Portugal Diplomacy-related Lists

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic,
In recognized minority languages of Portugal:
:* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. It features the westernmost point in continental Europe, its mainland west and south border with the North Atlantic Ocean and in the north and east, the Portugal-Spain border, constitutes the longest uninterrupted border-line in the European Union. Its archipelagos form two autonomous regions with their own regional governments. On the mainland, Alentejo region occupies the biggest area but is one of the least densely populated regions of Europe. Lisbon is the capital and largest city by population, being also the main spot for tourists alongside Porto, the Algarve and Madeira.

One of the oldest countries in Europe, its territory has been continuously settled and fought over since prehistoric times. The territory was inhabited by the Celtic and Iberian peoples, such as the Lusitanians, the Gallaecians, the Celtici, Turduli, and the Conii. These peoples had some commercial and cultural contact with Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Carthaginians. It was later ruled by the Romans, followed by the invasions of Germanic peoples together with the Alans, and later the Moors, who were eventually expelled during the Reconquista. First founded as a county within the Kingdom of León in 868, Portugal formally became an independent kingdom with the Treaty of Zamora in 1143.

During the 15th and 16th centuries Portugal led the Age of Discovery and established one of the longest-lived maritime and commercial empires, becoming one of the main economic and political powers of the time. By the early 19th century, events such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the resulting independence of Brazil in 1822 led to a marked decay of Portugal's prior opulence. This was followed by the civil war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists over royal succession from 1828 to 1834. The 1910 revolution deposed Portugal's monarchy, and established the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic, later superseded by the authoritarian regimes of '' Ditadura Nacional'' (National Dictatorship) and '' Estado Novo'' (New State). Democracy was restored after the Carnation Revolution (1974), ending the Portuguese Colonial War and eventually losing its remaining colonial possessions.

Portugal has had a profound cultural, architectural and linguistic influence, with a legacy of around 250 million Portuguese speakers around the world. Today, it is a developed country with an advanced economy, and important tourism and infrastructure industries. A member of the United Nations, the European Union, the Schengen Area and the Council of Europe, Portugal was one of the founding members of NATO, the eurozone, the OECD, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

Etymology

The word ''Portugal'' derives from the combined Roman- Celtic place name Portus Cale (present-day's conurbation of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia). Porto stems from the Latin for port, ; ''Cale''s meaning and origin is unclear. The mainstream explanation is an ethnonym derived from the Callaeci, also known as the Gallaeci peoples, who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. One theory proposes ''Cale'' is a derivation of the Celtic word for 'port'. Another is that ''Cala'' was a Celtic goddess. Some French scholars believe it may have come from , the port of the Gauls.

Around 200 BC, the Romans took Iberia from the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War. In the process they conquered Cale, renaming it ('Port of Cale') and incorporating it into the province of Gallaecia. During the Middle Ages, the region around Portus Cale became known by the Suebi and Visigoths as ''Portucale''. The name ''Portucale'' changed into ''Portugale'' during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 9th century, it was used to refer to the region between the rivers Douro and Minho. By the 11th and 12th centuries, ''Portugale'', ''Portugallia'', ''Portvgallo'' or ''Portvgalliae'' was already referred to as ''Portugal''.

History

Prehistory

The region has been inhabited by humans since circa 400,000 years ago, when Homo heidelbergensis entered the area. The oldest human fossil found in Portugal is the 400,000-year-old ''Aroeira 3'' ''H. Heidelbergensis'' skull discovered in the Cave of Aroeira in 2014. Later Neanderthals roamed the northern Iberian peninsula and a tooth has been found at Nova da Columbeira cave in Estremadura.David Birmingham (2003), p.11 Homo sapiens sapiens arrived in Portugal around 35,000 years ago and spread rapidly. Pre-Celtic tribes inhabited Portugal. The Cynetes developed a written language, leaving stelae, which are mainly found in the south.

Early in the first millennium BC, several waves of Celts invaded Portugal from Central Europe and intermarried with the local populations to form several different ethnic groups. The Celtic presence is patent in archaeological and linguistic evidence. They dominated most of northern and central Portugal, while the south maintained its older character (believed non-Indo-European, likely related to Basque) until the Roman conquest. In southern Portugal, some small, semi-permanent commercial coastal settlements were also founded by Phoenician-Carthaginians.

Roman Portugal

Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC. The Carthaginians, Rome's adversary in the Punic Wars, were expelled from their coastal colonies. During Julius Caesar's rule, almost the entire peninsula was annexed to Rome. The conquest took two hundred years and many died, including those sentenced to work in slave mines or sold as slaves to other parts of the empire. Roman occupation suffered a setback in 155 BC, when a rebellion began in the north. The Lusitanians and other native tribes, under the leadership of Viriathus, wrested control of all of western Iberia. Rome sent legions to quell the rebellion but were unsuccessful. Roman leaders bribed Viriathus's allies to kill him in 139 BC; he was replaced by Tautalus.

In 27 BC, Lusitania gained the status of Roman province. Later, a northern province was separated from the province of Tarraconensis, under Emperor Diocletian's reforms, known as Gallaecia. There are still ruins of castros ( hill forts) and remains of the Castro culture, like Conímbriga, Mirobriga and Briteiros.

