Portugal

Geography

Portugal is a country on the Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic coast. The land has a total area of 92,226 km² (35,608 mi²) and a total coastline of 1,793 km (1,114.1 mi). This land area is approximately 88% of the area of Kentucky. Portugal is thus the 18th biggest country in Europe and in terms of area ranked 111st worldwide. More than half of all residents (67%) live within cities.

Portugal is comparatively low at an average elevation of 372 meters above sea level. The highest mountain peak (Ponta do Pico in the Azores) is at 2,351 meters. The country has about 60 islands. Spain ist the only directly neighboring country of Portugal. The distance between New York City and the Capital Lisbon is about 5,420 km (3,368 mi).

The climate in Portugal

The weather in Portugal is among the warmest in Europe. The average annual rainfall is up to 3,000 mm in the northern mountains, and about 1,100 mm nationwide. Southern Portugal has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. It rains very little and the summers are warm. A fresh sea breeze usually provides a pleasant climate. Summer temperatures in the Algarve often exceed 30°C and sometimes reach more than 40°C in the Alentejo. In the north, the weather is more humid and cooler, especially in winter. There, temperatures are influenced by Atlantic currents and the Spanish meseta. The climate in the Azores and Madeira is subtropical. Dry summer months prevail in large parts of the Azores, with warm temperatures year-round.

• Detailed climate data for Portugal and 7 individual regions
• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Hurricanes

Languages

Mother tongue	Distribution
Portuguese	99.0 %
other	1.0 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Roman Catholics	81.0%
other Christs	3.3%
nondenominational	6.8%
other	8.9%

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Economy

GDP:	253.66 bn $
Exportations:	105.30 bn $
Importations:	111.86 bn $
Budget deficit:	994 M $
› Tourism receipts:	10.52 bn $
› Gross debt:	287.03 bn $
› Unemployment rate:	5.8 %
› Inflation rate:	7.83 %
› Corruption index:	62 (moderate)
› Energy consumption:	48.4 bn kWh

With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.866, Portugal counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

In terms of revenues, Portugal ranks only 43rd in the world and, with an average annual income of 23,890 USD is one of the high-income countries.

Land use

14% Urban areas:	12,765 km²
40% Agricultural areas:	37,250 km²
36% Forest:	33,340 km²
1% Water areas:	620 km²
10% Others:	8,871 km²

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Transport

Roadways:	82,900 km
Railways:	2,526 km
Waterways:	210 km
Commercial harbors:	726
› Airports:	13