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Portugal
is one of the most inexpensive and fascinating destinations
in Europe. It has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts,
wistful towns and cities, and a landscape wreathed in olive
groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Four decades of dictatorship
sidelined the country from modern progress and Europe's power
centres, but like its neighbour, Spain, it has spent much
of the last 20 years trying to move in from the periphery,
forging new ties with the rest of Europe, restructuring its
economy, and struggling to maintain what is best in its national
culture despite the sudden onslaught of international influences.
The struggle between the traditional and the modern continues,
and as Portugal flows towards the economic mainstream of the
European Union, it still seems to gaze nostalgically over
its shoulder and out to sea.
Full
country name: Portugal
Area: 92,389 sq km (35,672 sq mi)
Population: 10 million
Capital city: Lisbon (pop 535,740)
People: 99% Portuguese, 1% African
Language: Portuguese, Mirandese
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 1% other
Government: Parliamentary democracy
President: Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio
Prime Minister: José Manuel Durão Barroso
GDP:
US$144.8 billion
GDP per head: US$14,600
Annual growth: 4.2%
Inflation: 2.4%
Major industries: Textiles, footwear, wood products, metalworking,
oil refining, chemicals, fish canning, wine, tourism and agriculture
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Spain, Germany, France, Italy,
the Netherlands & the UK), US
Member of EU: Yes
Euro zone participant: yes
Portugal
Flight from UK
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