Germanic kingdoms

In 409, with the decline of the Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by Germanic tribes. In 411, with a federation contract with Emperor Honorius, many of these people settled in Hispania. An important group was made up of the Suebi and Vandals in Gallaecia, who founded a Suebi Kingdom with its capital in Braga. They came to dominate Aeminium ( Coimbra) as well, and there were Visigoths to the south.
The Suebi and the Visigoths were the Germanic tribes who had the most lasting presence in the territories corresponding to modern Portugal. As elsewhere in Western Europe, there was a sharp decline in urban life during the Dark Ages.

Roman institutions disappeared in the wake of the Germanic invasions with the exception of ecclesiastical) comprising 25,000 personnel. This force is under the authority of both the Defence and the Interior Ministry. It has provided detachments for participation in international operations in Iraq and East Timor.

The United States maintains a military presence with 770 troops in the Lajes Air Base at Terceira Island, in the Azores. The Allied Joint Force Command Lisbon (JFC Lisbon) is one of the three main subdivisions of NATO's Allied Command Operations.

Law and justice

The Portuguese legal system is part of the civil law legal system. The main laws include the Constitution (1976), the Portuguese Civil Code (1966) and the Penal Code of Portugal (1982), as amended. Other relevant laws are the ''Commercial Code'' (1888) and the ''Civil Procedure Code'' (1961). Portuguese laws were applied in the former colonies and territories and continue to be influences for those countries.

The supreme national courts are the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court. The Public Ministry, headed by the Attorney General of the Republic, constitutes the independent body of public prosecutors.

Drug decriminalisation was declared in 2001, making Portugal the first country to allow usage and personal possession of all common drugs. Despite criticism from other European nations, who stated Portugal's drug consumption would tremendously increase, overall drug use has declined along with HIV infection cases, which dropped 50 percent by 2009. Overall drug use among 16- to 18-year-olds declined, however use of marijuana rose slightly.

LGBT rights in Portugal have increased substantially in the 21st century. In 2003, Portugal added an anti-discrimination employment law on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2004, sexual orientation was added to the Constitution as part of the protected from discrimination characteristics. In 2010, Portugal became the sixth country in Europe and eighth in the world to legalize same-sex marriage at the national level.

LGBT adoption has been allowed since 2016 as has female same-sex couple access to medically assisted reproduction. In 2017 the ''Law of Gender Identity'', simplified the legal process of gender and name change for transgender people, making it easier for minors to change their sex marker in legal documents. In 2018, the right to gender identity and gender expression self-determination became protected, intersex minors became protected by law from unnecessary medical procedures "until the minor gender identity manifests" and the right of protection from discrimination on the basis of sex characteristics became protected by the same law.

Euthanasia has been legalised after reviews in parliament. Nationals over 18 who are terminally ill and in extreme suffering, but who can still decide to, will have the legal right to request assisted dying. However, non-residents will not. Despite the Parliamentary approval, Euthanasia legislation is yet to be regulated and a timeline for it is still unknown, meaning that Euthanasia is currently on hold.

Law enforcement

Portugal's main police organizations are the '' Guarda Nacional Republicana – GNR'' ( National Republican Guard), a gendarmerie; the '' Polícia de Segurança Pública – PSP'' (Public Security Police), a civilian police force who work in urban areas; and the '' Polícia Judiciária – PJ'' (Judicial Police), a highly specialized criminal investigation police that is overseen by the Public Ministry.

Portugal has 49 correctional facilities in total run by the Ministry of Justice. They include seventeen central prisons, four special prisons, twenty-seven regional prisons, and one 'Cadeia de Apoio' (Support Detention Centre). , their current prison population is about 12,257 inmates, which comes to about 0.12% of their entire population. The incarceration rate has been on the rise since 2010, with a 15% increase over the past eight years.

Administrative divisions

Administratively, Portugal is divided into 308 municipalities (''municípios'' or ''concelhos''), which after a reform in 2013 are subdivided into 3,092 civil parishes ( pt, freguesia). Operationally, the municipality and civil parish, along with the national government, are the only legally local administrative units identified by the government of Portugal (for example, cities, towns or villages have no standing in law, although may be used as catchment for the defining services).

''Continental Portugal'' is agglomerated into 18 districts, while the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are governed as autonomous regions; the largest units, established since 1976, are either mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of Portugal ( Azores and Madeira).

The 18 districts of mainland Portugal are: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Viseu – each district takes the name of the district capital.

Within the European Union NUTS system, Portugal is divided into seven regions: the Azores, Alentejo, Algarve, Centro, Lisboa, Madeira and Norte, and with the exception of the Azores and Madeira, NUTS areas are subdivided into 28 subregions. Population estimates from 2023.

Economy

Portugal is a developed and high-income country with a GDP per capita of 83% of the EU27 average in 2023, and a HDI of 0.874 (the 42th highest in the world) in 2021. It holds the 13th largest gold reserve in the world at its national central bank, has the 8th largest proven reserves of lithium, with total exports representing 47.4% of its GDP in 2023. Portugal has been a net beneficiary of the European Union budget since it joined the union, then known as EEC, in 1986.

