Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (59)
slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 3,047 km
border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 615 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Slovakia 420 km, Ukraine 428 km
Coastline:
440 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
Climate:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Terrain:
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 40.25%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 58.75% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
63.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.73 cu km/yr (13%/79%/8%)
per capita: 304 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Geography - note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
People ::Poland
Population:
38,482,919 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15% (male 2,964,995/female 2,802,278)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 13,713,078/female 13,845,251)
65 years and over: 13.4% (male 1,966,406/female 3,190,911) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.9 years
male: 36.1 years
female: 39.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.047% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Birth rate:
10.04 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Death rate:
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Net migration rate:
-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 172 male: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.63 years country comparison to the world: 75 male: 71.65 years
female: 79.85 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.28 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish
Ethnic groups:
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)
Languages:
Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 51
Government ::Poland
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Warsaw
geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie, Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie, Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)
Independence:
11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Constitution:
adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997
Legal system:
based on a mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar PAWLAK (since 16 November 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held in the fall 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly
elections: Senate - last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011); Sejm elections last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PO 60, PiS 39, independents 1; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 41.5%, PiS 32.1%, LiD 13.2%, PSL 8.9%, other 4.3%; seats by party - PO 209, PiS 166, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1; note - seats by parliamentary grouping as of February 2009 - PO 208, PiS 156, Left 42, PSL 31, SDPL-New Left 5, Polska XXI 6, Democratic Caucus 3, German minorities 1, nonaffiliated 8
note: one seat is assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Civic Platform or PO [chairman Donald TUSK; parliamentary caucus leader Grzegorz SCHETYNA]; Democratic Caucus of the Democratic Party (SD) or DKP SD [parliamentary caucus leader Bogdan LIS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [chairman Grzegorz NAPIERALSKI]; Democratic Party or PD [chairwoman Brygida KUZNIAK]; Democratic Party or SD [chairman Pawel PISKORSKI]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [representative Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [chairman Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI; parliamentary caucus leader Przemyslaw GOSIEWSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [acting chairman Arnold MASIN]; Left (Democratic Left Alliance and independents) [parliamentary caucus leader Grzegorz NAPIERALSKI]; Polish People's Party or PSL [chairman Waldemar PAWLAK; parliamentary caucus leader Stanislaw ZELICHOWSKI]; Polska XXI (political grouping of former PiS members; not officially registered) [chairman Jaroslaw SELLIN; parliamentary caucus leader Kazimierz Michal UJAZDOWSKI]; Samoobrona or SO [chairman Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [chairman Wojciech FILEMONOWICZ]; Social Democratic Party of Poland-New Left (SDPL-New Left) [parliamentary caucus leader Marek BOROWSKI]; Union of Labor or UP [chairman Waldemar WITKOWSKI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
International organization participation:
Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688
consulate(s) general: Krakow
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
Economy ::Poland
Economy - overview:
Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. In 2008, GDP grew an estimated 4.8%, based on rising private consumption, a jump in corporate investment, and EU funds inflows. GDP per capita is still much below the EU average, but is similar to that of the three Baltic states. Since 2004, EU membership and access to EU structural funds have provided a major boost to the economy. Unemployment is falling rapidly, though at roughly 9.7% in 2008, it remains above the EU average. In 2008 inflation reached 4.3%, more than the upper limit of the National Bank of Poland's target range, but has been falling due to global economic slowdown. Poland's economic performance could improve further if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its business environment. An inefficient commercial court system, a rigid labor code, bureaucratic red tape, and persistent low-level corruption keep the private sector from performing up to its full potential. Rising demands to fund health care, education, and the state pension system present a challenge to the Polish Government's effort to hold the consolidated public sector budget deficit under 3.0% of GDP, a target which was achieved in 2007-08. The PO/PSL coalition government which came to power in November 2007 plans to further reduce the budget deficit with the aim of eventually adopting the euro by 2012. The new government has also announced its intention to enact business-friendly reforms, reduce public sector spending growth, lower taxes, and accelerate privatization. The government, however, has moved slowly on major reforms. Pension and health-care bills passed through the legislature, but the legislature failed to overturn a presidential veto.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$670.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $638.8 billion (2007 est.)
