Natural resource potential of Portugal. Natural conditions of portugal

PORTUGAL (Portugal), the Portuguese Republic (Republica Portuguese), is a state in the extreme southwest of Europe, located in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as on the Azores and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The area is about 92 thousand km 2, incl. islands over 3 thousand km 2. Population 10.2 million (1984). Official language- Portuguese. The capital is Lisbon. Administratively, it is divided into 22 districts, including 4 districts of the islands. The monetary unit is the Portuguese escudo. Member of the EEC (since 1986).

General characteristics of the economy. Portugal is an industrial-agrarian country. In terms of the level of economic development (GNP value, industrial output, national income per capita), it occupies one of the last places V foreign Europe. Industry is dominated by large enterprises of transnational and national monopolies, although the share of small-scale production and handicrafts is still large. About 2/3 of the industrial potential is concentrated on Atlantic coast countries. The share of industry in the structure of GNP reached 35%, and the share Agriculture decreased to 13% (1984). Portugal's GDP in 1985 was 38.5 billion escudos. The country's economy is highly dependent on foreign capital and world market conditions. The dominant positions are occupied by the imperialist monopolies of Great Britain, which own over 75% of the total investment in the economy.

Relatively more developed sectors of the national economy are manufacturing (including textile), petrochemical and mining. The share of the latter in the GNP structure is small (about 1%).

In the fuel and energy balance of the country, the main place is occupied by hydro resources; Hydroelectric power plants meet more than 90% of the country's energy needs. The construction of nuclear power plants is being planned. The main mode of transport is automobile. The length of roads is 51.9 thousand km. Length railways about 4 thousand km. Merchant marine tonnage 1.4 million gross registered tons (1980); the main ports are Lisbon and Porto.

Nature. Portugal is located in the subtropical zone. Northern part The country is mainly occupied by the deeply dissected outskirts of the Meseta plateau, above which individual crystalline massifs rise. Heights of 1000-1200 m prevail, the highest is 1991 (in the Ceppa da Estrela ridge). In the west, the mountains drop steeply to the coastal plain. South of the Tagus River is a large part of the Portuguese lowland, in which flat areas alternate with low hilly ridges; in the east, the lowland is bordered by a plateau with separate ridges 600-1000 meters high. On far south the lowlands of Ceppa da Algarve (height up to 902 m) are located, the southern slopes of which abruptly break off to the coastal lowland. The climate is mild. Due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Average January temperatures are 8-11°С, July 20-27°С. The amount of precipitation is from 800 mm in the plains to 2500 mm in the mountains. The river network is dense. Within Portugal are the lower reaches major rivers- Tagus (Taxo), Douro (Duero), Guadiana. Only the first two are navigable in the lower reaches at a distance of no more than 200 km from the mouth. They have large reserves of hydropower.

Geological structure. Most of the territory of Portugal is located within the so-called. Iberian Meseta, which represents a protrusion of the Hercynian folded region of Central and Western Europe, at the base of the section of which formations occur. They are represented by metamorphic schists and gneisses with interlayers of marbles, quartzites and effusives. Lower and (up to and including the Middle Carboniferous) formations, predominantly terrigenous (with the participation of volcanics), occur above. They are crumpled into folds and cut through by intrusions of Upper Paleozoic granitoids. Along the western and south coast Portugal stretches a band of weakly dislocated Mesozoic-Cenozoic rocks. Ring intrusions of alkaline rocks of the end-beginning are also known here. Precambrian carbonate rocks are associated with bedded deposits of iron ores of sedimentary-volcanic genesis (Evora crystalline massif in southern Portugal), as well as minor deposits of manganese ores. The formation of skarn iron ore deposits is associated with intrusive massifs of the tonalite series. The maximum intensity of mineralization is noted in the post-Stefanian time (Late Carboniferous - Early Permian). The final phases of the formation of intrusions are represented by small bodies of granites and granite-porphyries, with which tin-tungsten mineralization is associated. Epithermal uranium ore deposits associated with veins of chalcedonic quartz gravitate to the same areas, however, their formation is due to Alpine orogeny (about 100 million years) and is associated with dikes of basic rocks. Ores are localized in crushing zones. Alpine age in Portugal also includes polymetallic deposits and some ore occurrences of antimony and barite. These deposits are usually confined to zones of young faults in granites and Precambrian metamorphic schists.

