Government. Portugal is governed under a constitution promulgated in 1976 and revised in 1982. Although the constitution initially called for the creation of a "classless" state based on public ownership of land, natural resources, and the principal means of production, this socialist language was stricken in 1989. The right to strike and the right of assembly are guaranteed, and censorship and the death penalty are proscribed.  

Land and Resources. The frontiers of Portugal are defined by mountains and rivers, and the interior is largely mountainous. In the W and S the mountains descend to a large coastal plain that is intensively cultivated. The highest range is the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal, rising to almost 2000 m (almost 6562 ft). Portugal is traversed by three great rivers, which rise in Spain and empty into the Atlantic Ocean. The Tagus (Tejo), with Lisbon situated at its mouth, is the largest river; followed by the Douro, with Oporto at its mouth; and the Guadiana, which forms part of the E frontier. A fourth river, the Minho, forms part of the N frontier.  

Climate. The climate varies according to altitude, and high temperatures occur only in the comparatively low regions of the S. The mean annual temperature N of the Douro R. is about 10š C (about 50° F); between the Tagus and Douro, about 15.6° C (about 60° F); and in the valley of the Guadiana, about 18.3° C (about 65° F). Rainfall is heavy, particularly in the N.  

Natural Resources. The most valuable of Portugal's natural resources are its minerals. Much of this wealth was not developed until after World War II. Among the mineral resources are coal, copper, gold, iron ore, kaolin, tin, and wolframite, which is a source of tungsten. Although a substantial segment of the population supports itself by agriculture, the land is not particularly suited to this occupation. The plants and animals of Portugal are virtually identical with those of Spain. The most abundant trees are the evergreen oak, cork oak, poplar, and olive. Grapevines flourish in the arid soil, and port wine from Oporto and Madeira wine from Madeira are world famous. Wild animals include the wolf, lynx, wildcat, fox, wild boar, wild goat, deer, and hare. Birdlife and insects abound. Portugal also has an abundance of waterpower resources in its rivers and mountain streams.  

Population. The Portuguese are a combination of several ethnic elements, principally Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, and later Moors. The people still live, for the most part, in rural villages.  

Population Characteristics. The population of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira islands, was (1989 est.) 10,372,000. The overall population density was about 113 persons per sq km (292 per sq mi).  

Political Divisions. Mainland Portugal is divided into 18 districts for administrative purposes: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Évor a, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Oporto, Portalalegre, Santarém, Setùbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, and Viseu. The Azores and Madeira each constitute an autonomous region.  

Principal Cities. Lisbon (pop., 1981 prelim., 812,385) is the capital, largest city, and leading seaport of Portugal. Other important cities include Oporto (329,104), the second-largest city and seaport; Coimbra (56,568), an industrial center; and Faro (20,687), in the Algarve resort area.  

Religion and Language. Roman Catholicism is the faith of more than 94% of the Portuguese people. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and some Protestant churches have been established. The official language of the country is Portuguese.  

Culture. Portuguese culture is closely related to Spanish culture and has been influenced by the three primary cultures from which it derives: the Latin, the Visigoth ( see Goths), and the Muslim ( see Islam). Lisbon has a number of important libraries, including the Library of the Academy of Sciences, the Ajuda Library, the National Library, and the Military Library. The National Archives of Torre do Tombo, also in Lisbon, is noteworthy for its collection of historical documents dating from the 9th century. The provincial libraries in Oporto, Évor a, Braga, and Mafra contain many rare old books and large manuscript collections. Various specialized libraries are attached to the universities.  

Economy. Although the Portuguese economy grew by 5.3% annually during 1965-80, the economic growth rate slowed to less than 1% during the 1980s, and Portugal remains the least developed nation in Western Europe. The country's gross national product in the late 1980s was $29.6 billion, or about $2890 per capita. The estimated annual budget in the late 1980s included $8 billion in revenue and $11.1 billion in expenditure.  