By the end of 2023, GDP (PPP) was $48,759 per capita, according to the World Bank. In 2023, Portugal had the 5th lowest GDP per capita (PPP) of the eurozone out of 20 members, and the 8th lowest of the European Union out of 27 member-states. In 2022, labour productivity had fallen to the fourth lowest among the 27 member-states of the European Union (EU) and was 35% lower than the EU average. Within the EU, Portugal's economy ranks lower than most Western states.

Portugal was an original member of the eurozone. The national currency, the euro (€) started transitioning from the Portuguese Escudo in 2000 and consolidated in 2002. Portugal's central bank is the ''Banco de Portugal'', an integral part of the European System of Central Banks. Most industries, businesses and financial institutions are concentrated in the Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas – the Setúbal, Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Leiria and Faro districts are the biggest economic centres outside these two main areas.

Since the Carnation Revolution of 1974, which culminated in the end of one of Portugal's most notable phases of economic expansion, a significant change has occurred in the nation's annual economic growth. After the turmoil of the 1974 revolution, Portugal tried to adapt to a changing modern global economy, a process that continues. Since the 1990s, Portugal's public consumption-based economic development model has changed to a system focused on exports, private investment and the development of the high-tech sector. Consequently, business services have overtaken more traditional industries such as textiles, clothing, footwear and cork (Portugal is the world's leading cork producer), wood products and beverages.

In the 2010s, the Portuguese economy suffered its most severe recession since the 1970s, which resulted in the country receiving a 78-billion-euro bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in May 2011. At the end of 2023, the share of debt as percentage of GDP fell below 100%, to 99.1%.

The average salary is €1,090 per month, excluding self-employed individuals and the minimum wage, which is regulated by law, is €820 per month (paid 14 times per annum) as of 2024. The Global Competitiveness Report for 2019, published by the World Economic Forum, placed Portugal 34th. The Numbeo quality of life index placed Portugal 20th in the world in 2023.

Companies listed on Euronext Lisbon stock exchange like EDP, Galp, Jerónimo Martins, Mota-Engil, Novabase, Semapa, Portucel Soporcel, Portugal Telecom and Sonae, are amongst the largest corporations by number of employees, net income or international market share. The Euronext Lisbon is the major stock exchange and part of the pan-European group of stock exchanges Euronext. The PSI-20 is Portugal's most selective and widely known stock index.

The OECD economic reports since 2018 show recovery. Rents and house prices have skyrocketed in Portugal, particularly Lisbon, where rents jumped 37% in 2022. The 8% inflation rate in the same year exacerbated the problem. According to the IMF, Portugal's economic recovery from the COVID pandemic in 2022 was substantially better than the EU average. Although modest, economic growth continued in 2023 while inflation continued decreasing to 5%. In 2024 the annual inflation level is forecast at 2.3% accompanied by a small economic growth.

Agriculture in Portugal is based on small to medium-sized family-owned dispersed units. However, the sector also includes larger scale intensive farming, export-oriented agrobusinesses. The country produces a variety of crops and livestock products, including: tomatoes, citrus, green vegetables, rice, wheat, barley, maize, olives, oilseeds, nuts, cherries, bilberry, table grapes, edible mushrooms, dairy products, poultry and beef. According to FAO, Portugal is the top producer of cork and carob in the world, accounting for about 50% and 30% of world production, respectively. It is the third largest exporter of chestnuts and third largest European producer of pulp. Portugal is among the world's top ten largest olive oil producers and fourth largest exporter. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, reputed for its fine wines. Forestry has played an important economic role among the rural communities and industry. In 2001, the gross agricultural product accounted for 4% of the economy; in 2022 it was 2%.

Tourism

Travel and tourism is an extremely important part of Portugal's economy. It has been necessary for the country to focus upon its niche attractions, such as health, nature and rural tourism, to stay ahead of its competitors.

Portugal is among the top 20 most-visited countries in the world, receiving more than 26,5 million foreign tourists by 2023. In 2014, Portugal was elected ''The Best European Country'' by '' USA Today''. In 2017, Portugal was elected both ''Europe's Leading Destination'' and in 2018 and 2019, ''World's Leading Destination''

Tourist hotspots in Portugal are: Lisbon, Cascais, Fatima, Algarve, Madeira, Porto and Coimbra. Lisbon attracts the sixteenth-most tourists among European cities (with seven million tourists occupying the city's hotels in 2006).

Science and technology

Scientific and technological research activities are mainly conducted within a network of R&D units belonging to public universities and state-managed autonomous research institutions like the INETI – Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovação and the INRB – Instituto Nacional dos Recursos Biológicos. Funding and management of this system is conducted under the authority of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and the (Foundation for Science and Technology). The largest R&D units of the public universities by volume of research grants and peer-reviewed publications, include biosciences research institutions.

Among the largest non-state-run research institutions are the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and the Champalimaud Foundation, a neuroscience and oncology research centre. National and multinational high-tech and industrial companies, are responsible for research and development projects. One of the oldest learned societies of Portugal is the Sciences Academy of Lisbon, founded in 1779.