seismicity. Portugal is located in an active seismic zone. Earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 8 points or more are observed in the country on average 1 time in 2 years. Seismic hazard coefficient, varying from 0 to 2, for Portugal 0.7. The epicenters, as a rule, coincide with the zones of regional tectonic faults. The strongest earthquakes (8.5 points) are associated with underwater, the most active tectonic structures.

hydrogeology. Three hydrogeological structures have been identified on the territory of Portugal: the West Portuguese and Algarve artesian basins and the Meseta hydrogeological massif. The main aquifers, developed mainly in artesian basins, are complexes of Quaternary alluvial, Neogene-Paleogene deposits and Mesozoic predominantly carbonate rocks. Quaternary sands, gravel and pebbles contain porous, mostly groundwater, occurring at a depth of 1-30 meters. Pressure waters (with a head of 6-81 m) lie at depths of the first tens of meters. Well flow rates in shallow river valleys are not more than 1 l/s, in large river valleys and on the coast of the ocean up to 10-34 l/s. The waters are mostly fresh (HCO 3 and HCO 3 - Cl, Ca=Na).

About 30 resorts operate on the basis of thermal mineral waters in the country. The total amount of groundwater used in the country is 1.8 km 3 /year.

Portugal has significant reserves of non-metallic minerals: limestone, granite, gabbro, nepheline syenite, etc., dolomite, gypsum, kaolin, marble. The main deposits are located in the area of ​​Vila-Visosa, Borba, Estremoz. Granite deposits - Braga-Porto, Portalegre, Evora; nepheline syenites - Faro, serpentinites - Braganza.

History of the development of mineral resources. The oldest evidence of the use of stone (pebble flint) for the manufacture of tools dates back to the ancient Paleolithic (early Acheulean, approximately 700-500 thousand years ago). Finds of this time were made mainly in the Tagus (Taxo) river basin. Until the Neolithic, flint served as the main material for the manufacture of tools and weapons. Since the Neolithic (approximately 5-4th millennium BC), various types of clay have been widely mined, mainly for making dishes. From the 4th-3rd millennium BC. (copper and bronze ages) mining begins to develop on the basis of local deposits of copper ore. Large developments of copper ores were carried out in various regions of Portugal. In Southern Portugal (Province of the Algarve, Baixo Alentejo), several dozen deposits and ore occurrences are known with traces of ancient workings, presumably dated to the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. (deposits Alti, Mesinish, Almodovar, Castro Verdi, Aljustrel, Mina di San Domingos, etc.). Mostly oxidized copper minerals were mined - malachite and azurite; chalcopyrite - probably only from the end of the 2nd or in the 1st millennium BC. Ancient major center mining of copper ore was located in the province of Extremadura and Beira Litoral (deposits of Rio Mayor, Caldas da Rainha, Alcobaça). Bronze axes have been found in some ancient mines, which, it is believed, served for sinking mine workings; a few ancient developments of cassiterite are also known (the district of Viana do Castelo, etc.). In the Bronze Age, metallurgical production developed in the north of Portugal, the products of which were exported outside the country. Iron comes into use around the 8th-6th centuries. BC. Apparently, local iron ores were used. From the 1st century BC. by 3 in. n. e., when the Iberian Peninsula became one of the provinces of the Roman Empire, the level of mining and the scale of extraction of various minerals increased immeasurably here; The Iberian Peninsula and the territory of Portugal, in particular, became one of the main mining and metallurgical regions of the Roman Empire. The extraction of copper ores took on a particularly wide scope. In addition, limestone and other types of non-metallic building materials were mined in large quantities. Later 4-6 centuries. AD mining is in decline.

