years: 64.3% (male 939,550; female 914,646) 65 years and over: 6.1%
(male 84,130; female 92,389) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.26% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 18.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 4.96 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 78.74 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.22 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.54% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 24,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,200 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Panamanian(s) adjective: Panamanian
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian
and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14% note: many Panamanians
bilingual
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 90.8% male: 91.4% female: 90.2% (1995 est.)
Government Panama
Country name: Republic of Panama conventional short form: Government
type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia)
and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon,
Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, and Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from
Spain 28 November 1821)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO
Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises
VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President Dominador
"Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government head of
government: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September
1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September
1999); Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez
(since 1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 2 May 1999 (next to
be held NA May 2004) note: PS election results: Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO
Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO
Rodriguez (PA) 44%, Martin TORRIJOS (PRD) 37%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea
Legislativa (71 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) election results: PS 4, MOLIRENA 3, PLN 3, Democratic
Change 2, PRC 1, MORENA 1 note: basis while districts located in more
populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a
proportion-based formula elections: Judicial branch: Supreme Court of
Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year
terms); five superior courts; three courts of appeal
Political parties and leaders: Arnulfista Party or PA [Mireya Elisa
MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Civic Renewal Party or PRC [Serguei DE LA ROSA];
Democratic Change [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary Party
or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party or PLN [Raul ARANGO
Gasteazopo]; National Renovation Movement or MORENA [Pedro VALLARINO Cox];
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Ramon MORALES];
Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben
AROSEMENA]; Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS Galindo]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chamber of Commerce; National
Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National
Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); National Council
of Private Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian Association of Business
Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers
Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP
International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Guillermo "Billy" FORD FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416 consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Tampa telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407 chancery: 2862 McGill
Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Frederick A. BECKER embassy: Avenida Balboa
and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 6959, Panama City 5 mailing address:
American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002 telephone: [507]
207-7000 FAX: [507] 227-1964
Flag description: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants
are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and
plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white
with a red five-pointed star in the center
Economy Panama
Economy - overview: Panama's economy is based primarily on a
well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of
GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone,
insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump
in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown,
and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in
2000-01. The government plans public works programs, tax reforms, and
new regional trade agreements in order to stimulate growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.9 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 17% services: 76%
(2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 48.5 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.1 million (2000 est.) note: shortage of skilled labor,
but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20.8%, industry 18%, services
61.2% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.9 billion expenditures: $2 billion, including
capital expenditures of $471 million (2000 est.)
Industries: construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other
construction materials, sugar milling
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.894 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29.49% hydro: 69.11%
other: 1.4% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.651 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 20 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 120 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane,
vegetables; livestock; shrimp
Exports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing
Exports - partners: US 45.9%, Sweden 8.1%, Benelux 5.3%, Costa Rica 5.1%
(2000 est.)
Imports: $6.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer
goods, chemicals
Imports - partners: US 33.1%, Ecuador 7.2%, Venezuela 6.6%, Japan 5.5%
(2000 est.)