Iberian bilateral state-supported research efforts include the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Ibercivis distributed computing platform. Portugal is a member of pan-European scientific organizations. These include the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), ITER, and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Portugal has the largest aquarium in Europe, the Lisbon Oceanarium, and have other notable organizations focused on science-related exhibits and divulgation, like the state agency ''Ciência Viva'', the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra, the National Museum of Natural History at the University of Lisbon, and the Visionarium. The European Innovation Scoreboard 2011, placed Portugal-based innovation 15th, with increase in innovation expenditure and output. Portugal was ranked 30th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.

Transport

Portugal has a road network, of which almost are part of system of 44 motorways. On many highways, a toll needs to be paid (see Via Verde). Vasco da Gama bridge is the longest bridge in the European Union, EU (the second longest in Europe) at 12.345 km.

Continental Portugal's territory is serviced by four international airports located near the principal cities of Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Portugal, Faro and Beja. Lisbon's geographical position makes it a stopover for many foreign airlines at several airports within the country. The primary flag-carrier is TAP Air Portugal, although many other domestic airlines provide services within and without the country.

The most important airports are in Portela Airport, Lisbon, Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, Porto, Faro Airport, Faro, Madeira Airport, Funchal (Madeira), and João Paulo II Airport, Ponta Delgada (Azores), managed by the national airport authority group ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal. A New Lisbon Airport, new airport, to replace the current Lisbon airport, has been planned for more than 50 years, but it has been always postponed by a series of reasons.

A national railway system that extends throughout the country and into Spain, is supported and administered by Comboios de Portugal (CP). Rail transport of passengers and goods is derived using the of railway lines currently in service, of which are electrified and about allow train speeds greater than . The railway network is managed by Infraestruturas de Portugal while the transport of passengers and goods are the responsibility of CP, both public companies. In 2006, the CP carried 133,000,000 passengers and of goods.

The major seaports are located in Sines, Portugal, Sines, Lisbon, Leixões, Setúbal, Aveiro, Portugal, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, and Faro, Portugal, Faro. The two largest metropolitan areas have subway systems: Lisbon Metro and Metro Transportes do Sul, Metro Sul do Tejo light rail system in the Lisbon metropolitan area, and Porto Metro Medium-capacity rail system, light metro system in the Porto Metropolitan Area, each with more than of lines. Coimbra is currently developing a Bus rapid transit system, Metro Mondego.

In Portugal, Trams in Lisbon, Lisbon tram services have been supplied by the ''Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa'' (Carris), for over a century. In Porto, Trams in Porto, a tram network, of which only a tourist line on the shores of the Douro remains, began construction on 12 September 1895 (a first for the Iberian Peninsula). All major cities and towns have their own local urban transport network, as well as taxi services.

Energy

Portugal has considerable resources of wind and hydropower. In 2006, the world's then largest solar energy, solar power plant, the Moura Photovoltaic Power Station, began operating, while the world's first commercial wave power farm, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, opened in the North Region, Portugal, Norte region (2008). By 2006, 66% of the country's electrical production was from coal and fuel power plants, while 29% were derived from hydroelectric dams, and 6% by wind energy. In 2008, renewable energy resources were producing 43% of the nation's electricity, even as hydroelectric production decreased with severe droughts. As of 2010, electricity exports had outnumbered imports and 70% of energy came from renewable sources.

Portugal's national energy transmission company, Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), uses modelling to predict weather, especially wind patterns. Before the solar/wind revolution, Portugal had generated electricity from hydropower plants on its rivers for decades. New programmes combine wind and water: wind-driven turbines pump water uphill at night; then water flows downhill by day, generating electricity, when consumer demand is highest. Portugal's distribution system is now two-way. It draws electricity small generators, like rooftop solar panels.

Demographics

Statistics Portugal ( pt, INE – Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portugal), Instituto Nacional de Estatística) estimates that, by 31 December 2023, the population was 10,639,726, of which 52.2% was female and 47.8% male. In 2024 the median life expectancy was 82.8 years and United Nations projections point to 90 or above, by 2100. The population has been relatively homogeneous for most of its history, with a single religion (Catholic church) and language.

Despite good economic development, the Portuguese have been the shortest in Europe since around 1890. This emerging height gap started in the 1840s and increased. A driving factor was modest real wage growth, given late industrialization and economic growth compared to the European core. Another determinant was delayed human capital formation.

Portugal has to deal with low fertility levels: the country has experienced a sub-replacement fertility rate since the 1980s. The total fertility rate (TFR) was estimated at 1.36 children born/woman, one of the lowest in the world, similarly to countries such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, all well below the replacement rate of 2.1, and considerably below the high of 5 children born per woman in 1911. In 2016, 53% of births were to unmarried women. Portugal's population has been steadily ageing and was the 11th oldest in the world, with a median age of 46 years in 2023. In the same year, it had the world's 4th highest number of citizens over 65 years, at 21.8% of the whole population.

The structure of Portuguese society shows social inequality, which in 2019 placed the country 24th in the Social justice index, Social Justice Index, in the EU. In 2018, Portugal's parliament approved a budget plan for 2019 that included tax breaks for returning emigrants in a bid to attract back those who left during the financial crisis of 2007–2008. According to projections by the national statistics office, Portugal's population will fall to 7.7 million by 2080 from 10.6 million and the population will continue to age.