$598.1 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$527.9 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 6.8% (2007 est.)
6.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$17,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $16,600 (2007 est.)
$15,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.5%
industry: 31.2%
services: 64.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
17.01 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17.4%
industry: 29.2%
services: 53.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
9.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 12.8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
17% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 27.2% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.9 (2005) country comparison to the world: 87 31.6 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
22% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Budget:
revenues: $105.5 billion
expenditures: $115.7 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
45.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 49.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 2.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 105 5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.99% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 135 5.72% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$118.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $137.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$109 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 21 $93.98 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$258.3 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 27 $223.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$90.23 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 38 $207.3 billion (31 December 2007)
$149.1 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy
Industries:
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
4.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity - production:
149.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Electricity - consumption:
129.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Electricity - exports:
9.703 billion kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
8.48 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
35,560 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - consumption:
544,800 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Oil - exports:
67,340 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - imports:
595,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Oil - proved reserves:
96.38 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - production:
5.719 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - consumption:
16.55 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - exports:
39 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 42
Natural gas - imports:
11.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - proved reserves:
164.8 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Current account balance:
-$26.91 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 179 -$20.12 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$178.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $145.3 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
Exports - partners:
Germany 24.9%, France 6.2%, Italy 6%, UK 5.7%, Czech Republic 5.6%, Russia 5.3% (2008)
Imports:
$204.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $162.4 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)
Imports - partners:
Germany 28.3%, Russia 9.9%, Italy 6.2%, Netherlands 5.4%, France 4.8%, China 4.5%, Czech Republic 4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$62.18 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $65.75 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$243.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 $233.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$161.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $176.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$21.81 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $19.39 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
zlotych (PLN) per US dollar - 2.3 (2008 est.), 2.81 (2007), 3.1032 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004)
note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Communications ::Poland
Telephones - main lines in use:
10.336 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 22
Telephones - mobile cellular:
44.004 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Telephone system:
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony
domestic: mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and provided by three nation-wide networks with a fourth provider beginning operations in late 2006; cellular coverage is generally good with some gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly and still lags in rural areas
international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
75 (2008)
Internet country code:
.pl
Internet hosts:
8.906 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 12
Internet users:
18.679 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 19
Transportation ::Poland
Airports:
125 (2009) country comparison to the world: 46
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 84
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 20 (2009)
Heliports:
7 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 13,631 km; oil 1,384 km; refined products 777 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 22,314 km country comparison to the world: 12 broad gauge: 633 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 21,681 km 1.435-m gauge (11,769 km electrified) (2007)
Roadways:
total: 423,997 km country comparison to the world: 15 paved: 295,356 km (includes 662 km of expressways)
unpaved: 128,641 km (2006)
Waterways:
3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2007) country comparison to the world: 28
Merchant marine:
total: 15 country comparison to the world: 106 by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Cyprus 1, Nigeria 1)
registered in other countries: 98 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Bahamas 17, Cyprus 18, Liberia 13, Malta 24, Norway 3, Panama 11, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 7) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin
Military ::Poland
Military branches:
Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Aviation Forces, Special Forces (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-28 years of age for male voluntary or compulsory military service; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005; conscription is to end in 2012; only soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers; reserve obligation to age 50 (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 9,741,508
females age 16-49: 9,514,843 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,898,892
females age 16-49: 7,888,035 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 246,667
female: 235,698 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.71% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Transnational Issues ::Poland
Disputes - international:
as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine
Illicit drugs:
despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Portugal (Europe)
Introduction ::Portugal
Background:
Following its heyday as a global maritime 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 of its wealthiest colony of Brazil in 1822. 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 is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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: 92,090 sq km country comparison to the world: 110 land: 91,470 sq km
water: 620 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,214 km
border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Coastline:
1,793 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 17.29%
permanent crops: 7.84%
other: 74.87% (2005)
Irrigated land:
6,500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
73.6 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.09 cu km/yr (10%/12%/78%)
per capita: 1,056 cu m/yr (1998)
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
People ::Portugal
Population:
10,707,924 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 912,147/female 834,941)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 3,525,717/female 3,554,513)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 772,413/female 1,108,193) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.4 years
male: 37.3 years
female: 41.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.275% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Birth rate:
10.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Death rate:
10.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Net migration rate:
3.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Urbanization:
urban population: 59% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 195 male: 5.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.21 years country comparison to the world: 48 male: 74.95 years
female: 81.69 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.49 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
34,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
