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Portugal
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Portugal, one of the countries
oldest of the world, enters of opened arms in century XXI.
Dynamism and modernity, evidenced in the most varied aspects of
its life, politicians, social, economic, of health and welfare,
are the hosts of a European country of excellent climate, very
pleasant to live. Because we like Portugal, but also we like itself,
we want to partilhar I obtain this beautiful country that is ours.
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
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