Urbanization

Based on commuting patterns, OECD and Eurostat define eight metropolitan areas of Portugal. Only two have populations over 1 million, and since the 2013 local government reform, these are the only two which also have administrative legal status of metropolitan areas: Lisbon and Porto,Fernanda Paula Oliveira (2009), Several smaller metropolitan areas (Greater Metropolitan Area of the Algarve, Algarve, Greater Metropolitan Area of Aveiro, Aveiro, Greater Metropolitan Area of Coimbra, Coimbra, Greater Metropolitan Area of Minho, Minho and Greater Metropolitan Area of Viseu, Viseu) also held this status from 2003 to 2008, when they were converted into Intermunicipal communities of Portugal, intermunicipal communities, whose territories are roughly based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS III statistical regions.

Immigration

As of 2023, Portugal has 10,639,726 inhabitants, of whom about around 1,040,000 are legal resident foreigners, albeit the 2023 numbers are still provisional. Resident foreigners now make up approximately 10% of the population. These figures do not include Portuguese citizens of foreign descent, as in Portugal it is illegal to collect data based on ethnicity. For instance, more than 340,000 resident foreigners who have acquired Portuguese nationality law, Portuguese citizenship between 2008 and 2022 - and thus constitute around 3.27% of the country's population in 2022 - are not taken into account in immigration figures as they are Portuguese citizens. In 2022 alone, almost 21,000 foreign residents acquired Portuguese passport, Portuguese citizenship, of which 11,170 were female and 9,674 were male.

Portugal, long a country of emigration (the vast majority of Portuguese Brazilian, Brazilians have Portuguese ancestry),Portugal – Emigration
, Eric Solsten, ed. Portugal: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1993. became a country of net immigration. The influx of immigrants didn't come just from the last Portuguese India, Indian (Portuguese until 1961), Portuguese-speaking African countries, African (Portuguese until 1975), and Macau, Far East Asian (Portuguese until 1999) overseas territories but also from other areas of the world as well. Even though in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, COVID-19 Pandemic, Portugal's emigration rate has increased and stood at 6.9‰ as of 2022, it was still below the immigration rate of around 11.3‰. It is also noteworthy that nowadays the overwhelming majority of Portuguese emigrants are leaving the country for short time periods, with 56.8% of those having left the country in 2022 doing so for less than a year.

Since the 1990s, along with a boom in Economy of Portugal, construction, several new waves of Ukrainians in Portugal, Ukrainian, Brazilians in Portugal, Brazilian, Afro-Portuguese people, Lusophone Africans and other African diaspora, Africans have settled in the country. Romanians in Portugal, Romanians, Moldovan diaspora, Moldovans, Kosovo Albanians, Russian people, Russians, Bulgarians in Portugal, Bulgarians, and Chinese people in Portugal, Chinese have also migrated to the country. The numbers of Venezuelan people, Venezuelan, Pakistani people, Pakistani, Indian people, Indian, and Bangladeshi people, Bangladeshi migrants are also significant. Moreover, Portugal's Romani people in Portugal, Romani population is estimated at 50,000.

It is estimated that over 30,000 seasonal, often illegal immigrants work in agriculture, mainly southern cities such as Odemira where they are often exploited by organized seasonal workers' networks. These migrants, who often arrive without due documentation or work contracts, make up over 90% of agricultural workers in the south of Portugal. Most are Indo-Asians, from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. In the interior of the Alentejo there are many African workers. Significant numbers also come from Eastern Europe, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania and Brazil.

In addition, a number of EU citizens, mostly from Italy, France, Germany or other northern European countries, have become permanent residents in the country. There is also a large expatriate community made up of British people, Britons, Canadians and United States, people from the United States of America. The British community is mostly composed of retired pensioners who live in the Algarve and Madeira.

According to a National Statistics Institute (INE) study, conducted shortly after the 2021 census, between 2022 and 2023, 6,4 million people aged between 18 and 74 years old identified themselves as White (84%), almost 170,000 as Black (2%), 57,000 as Asian (<1%), 47,500 as Romani people in Portugal, Romani (<1%) and more than 262,000 identify as Mixed-race (3%). The same study found that 1.4 million people, (13% of the population), have immigration background, in which 947,500 are first generation immigrants, concentrated mainly in the Lisbon metropolitan area and the Algarve. It is noteworthy that the survey was only carried out amongst people living legally in the country for at least one year at the time of the interview and that in 2022 the statistical office figures suggested that 16.1% of the country's population or 1,683,829 people were first generation immigrants.

Religion

Roman Catholicism, which has a long history in Portugal, remains the dominant religion. Portugal has no official religion, though in the past, the Catholic Church in Portugal was the state religion.

According to the 2021 Census, 80.2% of the Portuguese population was Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Christian. The country has small Protestant, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Latter-day Saint, Islam in Portugal, Muslim, Hinduism in Portugal, Hindu, Sikh, Eastern Orthodox Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí, Buddhism, Buddhist, Judaism, Jewish and Kardecist spiritism, Spiritist communities. Influences from African Traditional Religion and Chinese Traditional Religion are also felt among many people, particularly in fields related with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional African Herbal Medicine. Some 14.1% of the population declared themselves to be non-religious.