In the 8th-11th centuries. The extraction of precious metals was carried out by the Arabs, and from the 12th century it was continued by the Europeans who conquered these lands. Gold-bearing placers were concentrated in the lower reaches of the Tagus, in the town of Adisa, near Almada. In 1210, King Sancho I donated a tenth of the proceeds from them to the Order of Santiago. Development was carried out here intermittently until the middle of the 17th century. Gold mines were located in the province of Traz-os-Montes, silver and copper - in Alto Alentejo, tin - in the Algarve. The development was carried out by concessionaires or the treasury itself, which owned all the minerals. Portuguese kings in the 14th and 15th centuries contributed to the development of the iron industry, the raw materials for which were extracted from the deposit of the Torri di Moncorvo region, as well as the extraction of lead and copper ores; entrepreneurs were exempted during the first 5 years from paying taxes, which amounted to 1/5 of the production. In 1300, King Dinis I granted concessions for the extraction of sulfur, as well as alum (Vila Nova de Gaia). The production of alum became especially significant in the second half of the 15th and 16th centuries, when the development of a deposit began on the Azores (Sao Miguel Island). In the 16-17 centuries. the extraction of precious metals and ores of lead is in decline due to the influx of these metals from Brazil; at the same time, the iron industry is developing. In the 18th century, English entrepreneurs developed deposits of lead and copper pyrite ores on the Kaima River, gold, iron ore, and a small amount of alum were mined. In 1850, the state privilege for minerals was abolished, the right to extract which was transferred to landowners. The development of Portugal in the 19th century was mainly carried out by foreign concessionaires, in the 80s. the British receive concessions for a number of deposits of lead, copper-sulfide ores and pyrites in the Aljustrel Beja region (the province of Baixo Alentejo). In particular, the Mina di Sant Domingos mine, which was exploited for the purpose of extracting copper by the Phoenicians, produced about 700 thousand tons of copper-bearing pyrites in 1859-66.

Mining. Most of the large mining enterprises are owned by the state. State capital is represented: in the uranium mining industry by the company "Empresa Macional de Uranio" (ENU), in the iron ore industry by the company "Ferrominas S.A.", in the coal mining industry by the company "Empresa Carbonifera do Douro SARL", in the extraction of non-metallic minerals by the company Pirites Alentejanas SARL.

The equipment of mining enterprises is obsolete. It is envisaged to intensify exploration work, strengthen research in the field of field development technology, inventory of mineral resources, and improve mining equipment. These plans are aimed at reducing imports of mineral raw materials and increasing employment.

The main branch of the mining industry is the extraction of tungsten ores and other non-ferrous metals, pyrites, and iron ores (Table 2). By 1980, Portugal operated: 3 mines for the extraction of magnetite, 35 mines for the extraction of non-ferrous metal ores, incl. tin and titanium - 5, tin, titanium and tantalum - 4, tin and tungsten - 6, tungsten and copper - 1, tungsten, tin, copper - 1, gold and silver - 10, as well as about 170 quarries for the extraction of non-metallic minerals (piece stone, clay, sand). In general, there were no significant changes in the volume of production of the mining industry in 1980. However, the production of tin and tungsten increased by 18%, copper - by 40% compared with 1979.

In the structure of the mining industry (1981), the extraction of non-ferrous metal ores accounts for about 34% of the value of the industry's products, non-metallic minerals - about 61%, coal - about 4% and ferrous metal ores - about 1%. The extraction of mineral raw materials more than doubled in value terms between 1975 and 1984.

Coal mining in Portugal began shortly before the 1st World War. Both coal (anthracite) and brown coal deposits were developed. Until the 2nd World War, the total production did not exceed 0.33 million tons. In the post-war period, production first increased (maximum - 0.68 million tons in 1957), and then began to gradually decline and in 1986 amounted to about 0.2 million .t, and in the 70s. mining has been temporarily suspended. In the north-west of the country there is a mine "Pezhan", which was reconstructed in the early 80s (deep shaft). This mine develops two steep-dip seams. In the area of ​​Sant Pedro da Cova, near the city of Oporto, the development of old dumps is underway; the question of building a quarry with an annual capacity of up to 100 thousand tons of coal is being considered. It is planned to resume the extraction of brown coal at the Rio Maior deposit to supply power plants. Portugal imports coal (about 2 million tons in 1986) mainly from the USA (1.6 million tons). An increase in coal consumption is envisaged from 1.4 million tons of standard fuel in 1980 to 4 million tons in 1990 and 12 million tons in 2000, while domestic production should increase only to 0.6 million tons of standard fuel, and demand will be covered through imports.

Uranium ore has been mined in Portugal for over 75 years. Uranium is mined in two ore nodes: Urzheiris and Guarda. All ore goes to the mining and processing plant in Urzheiris with a daily capacity of 155 tons of ore. The production of uranium concentrates is fully controlled by ENU. It is planned to put into operation the "Niza" plant on the basis of deposits in the Alto-Alentejo region with a design capacity of 120-144 tons U per year. Mining is carried out both by open (Niza) and underground (Cunha Baixa, Pinyel do Soto) methods. The production of uranium concentrates in Portugal averages 106 t U per year (1983). In 1980, Portugal exported 120 tons of uranium concentrates, of which 106 tons were delivered to Iraq, the rest to the FRG. In 1981-84, deliveries of uranium concentrates to foreign markets averaged 104 tons per year. Taking into account the construction of nuclear power plants (7-8 million kW by 2000), as well as the needs of importing countries, a significant (2-3 times) increase in U production is expected in the next 20 years.