Debt - external: $7.6 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $197.1 million (1995)
Currency: balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)
Currency code: PAB; USD
Exchange rates: balboas per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Panama
Telephones - main lines in use: 396,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: domestic and international
facilities well developed domestic: NA international: 1 coaxial submarine
cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected
to the Central American Microwave System
Radio broadcast stations: AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 815,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 38 (including repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 510,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .pa
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)
Internet users: 45,000 (2000)
Transportation Panama
Railways: total: 355 km broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge narrow gauge:
279 km 0.914-m gauge (2001)
Highways: 4,079 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: Waterways:
882 km note: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
Pipelines: crude oil 130 km (2001)
Ports and harbors: Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of
Colon area), Vacamonte
Merchant marine: total: 4,838 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
118,878,358 GRT/180,588,102 DWT ships by type: bulk 1,445, cargo 907,
chemical tanker 337, combination bulk 73, combination ore/oil 18,
container 560, liquefied gas 207, livestock carrier 5, multi-functional
large-load carrier 12, passenger 38, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker
542, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 283, roll on/roll off 104,
short-sea passenger 38, specialized tanker 34, vehicle carrier 230
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Albania 2, Angola 1, Antigua and Barbuda 1, Argentina 11,
Australia 13, Austria 2, Bahamas, The 5, Belgium 2, Belize 6, Brazil 6,
British Virgin Islands 8, Cambodia 1, Canada 9, Chile 12, China 259,
Colombia 14, Croatia 2, Cuba 20, Cyprus 3, Denmark 3, Dominican Republic
1, Ecuador 3, Egypt 16, Equatorial Guinea 1, France 9, Germany 72, Greece
523, Haiti 1, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 299, Iceland 1, India 18, Indonesia
48, Ireland 1, Israel 5, Italy 9, Japan 1642, Kenya 1, Kuwait 2, Latvia
8, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 18, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1,
Mexico 8, Monaco 112, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3,
Norway 98, Paraguay 1, Peru 15, Philippines 49, Poland 5, Portugal 7,
Puerto Rico 2, Romania 7, Russia 12, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Saudi Arabia 4, Seychelles 1, Singapore
112, South Africa 3, South Korea 342, Spain 52, Sri Lanka 3, Sudan 1,
Sweden 2, Switzerland 81, Taiwan 334, Thailand 14, Trinidad and Tobago 1,
Tunisia 1, Turkey 4, Ukraine 1, United Arab Emirates 54, United Kingdom
73, United States 115, Venezuela 6, Virgin Islands (UK) 8 (2002 est.)
Airports: 107 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 42 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047
m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 21 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under
914 m: 53 (2001)
Military Panama
Military branches: an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed
forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF
includes the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service,
and National Air Service)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 789,973 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 540,052
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $128 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY99)
Military - note: on 10 February 1990, the government of then President
ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus
by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's
Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting
the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary
establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external
aggression"
Transnational Issues Panama
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and major drug
money-laundering center; no recent signs of coca cultivation; monitoring
of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a
major problem
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Portugal
Introduction
Portugal
Background: 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 entered
the EC (now the EU)in 1985.
Geography Portugal
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of Spain
Geographic coordinates: 39 30 N, 8 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 92,391 sq km land: 91,951 sq km note: includes Azores and
Madeira Islands water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Coastline: 1,793 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier
in south
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:
Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore,
marble, arable land, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 22% permanent crops: 8% other: 70% (1999 est.)
Irrigated land: 6,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Environment - current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused
by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in
coastal areas
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification,
Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations
along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
People Portugal
Population: 10,084,245 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.9% (male 875,485; female 827,670) 15-64
years: 67.3% (male 3,324,215; female 3,463,301) 65 years and over: 15.8%
(male 644,761; female 948,813) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.18% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 11.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 79.87 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.48 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.74% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 36,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 280 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Ethnic groups: 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
Religions: Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)
Languages: Portuguese
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 87.4% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Portugal
Country name: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: 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: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) note:
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:
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: 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 [leader NA]; The Left Bloc
[no leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: AfDB, Australia Group, BIS,
CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WEU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Joao Alberto Bacelar ROCHA PARIS 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-designate John N. PALMER embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas,
1600-081 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
[351] (21) 727-9109 consulate(s):
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
Economy Portugal
Economy - overview: Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly
service-based economy since joining the European Community in
1986. Over the past decade, 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 its new
currency, the euro, on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member
economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of
the past decade, but GDP per capita stands at just 75% of that of the
leading EU economies. The government has failed to reign in a widening
deficit and to advance structural reforms needed to boost Portugal's
economic competitiveness. 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $174.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 30.5% services:
65.7% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.6 (1994-95)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 5.1 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10%
(1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $48 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork;
metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 43.242 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 70.03% hydro: 25.91%
other: 4.06% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 41.146 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 3.767 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 4.698 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle,
goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Exports: $24.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals,
cork and paper products, hides
Exports - partners: EU 79% (Spain 19%, Germany 18%, France 13%, UK 11%,
Benelux 6%), US 6% (2000)
Imports: $37.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports - partners: EU 74% (Spain 25%, Germany 14%, France 11%, Italy
7%, UK 6%), US 3%, Japan 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $13.1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $271 million (1995)
Currency: euro (EUR); Portuguese escudo (PTE) note: on 1 January 1999,
the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to
be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002,
the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the
member countries
Currency code: EUR; PTE