Portugal is a secular state: Separation of church and state, church and state were formally separated during the First Portuguese Republic, and this was reiterated in the 1976 Portuguese Constitution. Other than the Constitution, the two most important documents relating to religious freedom in Portugal are the 1940 Concordata (later amended in 1971) between Portugal and the Holy See and the 2001 Religious Freedom Act. Many Portuguese holidays, festivals and traditions have a Christian origin or connotation.

Languages

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal. Mirandese language, Mirandese is also recognized as a co-official regional language in some municipalities of North-Eastern Portugal. It is part of the Astur-Leonese group of languages. An estimate of between 6,000 and 7,000 Mirandese speakers has been documented for Portugal. Furthermore, a particular dialect known as Barranquenho, spoken in Barrancos, is also officially recognized and protected in Portugal since 2021. Minderico language, Minderico, a sociolect of the Portuguese language, is spoken by around 500 people in the town of Minde, Portugal, Minde.

According to the EF English Proficiency Index, International English Proficiency Index, Portugal has a high proficiency level in English, higher than those of other Romance-speaking European countries like Spain, Italy or France.

Education

The educational system is divided into preschool (for those under age six), basic education (nine years, in three stages, compulsory), secondary education (three years, compulsory since 2010), and higher education (subdivided in university and polytechnic (Portugal), polytechnic education). Universities are usually organized into faculty (division), faculties. Institutes and schools are also common designations for autonomous subdivisions of List of universities and colleges in Portugal, Portuguese higher education institutions.

The total adult literacy rate in Portugal was 99.8% in 2021. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, Portugal scored around the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science. In reading and mathematics, mean performance in 2018 was close to the level observed in 2009 to 2015; in science, mean performance in 2018 was below that of 2015, and returned close to the level observed in 2009 and 2012, near below average.

About 47.6% of college-age citizens (20 years old) attend one of Portugal's higher education institutions (compared with 50% in the United States and 35% in the OECD on average). In addition to being a destination for international students, Portugal is also among the top places of origin for international students. All higher education students, both domestic and international, totalled 380,937 in 2005.

Portuguese universities have existed since 1290. The University of Coimbra, oldest Portuguese university was first established in Lisbon before moving to Coimbra. Historically, within the scope of the Portuguese Empire, the Portuguese founded the oldest engineering school of the Americas (the ''Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho'' of Rio de Janeiro) in 1792, as well as the oldest medical college in Asia (the ''Escola Médico-Cirúrgica de Goa, Escola Médico-Cirúrgica'' of Goa) in 1842. Presently, the largest university in Portugal is the University of Lisbon.

The Bologna process has been adopted by Portuguese universities and poly-technical institutes in 2006. Higher education in state-run educational establishments is provided on a competitive basis, a system of ''numerus clausus'' is enforced through a national database on student admissions. However, every higher education institution offers also a number of additional vacant places through other extraordinary admission processes for sportsmen, mature applicants (over 23 years old), international students, foreign students from the Lusosphere, degree owners from other institutions, students from other institutions (Transfer admissions in the United States, academic transfer), former students (readmission), and course change, which are subject to specific standards and regulations set by each institution or course department.

Most student costs are supported with public money. Portugal has entered into Higher education in Portugal#International partnership agreements, cooperation agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other US institutions to further develop and increase the effectiveness of Portuguese higher education and research.

Health

In 2023, Portugal ranked as 40th best healthcare system in the world, which was significantly lower than the previous World Health Organization ranking of health systems in 2000, 12th place in the 2000 World Health Organization ranking of best public health systems in the world. The health system is characterized by three coexisting systems: the National Health Service (''Serviço Nacional de Saúde'', SNS), special social health insurance schemes for certain professions (health subsystems) and voluntary private health insurance. The SNS provides universal coverage. In addition, about 47% of the population is covered by the health subsystems, 35% by private insurance schemes and another 12% by mutual funds.The Ministry of Health is responsible for developing health policy as well as managing the SNS. Five regional health administrations are in charge of implementing the national health policy objectives, developing guidelines and protocols and supervising health care delivery. Decentralization efforts have aimed at shifting financial and management responsibility to the regional level. In practice, the autonomy of regional health administrations over budget setting and spending has been limited to primary care. The SNS is predominantly funded through general taxation. Employer (including the state) and employee contributions represent the main funding sources of the health subsystems. In addition, direct payments by the patient and voluntary health insurance premiums account for a large proportion of funding.

Similarly to other 'Eur-A countries', (Western Europe), most Portuguese die from noncommunicable diseases. Mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is around 30,000 deaths per year, a third of all annual deaths, but its two main components, ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, display inverse trends compared with the Eur-A, with cerebrovascular disease being the single biggest killer in Portugal, with more than 11,000 deaths per year. Oncological diseases represent 22% of all deaths in the country, with lung and breast cancer cases being lower, and cervical and prostate cancer being more frequent. Diabetes mortality rates have been decreasing, from 4.5% in 2010 down to 2.8% in 2021.

Portugal's infant mortality rate (IMR) stood at 2,25 deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2024. An opinion poll in 2021 found that 50% of adults rated their health as good or very good, the third lowest rate collected in the European Union. The largest university hospital in the country is Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon.

Culture

Portugal has developed a specific culture while being influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the European continent and Mediterranean, or were introduced when it played an active role during the Portugal in the Age of Discovery, Age of Discovery. In the 1990s and 2000s (decade), Portugal modernized its public cultural facilities, in addition to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established in 1956 in Lisbon.