Iron ore mining. Iron ore deposits have been exploited in Portugal since ancient times, but the extraction was small. The most intensive developments belong to the period 1938-60. Until 1970, iron ore was mined at 4 deposits: Torri di Moncorvo, Orada, Serkal and Maraun; since 1974 - only at the Torri de Moncorvo field. The maximum production was reached in 1950 (0.3 million tons). The extremely low level of production persisted into the 1980s. In total, for the entire period of exploitation of iron ore deposits (1884-1984), about 5 million tons of iron ore were mined in Portugal. Ferrominas, with the participation of the Swedish company Lkab, is completing a feasibility study for the development of the Torri de Moncorvo deposit with a projected mine capacity of 2.8 million tons of ore per year, which corresponds to 1.5 million tons of concentrates with a Fe content of 64% . In the Lisbon area, it is planned to put into operation a plant for the production of 2.3 million tons of iron ore pellets per year. In addition to the modernization of existing mines, the country is conducting searches and exploration of new iron ore deposits.

Extraction of tungsten ores. Portugal is the leading producer of tungsten concentrates in Western Europe; it occupies one of the first places in Europe and the world (without socialist countries). The development of tungsten ores is carried out by the joint Anglo-Portuguese company Beralt Tin and Wolfram (Portugal) SARL (BTWP) mainly at the Panasqueira mines and the Franco-Portuguese company Minas da Borralha SARL at the Borralha mine. Along the way, copper and silver are extracted. Mechanization carried out mining at the Panashkeira mine; an underground crusher is equipped here and a 1.3 km long conveyor is installed, which delivers crushed ore to the surface. After the completion of the reconstruction of the Panashkeira mine, the annual ore output should increase to 700-800 thousand tons. Mining is carried out underground. Continuous (80%) and room-and-pillar (20%) systems for the development of ore bodies are used with partial and, in the case of especially rich ore, with complete extraction of pillars. The average ore recovery for the mine is 75%. Tungsten ore concentrates are exported mainly to the common market countries (EEC), the USA and Japan. In 1980, 704 tons (46% of production and production) were exported to the EEC countries, 248 tons (17%) to the USA, and 247 tons (17%) to Japan.

Mining of ores of other non-ferrous metals. Portugal is the largest exporter of pyrite. Upon receipt of pyrite cinders, copper, zinc, lead, tin, silver, and gold are extracted from pyrites. The state plan provides for the modernization and expansion of existing mines (Alzhushtrel, Sines) and the development of new deposits (Nevish-Corvo). As a result of the reconstruction of the Alzhushtrel mine, it is planned to produce 1.2 million tons of pyrite per year, which will ensure the production of sulfur and sulfuric acid. Associated extraction of a number of metals is expected, for which a mining and metallurgical complex will be created. To develop the large polymetallic sulphide deposit Neves-Corvo, the Somincor company was created, 51% of whose capital is controlled by the state, the rest of the capital is distributed among French companies (24.5% each). Opening of the ore body is carried out by a vertical shaft with a diameter of 5 m, a design depth of 700 m, as well as an inclined shaft with a cross section of 17 m 2 and a length of about 5 km. With the commissioning of the first stage of the mine (1986), production amounted to about 1 million tons of copper ore, the second stage (1990) will reach 1 million tons of complex ores per year. On the basis of the mine, it is planned to build a copper smelter with a capacity of 50 thousand tons of copper per year. In addition to copper, it is planned to extract zinc, silver, and lead from ores. in the country, pyrite is exported to the EEC countries - Belgium, the Netherlands, and is also used for the production of sulfuric acid and sulfur.

In 1980, the development of non-metallic minerals was carried out by 352 mining enterprises. The total value of non-metallic minerals mined in Portugal (1980) exceeded 3.6 billion escudos. 406 million tons of piece stone (crystalline limestone, marble, granite, acid porphyry, gabbro, nepheline syenite) were mined for the production of decorative plates and blocks, 1.2 thousand tons of barite, 1200 tons of lepidolite waste rocks in hollows and ravines with tiers not more than 25 m, with berms 10 m wide, slope angles not more than 30° (these activities contribute to the biological stage of reclamation); protection of rivers from pollution and silting as a result of water discharge from quarries and processing plants by creating sedimentation tanks; dust control (use of watering machines and creation of water curtains on the roads); fight against noise and vibrations of the soil during drilling and blasting. Constant monitoring of the level of radiation, chemical reagents, purity of drinking water, fauna and flora of adjacent forests is also carried out.

