Long-form name: Portuguese Republic

Type: republic

Capital: Lisbon

Administrative divisions: 22 districts (distritos, singular--distrito); Angra do Heroismo, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Funchal, Guarda, Horta, Leiria, Lisboa, Ponta Delgada, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu; note--there may now be 18 districts and 2 autonomous regions (regioes autonomas, singular--regiao autonoma) with a new autonomous region of Acores, the district of Funchal becoming the autonomous region of Madeira, and abolition of the districts of Angra do Heroismo, Horta, and Ponta Delgada

Dependent area: Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)

Independence: 1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910

Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982; new discussions on constitutional revision began October 1987

National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June

Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: 25 April

Branches: executive with president and prime minister; unicameral legislature (popularly elected 250-seat Assembly of the Republic); independent judiciary

Leaders: Mario Alberto SOARES, President (since February 1986); Anibal CAVACO SILVA, Prime Minister (since October 1985)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: national election for Assembly of the Republic normally held every four years; Assembly election last held July 1987; national election for president held every five years (last held January-February 1986); local elections held every three years (last held December 1985)

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal Cavaco Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge Sampaio; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio Martinho; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro Cunhal; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Diogo Freitas da Amaral

Voting strength: (1987 parliamentary election) Social Democrats, 59.2% (148 seats); Socialists, 24.0% (60 seats); Democratic Renewal, 2.8% (7 seats); Communists (in a front coalition) 12.4% (31 seats); Center Democrats, 1.6% (4 seats)

Communists: Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)

Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island); US--Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002); telephone �351� (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there are US Consulates in Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line

NOTE: The information regarding Portugal on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Portugal Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Portugal Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.