Currency and Foreign Trade. The unit of currency in Portugal is the escudo, consisting of 100 centavos (150 escudos equal U.S.$1; 1990). In the late 1980s annual Portuguese imports totaled about $17.9 billion and exports about $12.8 billion. Principal imports included mineral fuels, machinery and transportation equipment, and food and livestock. Principal exports included clothing, textile yarns and fabrics, and wood and paper products. Among Portugal's chief trading partners were Germany, Great Britain, the U. S., France, Spain, and Italy. Foreign exchange receipts from tourism, amounting to more than $2 billion annually in the late 1980s, help to compensate for the chronic trade deficit. 

• Aerofrete, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 815 07 95, (1) 814 02 04, (1) 814 81 22, Fax: (1) 812 45 69 
• Airborne Express, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 940 07 25, Fax: (1) 940 07 23 
• Alfa Cargo - Soc Int'l De Trânsitos, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 847 21 25/7, Fax: (1) 849 66 54 
• AMF Transitarios Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 941 61 39, Fax: (1) 942 84 70 
• Anditrans Transitarios International Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 814 55 33, (1) 814 97 08, Fax: (1) 812 17 66, (1) 812 81 31 
• Antas TransitáriosLda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 996 09 96, Fax: (2) 995 97 03 
• AT & F Transitarios Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 996 38 92, Fax: (2) 996 12 68, e-mail: [email protected] 
• ATS - Agencia De Transportes E Servicos, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 54 16 98, (1) 54 17 48, Fax: (1) 57 96 80 
• Bentrans Carga E Transitários Lda, Ponta Delgada, Tel: (96) 2 22 01/5, Fax: (96) 2 44 73 
• Biermann-Schenker Transitarios Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 357 40 10, Fax: (1) 357 52 41 
• Burlington Air Express, Lisbon Airport, Tel: (1) 847 43 14/20, Fax: (1) 847 43 22 
• Coopetrans, Oporto, Tel: (34) 2 42 61, (34) 2 42 84, Fax: (34) 2 62 86 
• Danzas Lda, Oporto Airport, Tel: (2) 941 29 10, Fax: (2) 940 02 29 
• David Jose de Pinho,Filhos, Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 200 97 31/8, Fax: (2) 32 57 29 
• Dourotrans - Trânsitos Internacionais, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 995 82 61, (2) 995 82 86, Fax: (2) 995 74 73, (2) 995 96 83 
• Empresa Do Cabrestante Lda, Funchal (Madeira), Tel: (91) 23 05 21, (91) 23 13 60, Fax: (91) 23 01 98 
• Eurofrete-Transportes Internacionais SA, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 996 53 03, (2) 996 53 22, (2) 996 53 43/4, Fax: (2) 995 71 85 
• Eurogrupa - Transportes Internacionais, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 887 86 71, Fax: (1) 887 13 89 
• Eurolevante - Transitarios, LDA, Oporto Airport, Tel: (2) 942 40 52, Fax: (2) 942 42 06, (2) 942 89 01, e-mail: [email protected] 
• Expeditors (Portugal) Transitarios Int'l, Lisbon Airport, Tel: (1) 847 49 60, Fax: (1) 847 49 66 
• Garland Trânsistos LDA, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 80 79 49, (1) 80 79 99, (1) 846 34 60, Fax: (1) 849 12 79 
• GLT Garland Transitos Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 618 40 63, Fax: (2) 617 62 36 
• AJ Goncalves De Moraes ltd, Oporto, Tel: (2) 32 37 41, Fax: (2) 32 32 17, (2) 31 74 73 
• Grupor Transitários Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 815 23 82, Fax: (1) 812 52 10, (1) 815 10 71 
• Iberiapor - Transitários Lda, Maia, Tel: (2) 941 04 55, (2) 944 00 04, Fax: (2) 941 04 56 
• Intermadeira - Trânsitos E Navegação Lda, Funchal (Madeira), Tel: (91) 22 21 91/2, Fax: (91) 22 21 85 
• Interrânica - Transporyes Internacionais, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 936 04 10, Fax: (2) 937 06 90 
• Intertrans Transitos Internacionais, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 356 28 18, Fax: (1) 353 26 42, (1) 314 41 41 