It is planned to create a special environmental control department for quarries with an annual output of more than 700 thousand tons.

Geological Survey. Scientific institutions. Personnel training. Seal. Geological work in Portugal is carried out by: Geological Survey of Portugal - geological mapping, methodological developments; Mining Industry Development Service - study of the country's mineral resources, incl. prospecting and exploration of new deposits. Exploration, exploitation and processing of minerals are under the jurisdiction of district departments, for example, the District Department of Mining of the Northern Regions.

There is no single scientific coordinating center in Portugal. The state finances research through ministries and special scientific centers. In addition, scientific research is carried out by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences (founded in 1779), the Portuguese Association for the Development of Science, scientific societies and private firms.

The main periodicals in the field of geology and mining: "Publicacgo da Direccgo geral de Minas e" Servicos geologiсos" (1948-52), "Boletin de Minas" (since 1963).

Environmental scandals continue to rock the region

IN Tomsk region and specifically in Tomsk, there are serious problems with air quality - information about this was disseminated by the Ministry natural resources. According to representatives of the department, high level Air pollution is the main environmental problem of Tomsk. It is caused primarily by industrial emissions and constant sources of stench.

Acting Head of Rosprirodnadzor of the Russian Federation Amiran Amirkhanov

Moreover, it is not so much biological waste that contributes to air pollution, but emissions from industrial enterprises. There are 102 oil fields, 20 oil and gas condensate fields and 8 gas condensate fields in the region. Also in the Tomsk region there are 26 deposits of solid minerals, two of which (Tuganskoye and Georgievskoye) are of federal importance. In addition, the ministry drew attention to the need to monitor facilities that are not included in the state register of waste disposal facilities. Acting head of Rosprirodnadzor of the Russian Federation Amiran Amirkhanov noted that there are as many as 154 of these in the region. These are manure storage facilities and ash and slag waste storage facilities.

Meanwhile, just last week, tons of biological waste were again found in the vicinity of Tomsk. Bones of cows and pigs were stored in the territories near Seversk. An inspection by the prosecutor's office showed that the remains were obtained after deboning the carcasses of Myastorg LLC, owned by a businessman from Togur. But that's not all...

According to the website of the prosecutor's office, four dumps of biological waste were found in the Seversk forest, the number of remains in them was large - several tons. The landfill became known from local residents. People felt the unpleasant smell of rotting meat and found huge dumps near the city, after which they wrote a complaint to the prosecutor's office. In order to establish who owns the waste, representatives of the prosecutor's office, together with the regional veterinary department, went to the site and checked all meat and meat products producers on the territory of the closed city. It turned out that the dump was arranged by employees of the Myastorg company from the Kolpashevsky district. The company revealed the absence of documents confirming the movement of biological waste for disposal with a total volume of more than three tons. All this was simply thrown out in the forest. Among the company's clients are large food processing plants in Seversk, schools, gymnasiums, kindergartens, and hospitals.

As a result of the audit, the prosecutor filed a lawsuit against the administration of Seversk with a demand to eliminate all illegal dumps near the city.

Similar unauthorized dumps with waste of biological origin near Tomsk and Seversk have been found more than once. For example, four years ago, while bypassing the water intake, employees of the Tomskvodokanal discovered many bags of animal remains about 100 meters from one of the water intake wells, they also exuded the corresponding “ambergris”. They contained sheep skins, heads and limbs of sheep. Employees of the Rosselkhoznadzor immediately went to the site with an inspection, but it was not possible to establish who threw the bags in the water protection zone. After that, the workers took out the waste and buried it in the Kislov cattle burial ground. Cleaning was done not by the culprit of the "utilization" of waste, but by the owner land plot represented by the administration of the Zorkaltsevsky rural settlement of the Tomsk region. The head of the settlement, it turns out, has personally visited the city water intake more than once and does not believe that the regulatory authorities will find the offender. At the same time, the regional veterinary department made a request to find out who was given the accompanying documents for slaughtering and selling meat, because someone bought a large batch of sheep or handed over about 30 carcasses to the market for sale. No details on this find were later given. Apparently, the one who threw the sheep's remains near the well was never found.