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 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.3% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 50
Government ::Portugal
Country name:
conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal
Government type:
republic; parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Lisbon
geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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 (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Independence:
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died
Constitution:
adopted 2 April 1976; subsequently revised
note: the revisions placed the military under strict civilian control, trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy; and they allowed for the privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned communications media
Legal system:
based on 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 Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (since 12 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011); 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: Anibal CAVACO SILVA elected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%
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 27 September 2009 (next to be held in fall 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 37.7%, PSD 30%, CDS/PP 10.8%, BE 10.2%, CDU 8.1%, other 3.2%; seats by party - PS 96, PSD 78, CDS/PP 21, BE 16, CDU 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal de Justica); judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Green Ecologist Party (The Greens) or PEV [leadership commission elected by members]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo DE SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Manuela FERREIRA LEITE]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes PCP and PEV)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
the media; labor unions
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joao DE VALLERA
chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Francisco
consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas F. STEPHENSON
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address: Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; 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
Economy ::Portugal
Economy - overview:
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past two decades, 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 the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990s, but fell back in 2001-08. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 average. 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. The budget deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% of GDP in 2005, but the government reduced the deficit to 2.6% in 2007 - a year ahead of Portugal's targeted schedule. Nonetheless, the government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost the economy, which declined 0.1% in 2008, while keeping the budget deficit within the euro-zone 3%-of-GDP ceiling.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$237.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $237.3 billion (2007 est.)
$232.9 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$244.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 1.9% (2007 est.)
1.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$22,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $22,300 (2007 est.)
$22,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 25%
services: 72.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
5.625 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
18% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.5 (2007) country comparison to the world: 72 35.6 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Budget:
revenues: $105.5 billion
expenditures: $111.9 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
66.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 61.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 2.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 104 5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.35% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 7.92% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders
Stock of quasi money:
$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$491 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 $412.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 44 $132.3 billion (31 December 2007)
$104.2 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries:
textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, diary products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Electricity - production:
44.47 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Electricity - consumption:
48.78 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Electricity - exports:
1.313 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
10.74 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
7,861 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - consumption:
291,700 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Oil - exports:
53,260 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Oil - imports:
351,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 143
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Natural gas - consumption:
4.754 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 132
Natural gas - imports:
4.763 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Current account balance:
-$29.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 -$21.18 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$56.42 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $51.81 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision instruments
Exports - partners:
Spain 25.7%, Germany 12.7%, France 11.1%, Angola 5.9%, UK 5.3% (2008)
Imports:
$87.83 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $75.98 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semi-conductors and related devices, household goods, passenger cars new and used, and wine products
Imports - partners:
Spain 28.9%, Germany 11.6%, France 8%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$11.95 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 $11.55 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$484.7 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 $483.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$117.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $114.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$69.24 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $69.24 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Portugal
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.121 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 37
Telephones - mobile cellular:
14.91 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 44
Telephone system:
general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities
domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
international: country code - 351; a combination of submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 63, shortwave 1 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
42 (2008)
Internet country code:
.pt
Internet hosts:
1.967 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 33
Internet users:
4.476 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 45
Transportation ::Portugal
Airports:
65 (2009) country comparison to the world: 76
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 43
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 11 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 21 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 1,098 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,786 km country comparison to the world: 58 broad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 82,900 km country comparison to the world: 56 paved: 71,294 km (includes 2,300 km of expressways)
unpaved: 11,606 km (2005)
Waterways:
210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2008) country comparison to the world: 96
Merchant marine:
total: 117 country comparison to the world: 48 by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 36, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, container 6, liquefied gas 9, passenger 10, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 15
foreign-owned: 84 (Bahamas 1, Belgium 8, Denmark 3, Germany 20, Greece 4, Hong Kong 2, Italy 12, Japan 15, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Spain 11, Sweden 3, Switzerland 2, US 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 1, Malta 3, Panama 9) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines
Military ::Portugal
Military branches:
Portuguese Army (Exercito Portugues), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,573,913
females age 16-49: 2,498,262 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,103,558
females age 16-49: 2,049,032 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 64,047
female: 57,630 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Transnational Issues ::Portugal
Disputes - international:
Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Illicit drugs:
seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Puerto Rico (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Puerto Rico
Background:
Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status.
