD (2000) Sources: INE - National Institute of Statistics, Portuguese Central Bank Notices: P - Given Provisory

In the continental territory, the Tejo (the biggest river) divides the north, mountainous and planáltico, of the south, lower e without great mountains. Also the coast, generally low, if distinguishes from high lands of the interior.
The biggest altitudes meet in a situated mountainous lace in the center of the country: the mountain range of the Star, with 1 991 m, constitutes the culminating element.

In the archipelagoes, the mountain of Pico (2 351 m) is the point highest of the Açores and Pico Ruivo (1 862 m) is the biggest rise of the Wood. In the coast of Portugal, generally little cut, the main accidents correspond the estuaries (Tejo and Sado), the one that if small bays (Peniche, Sines, Lakes) and structures of type join to lagunar (Vouga-Aveiro, Óbidos, Faro).
The coastal saliences are in reduced number and of small amplitude, but of great beauty: Mondego handles, Coal dealer, of the Roca, Espichel, of Sines, S. Vicente and Saint Maria.

The pleasant Portuguese climate is characterized by soft Winters and amenos Summers. The months rainiest are of November and the December; the period of scarcer precipitation goes of April the September.

The population of Portugal is of about 10 million people, of which close to half is economically active. The raised demographic concentration more is verified in Lisbon (the capital) and the Port, as well as noutras important cities together to the coast.

The rich and secular historical and cultural linkings of Portugal with the world are reflectem in the Portuguese language, said for more than 200 million people, in continents so díspares as the Europe, Africa and America In the last years, efforts notables had produced an enormous and social development and a clear modernization economic in the most varied experience forms.

The sector of the transports in Portugal adaptou it the structural changes of the Portuguese economy. Although the way of dominant transport in the commercial exchanges of Portugal with the exterior continues to be the marine, its importance has come to scrumble itself, with the increasing paper of the road transport in the linkings with the Europe. In the transport of passengers, the "interfaces" are to allow to a flexible relation and cómoda between the individual transport and the collective, railroad and road transport.

A wide investment in the domain of the road linkings - it enters most recent are distinguished it second bridge on the Tejo in Lisbon (Vasco Bridge of Gamma), the railroad linking in the old bridge and the ring construction new to the return of Lisbon - has come to improve the traffic fluidity and to bind certain zones of difficult access. For 2002 the launching of the international competition for the conception is foreseen, construction and exploration of the third bridge on the Tejo

Also in the Port, with the election of this city for European Capital of the Culture in 2001, they are to be made avultados investments in road infrastructures. The implementation of the convoy of high speed is still foreseen (TGV), whose passage if finds in study. Continental Portugal has three international airports (Lisbon, Porto and Faro), but a new airport goes to be constructed in Lisbon - implying an investment of 2 a thousand million dollar -, which will be operational in middle of this decade. In the domain of the ports, the government approved one projecto for Sines, that will be transformed into one of the biggest ports of containers of the Europe.

The sector of the communications, taking care of to the technological evolution and the necessities of the usuary, has been modernized and launched new services, such as the postal electrónico post office and the postal electrónico post office it saw Web. How much to the net of telecommunications, the increase of the competition, decurrent of the liberalization, is to develop the number and the quality of the services and to reduce the costs.

Answering to the current picture of globalization, the Portuguese economy, opened to the exterior, presents perceivable signals of development and modernization, patents in the participation of Portugal in the group of countries of the Euro zone. Each time is attended the internationalization of Portuguese companies more, as well as the a implantation of foreign companies in Portugal.

With one weight increasing in the world-wide commerce, Portugal is, without a doubt, an important partner in the European commerce. The excellent white sand climate, the extensive coast, the great diversity of landscapes and the hospitable people also make of Portugal a tempting destination of vacation.

It offers tourist qualified and modern infrastructures certify the vocation of the country for the tourism, sector that it saw to grow in the last years its importance, with a prescription increase and of the number of visitors.

Fonte: ICEP