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GEOGRAPHICAL
SITUATION
Founded at the beginning of the 12th century
Portugal has kept the same boundaries as in the
13th century. Its long coastline gave easy access
to the east coast of America and to
Africa.
The
country has 10 million inhabitants, 4.8 million of
whom are working. The highest population density is
in Lisbon. Porto has the second biggest
population.
The average population density in the country is
107 inhabitants per sq. km.
The total surface of the country is 91,985 sq. kms.
(1/6 of France).
Natural
Environment
Portugal
is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, an extension
of the Meseta (Spain).
From the north of the Tage it is made up of a
series of plateaus which go up to 1991 meters at
the Serra da Estrela. These high plateaus are
separated one from the other by basins and continue
up to the Estremadura hills.
To the south of the Tage the relief is made up of
the Alentejo plateau, the bulge of the Algarve and
the Serra de Monchique (902 meters).
The
Portuguese regions are :
Costa
de Lisboa ;
Costa
Verde ;
Costa
de Prata ;
Planicies
;
Algarve
;
The
Azores:
Are made up of 9 islands with a total surface of
2,250 sq kms for 250,000 inhabitants.
Madeira.
ECONOMY & STATISTICS
The
Portuguese public debt represented about 70.6% of
the GDP in 1994, its budget deficit was 6.8% of the
GDP. The escuda was devalued twice, the first time
on 13th May 1993 (6.5%), the second on 5th March
1995 (3.3%).
These
figures placed Portugal, according to the OECD,
amongst the countries with the highest public debt
and budget deficit.
The
leading export sector is the textile industry.
Tourism and money sent in by emigrate workers are
the other major sources of income for the country.
This classes Portugal among the developing
countries.
In
1993 it was classified among the rich countries
with a GNP of 7,600 dollars a year per inhabitant.
Nevertheless this is three times less than in
France.
There
are various mining resources, but they are not very
rich : copper, tungsten, tin and coal. Petrol has
to be imported as there is not enough for the
national requirements.
In
the light industry sector there is a production of
textiles (cotton), ceramics, foodstuffs,
particularly tinned fish, and oil works. Car
assembly and ship building are recent
developements.
Heavy industry is not very well developed. The
country only produces 400,000 tons of steel per
year. Steel works are situated around Lisbon and
Porto. It could be said that the country is held
back industrially by the lack of prime materials.
But on the whole this situation is largely
compensated for by the contribution of the tourist
industry.
Social-economic
Indicators
|
Health
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
|
Mortality
(%)
|
10.4
|
10.6
|
10.2
|
10.7
|
|
Life
expectancy in years
|
74.0
|
74.0
|
75.0
|
75.0
|
|
Public
Health budget (% of GDP)
|
3.6
|
3.9
|
4.0
|
4.3
|
|
N°
of inhabitants per doctor
|
352
|
348
|
345
|
344
|
|
Domestic
comfort
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
|
Refrigerators
(%)
|
92.4
|
93.0
|
94.3
|
94.3
|
|
TVs
(%)
|
91.4
|
92.5
|
94.7
|
94.9
|
|
Washing
machines(%)
|
55.4
|
61.6
|
68.1
|
72.0
|
|
Dish
washers(%)
|
7.9
|
9.7
|
13.4
|
14.0
|
|
Home
computers(%)
|
5.4
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
9.7
|
|
Cameras,
video cameras etc. (%)
|
25.3
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
73.8
|
|
Standard
of living
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
|
Houses
built after 1960 (%)
|
52.9
|
55.8
|
59.6
|
59.6
|
|
Apartments
(%)
|
36.4
|
38.6
|
41.5
|
42.1
|
|
With
a lift(%)
|
10.6
|
11.1
|
14.2
|
15.2
|
|
With
a telephone (%)
|
47.1
|
55.2
|
65.6
|
72.4
|
|
Transport
modes
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
|
Motor
bikes(%)
|
18.9
|
19.2
|
19.8
|
20.7
|
|
Car
or other type of vehicle(%)
|
41.3
|
46.8
|
52.7
|
54.7
|
|
Éducation
:
Students%
|
19
|
9
|
20
|
6
|
20
|
8
|
20
|
5
|
|
Public
budget for education(% of GDP)
|
4
|
9
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
8
|
5
|
7
|
(Source :National Institute of Statistics) ; (n.a.
= not available)
The
Portuguese economy has been one of the most rapidly
expanding in Europe over the last few years,
especially since 1985, despite the 1993 recession.
Recovery started during 1995.
In
1986 Portugal had one of the highest unemployment
rates in Europe but now it stands at only 7% and is
one of the lowest in the EEC. Inflation was brought
down from 11.4% in 1991 to 5.2% in 1994.
The
expansion of economic developement in Portugal
since 1985 is due to the following factors
:
1)
the drop in the price of petrol;
2) CEE membership in 1986 ;
3) the dollar exchange rate;
4) programmes of modernization and
investment.
Reorganization
programmes have been applied in industry, in
tourism, in agriculture and in distribution. The
tertiary sector employs 56% of the working
population (10 years ago this figure was 35%).
Agricultural activity has decreased.
|
|
1994
|
1995
|
|
Gross
Domestic Product p.m.
|
1.0
|
2.9
|
|
Private
consumption
|
0.0
|
1.3
|
|
Public
consumption
|
1.4
|
1.1
|
|
Gross
developement of fixed capital
|
4.2
|
7.5
|
|
Exports
of goods and services
|
9.4
|
10.5
|
|
Imports
of goods and services
|
8.9
|
8.4
|
|
Balance
of normal business transactions (in % of
GDP)
|
|
0
8
|
0
1 1 0
|
1
2 0 1
|
|
Deficit
in the public sector (in % of
GDP)
|
|
6
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
5
|
8
|
5
|
8
|
|
Unemployment
rate
|
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
9
|
6
|
7
|
|
Rate
of inflation
|
|
11
|
4
|
8
|
9
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
(Source : Bank of Portugal and National Institute
of Statistics 1995 OECD)
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