Geography ::Puerto Rico
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 66 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 13,790 sq km country comparison to the world: 162 land: 8,870 sq km
water: 4,921 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
501 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m
Natural resources:
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use:
arable land: 3.69%
permanent crops: 5.59%
other: 90.72% (2005)
Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
Geography - note:
important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
People ::Puerto Rico
Population:
3,971,020 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 404,635/female 386,733)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,260,114/female 1,361,193)
65 years and over: 14.1% (male 240,318/female 318,027) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.2 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 37.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.34% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Birth rate:
12.12 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Death rate:
7.75 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Net migration rate:
-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Urbanization:
urban population: 98% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 162 male: 9.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.53 years country comparison to the world: 42 male: 74.85 years
female: 82.39 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.71 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,397 (1997) country comparison to the world: 115
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish origin) 76.2%, black 6.9%, Asian 0.3%, Amerindian 0.2%, mixed 4.4%, other 12% (2007)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Languages:
Spanish, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 93.9%
female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Puerto Rico
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Dependency status:
unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
Government type:
commonwealth
Capital:
name: San Juan
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
Independence:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
National holiday:
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Constitution:
ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
head of government: Governor Luis FORTUNO (since 2 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature
elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Luis FORTUNO elected governor with 52.8% of the vote
Legislative branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2012); House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 81.5%, PPD 18.5%; seats by party - PNP 22, PPD 5; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 72.5%, PPD 27.5%; seats by party - PNP 37, PPD 14
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro ROSSELLO] (pro-US statehood); Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA] (pro-commonwealth); Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
Economy ::Puerto Rico
Economy - overview:
Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again in 2006-07.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$70.23 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $72.03 billion (2007 est.)
$73.35 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$88 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-2.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 212 -1.8% (2007 est.)
0.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$17,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $18,300 (2007 est.)
$18,700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
1.479 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 130
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 19%
services: 79% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
12% (2002) country comparison to the world: 137
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion (FY99/00)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
Industries:
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
23.72 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Electricity - consumption:
22.06 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
1,354 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Oil - consumption:
185,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Oil - exports:
16,520 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Oil - imports:
225,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Natural gas - consumption:
806.6 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 126
Natural gas - imports:
806.6 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Exports:
$46.9 billion (2001) country comparison to the world: 58
Exports - commodities:
chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Imports:
$29.1 billion c.i.f.
Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Puerto Rico
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.038 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 78
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.354 million (2005) country comparison to the world: 102
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: country code - 1-787, 939; submarine cables provide connectivity to the US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 74, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
34 (2008)
Internet country code:
.pr
Internet hosts:
700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 167
Internet users:
1 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 89
Transportation ::Puerto Rico
Airports:
29 (2009) country comparison to the world: 117
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 26,186 km country comparison to the world: 102 paved: 24,877 km (includes 427 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,309 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 3 country comparison to the world: 140 by type: roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Guayanilla, Mayaguez, San Juan
Military ::Puerto Rico
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 699,784
females age 16-49: 790,482 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 30,422
female: 29,396 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::Puerto Rico
Disputes - international:
increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Qatar (Middle East)
Introduction ::Qatar
Background:
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The 2009 CIA World FactbookChapter M: Major infectious diseases (59)
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