These include the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon, Serralves Foundation and the Casa da Música, both in Porto, as well as new public cultural facilities like municipal libraries and concert halls that were built or renovated in many municipalities across the country. Portugal is home to List of World Heritage Sites in Portugal, 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ranking it World Heritage Sites by country, 9th in Europe and 18th in the world.

Architecture

Traditional architecture is distinctive and include the Manueline, also known as Portuguese late Gothic architecture, Gothic a sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, followed by Pombaline style of the 18th century.

A 20th-century interpretation of traditional architecture, Soft Portuguese style, appears extensively in major cities, especially Lisbon. Modern Portugal has given the world renowned architects like Eduardo Souto de Moura, Álvaro Siza Vieira (both Pritzker Prize winners) and Gonçalo Byrne. In Portugal Tomás Taveira is also noteworthy, particularly for stadium design. The azulejo is a mainstream, typical element among Portugal's traditional building materials and construction techniques.

Cuisine

Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese consume a lot of dry cod (''bacalhau'' in Portuguese), for which there are many Bacalhau#Bacalhau dishes, recipes ranging from bacalhau à Brás, bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, to bacalhau com natas. Other fish recipes include grilled sardines and caldeirada, a tomato-based stew that can be made from several types of fish or shellfish, with a mix of onion, garlic, bay leaf, potatoes, peppers, parsley.

Typical Portuguese meat recipes made out of the customary beef, pork, chicken, goat, lamb or duck meat, include ''cozido à portuguesa'', ''feijoada'', ''frango de churrasco'', ''leitão'' (roast suckling pig), ''chanfana'' and ''carne de porco à alentejana''. Typical fast food dishes include the Francesinha (Frenchie) from Porto and ''bifanas'' (grilled pork) or ''prego'' (grilled beef) sandwiches. An egg custard tart pastry, the pastel de nata, typical and popular among the Portuguese, became popular abroad and among foreign tourists visiting the country as well.

Portuguese wines have enjoyed recognition since the Romans, who associated Portugal with their god Dionysus, Bacchus, due to its climate. Some of the best Portuguese wines are Vinho Verde, Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet Port Wine, Madeira Wine, and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios.

Visual art

Portugal has a List of Portuguese artists, rich history in painting. The first well-known painters dating back to the 15th century – like Nuno Gonçalves and Grão Vasco, Vasco Fernandes – were part of the late Gothic painting period. During the Renaissance, Portuguese painting was highly influenced by Northern European painting. In the Baroque period Josefa de Óbidos and Vieira Lusitano were the most prolific painters.
José Malhoa, known for his work ''Fado'', and Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (who painted the portraits of Teófilo Braga and Antero de Quental) were both references in Naturalist school of painting, naturalist painting.

The 20th century saw the arrival of Modernism, and along with it came the most prominent Portuguese painters: Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, who was heavily influenced by French painters, particularly the Delaunays (Robert Delaunay, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Sonia). Among his best-known works is ''Canção Popular – a Russa e o Fígaro''. Other great modernist painters/writers include Carlos Botelho and Almada Negreiros, friend to the poet Fernando Pessoa, who painted Pessoa's portrait. He was deeply influenced by both Cubist and Futurism (art), Futurist trends.

Prominent international figures in visual arts today include painters Vieira da Silva, Júlio Pomar, Joana Vasconcelos, Julião Sarmento and Paula Rego.

Literature

Portuguese literature, one of the earliest Western literatures, developed through text as well as song. Until 1350, the Portuguese-Galician troubadours spread their literary influence to most of the Iberian Peninsula, like King Denis of Portugal, D. Dinis (1261–1325) who became famous for his poetry. Other kings would write and sponsor works of literature across Portuguese history, like Ferdinand I of Portugal, D. Fernando (1367–1383) who supported Pêro Menino in writing o ''Livro da Falcoaria''

Adventurer and poet Luís de Camões (c. 1524–1580) wrote the epic poem ''Os Lusíadas'' (''The Lusiads''), with Virgil's ''Aeneid'' as his main influence. Modern Portuguese poetry is rooted in neoclassic and contemporary styles, as exemplified by Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, Bocage (1765–1805), Antero de Quental (1842–1891) and Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935). Modern Portuguese literature is represented by authors such as Almeida Garrett, Camilo Castelo Branco, José Maria de Eça de Queirós, Eça de Queirós, Fernando Pessoa, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, António Lobo Antunes, Miguel Torga and Agustina Bessa-Luís. Particularly popular and distinguished is José Saramago, recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Music

The Music of Portugal encompasses a wide variety of genres. The traditional one is the Portuguese folk music which has deep roots in local customs, utilising instruments such as bagpipes (''Gaita (bagpipe), gaita''), drums, flutes, tambourines, accordions and ukuleles (''cavaquinho''). Within Portuguese folk music is the renowned genre of Fado, a melancholic urban music originated in Lisbon in the 19th century, probably inside bohemian environments, usually associated with the Portuguese guitar and ''saudade'', or longing. Coimbra fado, a unique type of "troubadour serenading" fado, is also noteworthy. Internationally notable performers include Amália Rodrigues, Carlos Paredes, José Afonso, Mariza, Carlos do Carmo, António Chainho, Mísia, Dulce Pontes and Madredeus.

