Ireland
Portugal Travel and Destination Guide
BACKGROUND INFO
Full Name
Portugal
Capital City
Lisbon (pop 720,000)
Area
92,391 sq km
Population
10,400,000
Time Zone
GMT/UTC 0
Daylight Saving Start
last Sunday in March
Daylight Saving End
last Sunday in October
Weights Measures System
Metric
Geography
Portugal lies immediately west of Spain, and is buffeted along its southern coast by the Atlantic Ocean. To its west and southwest lie the islands of the Azores and Madeira, far out in the Atlantic. It measures just 350mi (560km) north to south and a paltry 135mi (220km) from east to west. The northern and central regions are heavily populated and characterised by rivers, valleys, forests and mountains - the highest range is the Serra da Estrela, peaking at Torre (6540ft/1993m). The south is less populated and, apart from the rocky backdrop of the Algarve, much flatter and drier.
Languages
• Portuguese (official)
People
99% Portuguese, 1% African
Religion
97% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 1% other
Government Type
Parliamentary Democracy
Government Leaders
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
President (head of state)
José Socrates
Prime Minister (head of government)
Country Dialing Code
351
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