Portugal in the 15th and 16th century was a maritime superpower, but began to lose its position from 1755, when a powerful earthquake destroyed the city of Lisbon. The Napoleonic Wars and the declaration of independence by Brazil in 1822 were a factor in the loss of superpower status. In 1910, a revolution in Portugal destroyed the monarchy. Before 1974, all governments were repressive, and only a military coup opened the way to democracy. Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a NATO member and joined the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Geography of Portugal

Location:

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, located west of Spain

Geographical coordinates:

39 30 N, 800 W

Territory :

Total area: 92,090 sq. km

Place of the country in the world

land: 91,470 sq. km

water: 620 sq. km

note: includes Madeira Islands and Azores

Land borders:

Total length: 1,214 km

border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Coastline:

1,793 km

Climate:

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in the north, warmer and drier in the south

Landscape:

mountainous north, plains south

Critical points:

The most low point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m.

the most high point: Mount Pico (port. Ponta 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, hydroelectricity

Land use:

arable land: 17.29%

permanent crops: 7.84%

other: 74.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:

6 500 sq. km (2003)

Freshwater renewable resources:

73.6 km3 (2005)

Freshwater (domestic/industrial/agricultural) use:

total: 11.09 cu. km / respectively (10% / 12% / 78%)

per capita: 1,056 cubic meters m./ (1998)

Natural hazards:

Azores hit by major earthquakes

Geography - note:

The Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along the western sea approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar

Demographics of Portugal

Population :

10,707,924 (July 2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 76

Age structure:

0-14 years old: 16.3% (male 912,147/ female 834,941)

15-64 years old: 66.1% (male 3,525,717/ female 3,554,513)

65 years and older: 17.6% (male 772,413/ female 1,108,193) (2009 est.)

Average age:

Of the total: 39.4 years

men: 37.3 years

women: 41.6 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate :

0.275% (2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 178

Fertility rate:

10.29 births/1,000 (2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 191

Population migration:

3.14 migrants /1,000 (2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 28

Urbanization:

urban population: 59% of the total population (2008)

urbanization growth: 1.4% annual change (2005)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 men/woman

less than 15 years old: 1.09 men/woman

15-64 years old: 0.99 male/female

65 years and older: 0.7 male/female

total population: 0.95 male)/female (2009 est.)

Lifespan :

From the total population: 78.21 years

Place of the country in the world: 47

men: 74.95 years

women: 81.69 years (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence:

0.5% (2007 estimate)

Place of the country in the world: 74

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

34,000 (2007 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 69

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

less than 500 (2007 estimate)

Place of the country in the world: 89

Religions:

Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)

Languages:

Portuguese (official), Mirendese (official - but locally)

Education spending:

4.4% of GDP (2008)

Place of the country in the world: 93

State structure of Portugal

The name of the country: Republic of Portugal

Government type:

republic; parliamentary democracy

Capital: Lisbon

geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W

Administrative districts :

18 districts

1. Aveiro,
2. Beja,
3. Braga,
4. Braganca,
5. Viseu,
6. Viana do Castelo,
7. Vila Real,
8. guarda,
9. Castelo Branco,
10. Coimbra,
11. Leiria,
12. Lisbon,
13. Portalegre,
14. Porto,
15. Santarém,
16. Setubal,
17. faro,
18. Evora

Independence:

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal formed); October 5, 1910 (Republic formed)

National holiday:

Constitution:

note: the revision of the constitution declared that the military was under strict civilian control, curtailed the powers of the president, and laid the foundation for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy; he took into account the privatization of nationalized firms and the media, state-owned communications

Executive Power:

head of state: President Anibal CAVECO SILVA (since March 9, 2006)

head of the government : Prime Minister José SOCRATES Carvalho Pento de Susa (since 12 March 2005)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister

elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible to be elected to a second term); elections last held 22 January 2006 (next in January 2011); after legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president

Legislature:

unicameral Assembly of the Republic (230 seats; deputies elected by popular vote for four-year terms)

elections:last held 27 September 2009 (next in 2013)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; judges appointed for life

Economy of Portugal

Economics - at a glance:

Portugal joined the EEC in 1986. It entered the Eurozone in 2002.

$21,800 (est. 2009)

Place of the country in the world: 57

$22,500 (est. 2008)

$22,600 (est. 2007)

GDP - composition of sectors:

agriculture: 2.9%

industry: 24.4%

services: 72.8% (2009 est.)