• Intertráfego - Soc De Transportes Int'l, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 346 19 33, Fax: (1) 346 18 18 
• Intertráfego Norte, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 937 06 21, Fax: (2) 937 06 23, (2) 20329 
• Jervell Navegação Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 32 25 12, Fax: (2) 31 49 55, (2) 22726 
• KEC Trânsitos E Navegação Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 996 63 70, Fax: (2) 996 63 69 
• D A Knudsen & Co Ltd, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 347 35 01, (1) 347 38 81, Fax: (1) 342 56 72, (1) 346 85 61 
• Kühne & Nagel (Lda), Oporto, Tel: (2) 942 78 18, Fax: (2) 942 96 61 
• Landimar - Transitos E Navegacao, LDA, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 953 26 56, Fax: (2) 951 81 61 
• Lassen Transport Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 60 22 33, (Operations Mngmnt) (1) 396 90 04, (Marketing/ Sales) (1) 397 27 43, Fax: (1) 60 92 44, (Account Department) (1) 395 37 07 
• Lissa - Agencia de Despachos e Transitos, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 759 68 00, Fax: (1) 759 68 48 
• Listubal Air Cargo Portugal, Lisbon Airport, Tel: (1) 840 60 57, (1) 840 25 97, Fax: (1) 849 98 37 
• Lusocargo - Transitarios, Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 617 70 41, Fax: (2) 617 77 13 
• Marfrete-Agência De Navegação Tránsitos, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 947 53 05, Fax: (1) 947 67 18 
• MSAS de Portugal, Transitarios, LDA, Lisbon Airport, Tel: (1) 848 20 37/9, (1) 847 50 12, (1) 847 30 03, Fax: (1) 848 57 59 
• Nedlloyd Road Cargo - Transitários Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 397 00 50, Fax: (1) 397 00 49, (1) 42816 
• Neotran - Transitarios(Porto),LDA, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 942 1090, Fax: (1) 942 1560 
• Nortemar, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 995 56 20, Fax: (2) 995 55 21 
• Olicargo Transitario Ltda, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 995 90 03, (2) 995 90 28, Toll Free: (2) 995 89 53, Fax: (2) 995 89 78 
• Panalpina W Transportes Mundiais Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 353 71 89, (1) 353 71 91, Fax: (1) 353 71 93 
• Panicargo-Navegação E Trânsitos Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 886 65 40, Fax: (1) 886 56 86 
• Planotir-Operadores De Transportes Lda, Matosinhos, Tel: (2) 937 40 95, Fax: (2) 937 38 15 
• Rangel Transitarios, Oporto, Tel: (2) 953 89 17, Fax: (2) 953 89 32 
• Roquette - Agenties Transitários, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 837 25 21, Fax: (1) 859 38 96, (1) 42995 
• RUI Fernandes Transitário, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 80 36 84, Fax: (1) 849 88 07 
• Silvetrans - Sociedade Transitania, Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 8 15 23 76, (1) 8 13 42 63, (1) 8 13 52 52, Fax: (1) 8 13 47 47 
• Space Cargo Services SA, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 940 07 25, Fax: (1) 940 07 24 
• Speditur - Transitários, Oporto, Tel: (2) 600 01 05, Fax: (2) 609 98 39 
• Stave, Aveiro, Tel: (34) 31 23 73, Fax: (34) 31 29 54 
• Tait Portugal, Transitarios, S A, Oporto, Tel: (2) 999 90 50, (Airfreight) (2) 999 90 76, Fax: (2) 996 18 09, (2) 996 27 19 
• Tavamundo Transitários Lda, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 886 31 31, (1) 887 83 47, Fax: (1) 886 31 80 
• Tecnocarga-Agentes Transitários Int'l, Lisbon, Tel: (1) 796 41 84, Fax: (1) 797 57 37 
• TIL-Transportes Internacionais Lda, Oporto, Tel: (2) 617 02 58, (2) 617 04 59, Fax: (2) 617 05 08 
• Tirsul-Transitarios Ltda, Setubal, Tel: (65) 52 32 30, Fax: (65) 3 41 86 
• Tranvex-Navegação E Comércio Geral Lda, Funchal (Madeira), Tel: (91) 22 58 62, (91) 22 32 52, Fax: (91) 23 20 59 
• Trevomar-Nav. E Transitos Lda, Oporto Airport, Tel: (2) 948 59 02, (2) 948 58 70, Fax: (2) 948 59 42