General Information:

Population Density: 108.2 per sq km.

Capital: Lisbon. Population: 3,319,900 (1997).

Government: Republic since 1910.
Head of State: President Aníbal Cavaco Silva since 2006.
Head of Government: Prime Minister José Sócrates since 2005.

Economy: Portugal is an upcoming capitalist economy with a per capita GDP two-thirds that of the four big West European economies. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and joined with 10 other European countries in launching the euro on 1 January 1999. The year 2000 was marked by moderation in growth, inflation, and unemployment. The country continues to run a sizable trade deficit. The government is working to reform the tax system, to modernize capital plant, and to increase the country's competitiveness in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth is expected to fall off slightly in 2001. Improvement in the education and health sector are critical to the long-run catch-up process.

Language: Portuguese. English is widely spoken within the business community.

Religion: Roman Catholic.

Time: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. 110 volts in some areas and 220 DC in parts of the south. Continental two-pin plugs are in use.

Communications:
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 351. Outgoing international code: 00. There are call boxes in most villages and all towns; there are also public telephones in many cafés and bars, from which international calls may be made.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900/1800 networks.
Operators:
Optimus (website: www.optimus.pt)
Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.pt)
TMN (website: www.tmn.pt).
Coverage exists across the whole country.

Fax: Available at fax bureaux and large hotels in major cities.

Internet: Cybercafés exist in all urban areas, and most post offices offer Internet facilities.

Telegram: There are telegram facilities at most major hotels. The public office at Praça dos Restauradores, Lisbon is open daily 0900-1800.

Post: Post offices (correios) are usually open Mon-Fri 0900-1800. Central post offices and those at airports are open Saturday. Airmail to European destinations from continental Portugal and the Azores takes three days; from Madeira, up to five days. There are poste restante facilities at post offices throughout the country.

Press: Each region has its own Portuguese-language dailies. The English-language newspapers published in Portugal include: Anglo Portuguese News (Lisbon), and The News (Algarve).