Work force :

5.58 million (2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 67

Labor force - by composition of sectors:

agriculture: 10%

industry: 30%

services: 60% (2007 estimate)

revenue: $91.89 billion

spending: $106.8 billion (2009 est.)

State debt:

75.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

Place of the country in the world: 19

66.4% of GDP (2008 est.)

Rising inflation (retail prices):

0.9% (2009 estimate)

Place of the country in the world: 6

2.6% (est. 2008)

The lowest interest rate on a commercial bank loan:

Place of the country in the world: 116

Portugal occupies the Portuguese geographical region of the Iberian Peninsula with some of its inherent features of landscape unity (Figure 1). Portugal occupies the western, lowered to Atlantic Ocean, the outskirts of the Mezeta, from the lower reaches of the Minho River in the north to the mouth of the Guadiana River and the Gulf of Cadiz in the south. It is elongated in the meridional direction for 550 km, with an average width of 175 km (an area of ​​89 thousand sq. km). This peripheral area contains the most extensive lowland area of ​​the peninsula, with a predominance of flat and hilly terrain (Portuguese lowland). In the northeast, it is closed by the mountains of the western high edge of the northern part of the Mezeta and is entirely turned to the ocean, being the most coastal country of the Iberian Peninsula.

Figure 1 - Map of continental Portugal (compiled from the source)

The coast of the ocean in Portugal is mainly formed by young faults and normal faults, along the lines of which a vast strip of land has sunk to the bottom of the sea, as evidenced by the presence of underwater valleys. This is a deep underwater canyon north of Cape Carvoeiro, where the lower reaches of the Tagus river previously ran, then deviated to the southwest due to the recent uplift of the coastline in the Serra de Sintra range. The coast of Portugal is an alternation of areas with a differentiated nature of vertical movements - ups and downs. These movements are often accompanied by seismic shaking. In the modern geological era, subsidence plays a predominant role in most of the coast, which in some places has led to the penetration of the sea into the mouths of river valleys. Thanks to this, Portugal has a number of convenient natural harbors in estuary bays, among which the harbor of Lisbon is especially remarkable.

A large line of faults and faults, sharply expressed in the relief, is limited within Portugal by a more elevated band of the edge of the ancient Mezeta massif, composed of granites, gneisses, shales and quartzites. This is most clearly seen in the northern part of the country, from the Duro River to the Tagus River, where mountainous area the edge of the Mezeta rises above the low-lying or hilly coastline. The maximum height in the mountainous area reaches the Serra da Estrela granite ridge (up to 1990 m), which can be considered as the western tip of the Central Cordillera of Spain. From the place where this massif ends with a steep fault slope, the low Serra de Sintra ridge (up to 677 m) extends to the southwest, up to the seashore. This ridge is composed of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones, subjected to folding and faults, with outcrops of volcanic rocks and granites. Significant development of karst forms is typical for this region. The Setúbal Peninsula with the Serra de Arrábida, which closes the mouth of the Tagus, has a similar structure to the south of Lisbon.

Southern Portugal is lowland for most of its length, which is how it differs from the north of the country, with a predominance of mountainous terrain. To the south of the lower reaches of the Tagus stretch vast plains, composed of loose Miocene and Pliocene lagoon and lacustrine deposits and crossed by the Sorraya and Sadu rivers. To the east of them stands the crystalline and Paleozoic peneplain of the Mezeta in the form of a low wavy plateau with separate ridges, distinguished by erosion along the strike of ancient folding (northwest - southeast).

In the extreme south, in the Algarve region, the area is entirely composed of coal shales and sandstones and is elevated in a shield-like manner, constituting the western extremity of the Spanish Sierra Morena zone. Here the Serra de Monchique range of the same rocks stretches in the latitudinal direction, with the main peaks of Foya (902 m) and Picota (774 m), which are laccoliths. The southern slope of Sera is limited by a fault, turning into a hilly zone south coast countries - Barrocal, composed of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones, marls and sandstones. At the foot of the hills stretches a strip of raised sandy ancient beach with dunes and lagoons. At present, the shore shows signs of subsidence here as well.

Thus, it can be concluded that the relief of Portugal is very differentiated in different parts of the country. It is also worth noting that in such a small country there is a great landscape diversity that attracts many tourists. The mountain landscape contributes to the development of sports, medical and ecological tourism.