Country name:
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Lisbon
Administrative divisions:
18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous
regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro,
Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra,
Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto,
Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Independence:
1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
National holiday:
Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)
Constitution:
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November
1992, and 3 September 1997
Legal system:
civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
body to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since
6 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA January
2006); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the president
election results: Jorge SAMPAIO reelected president; percent of vote
- Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral
(Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP
8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS
96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3
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 [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The Left Bloc [no
leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC,
EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
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 John N. PALMER
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
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