In addition to Folk music, Folk, Fado and Classical music, other genres are present at Portugal like pop and other types of modern music, particularly from North America and the United Kingdom, as well as a wide range of Portuguese, Caribbean, Lusophone African and Brazilian artists and bands. Artists with international recognition include Dulce Pontes, Moonspell, Buraka Som Sistema, Blasted Mechanism, David Carreira and The Gift (band), The Gift, with the three latter being nominees for a MTV Europe Music Award.

Portugal has several summer music festivals, such as ''Festival Sudoeste'' in Zambujeira do Mar, ''Festival de Paredes de Coura'' in Paredes de Coura, ''Festival Vilar de Mouros'' near Caminha, Boom Festival in Idanha-a-Nova Municipality, ''NOS Alive'', ''Sumol Summer Fest'' in Ericeira, ''Rock in Rio#Lisboa, Portugal, and Madrid, Spain, Rock in Rio Lisboa'' and ''Super Bock Super Rock'' in Greater Lisbon. Out of the summer season, Portugal has a large number of festivals, designed more to an urban audience, like Flowfest or Hip Hop Porto.

The student festivals of ''Queima das Fitas,'' which are major events in a number of cities across Portugal, show every year a selection of well-established, high-profile musicians and bands to the public as well as newer, on the rise, upcoming success artists seeking definite recognition. In 2005, Portugal held the MTV Europe Music Awards, in Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon. Furthermore, Portugal won the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv with the song "Amar pelos dois" presented by Salvador Sobral, and subsequently hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, 2018 contest.

Sport

Association football, Football is the most popular sport in Portugal. There are several football competitions ranging from local amateur to world-class professional level. All-time greats Eusébio, Luís Figo, Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo are major symbols of Portuguese football history. Portuguese football managers are also noteworthy, with José Mourinho and Abel Ferreira among the most renowned.

The Portugal national football team has won one UEFA European Championship title: the UEFA Euro 2016, with a 1–0 victory in the UEFA Euro 2016 Final, final over France national football team, France, the tournament hosts. In addition, Portugal finished first in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, second in the 2004 European Football Championship, Euro 2004, third in the 1966 FIFA World Cup and fourth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. At youth level, Portugal have won two FIFA World Youth Championships.

S.L. Benfica, Sporting CP and FC Porto are the largest sports clubs by popularity and number of trophies, often known as "''os três grandes''" (Big Three (Portugal), "the big three"). They have won eight titles in the European UEFA club competitions and present in 21 finals. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) – ''Federação Portuguesa de Futebol'' – annually hosts the Algarve Cup, a Women's association football, women's football tournament.

Other than football, many Portuguese sports clubs, including the "big three", compete in other sports events with a varying level of success and popularity, these include roller hockey (quad), roller hockey, basketball, futsal, Team handball, handball, volleyball and Sport of athletics, athletics. The Portugal national rugby union team, Portuguese national rugby union team qualified for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the Portugal national rugby sevens team, Portuguese national rugby sevens team has played in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Road bicycle racing, Road cycling, with Volta a Portugal the most important race, is a popular sports event and includes professional cycling teams such as Sporting CP, Boavista (cycling team), Boavista, Clube de Ciclismo de Tavira and União Ciclista da Maia. In motorsport, Portugal is noted for the Rally of Portugal, and the Estoril Circuit, Estoril and Algarve Circuits as well as the revived Porto Street Circuit which holds a stage of the WTCC every two years, as well as for a number of internationally noted racers such as Miguel Oliveira, Tiago Monteiro, António Félix da Costa, Filipe Albuquerque, Pedro Lamy, Armindo Araújo and others in a range of varied motorsports.

In water, Portugal has three major sports: swimming (sport), swimming, water polo and surfing. Portugal had success in canoeing with several world and European champions, such as olympic medalist Fernando Pimenta. Annually, the country hosts one of the stages of the World Surf League men's and women's ''Championship Tour'', the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal at the Supertubos in Peniche, Portugal, Peniche. Northern Portugal has its own original martial art, ''Jogo do Pau'', in which fighters use staffs to confront one or several opponents. Other popular sport-related recreational outdoor activities include airsoft, fishing, golf, hiking, hunting and orienteering. Portugal is one of the world's leading golf destinations.

See also

* Outline of Portugal

Notes

References

Sources

*
*
*
*
*

External links

*
*

National English language newspaper

National Wine Website

News about Portugal
from the Portuguese American Journal


at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''

Portugal profile
from the BBC News

Portugal
''The World Factbook''. Central Intelligence Agency.
*

Portuguese Pamphlets Collection
from th
Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress
*

; Government

Official Parliament website

Official Portuguese Government website

;Trade

World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Portugal
; Travel

Official Portuguese Government Travel/media website

Official Travel and Tourism office website

{{Coord, 39, N, 8, W, type:country, display=title

Portugal,
Countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language
Countries in Europe
Iberian Peninsula countries
Member states of NATO
Member states of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries
Member states of the European Union
Member states of the Union for the Mediterranean
Member states of the United Nations
North African countries
OECD members
Republics
States and territories established in the 860s