Official Name: República Portuguesa (Portuguese Republic)

Area: Europe

Size: 92,391 km

Coastline: 1,793 km

Independence: 24 June 1128 

Form of Govt.: Republic

Head of Govt.: Prime Minister

Capital: Lisbon

Largest City: Lisbon

Demographics (2005): 10,642,836.   114 /km²

GDP per Capita (2005): $22,677

Languages: Portuguese

Geography: The territory also includes the Azores, Madeira and Porto Santo Islands. It is bound by Spain to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. The terrain of Portugal is linked to Spain. In the northeast the Beira Alta and Tras-os-Montes is a continuation of the Castilian Plateau while further south, the Beira Baixa and Alentejo regions are geographical areas of the Entremadura region of Spain. The country's central mountain range, the Sierra da Estrela, is a westward continuation of the Sierras de Gata, Gredos and Guadarrama divides of Spain. Similarly the two principal rivers are also Spain's, the Tagus and the Douro Rivers.

Climate: Portugal has two climatic zones. (1.) The northern zone characterized by an average annual precipitation of 991 mm with temperatures influenced by Atlantic air currents and the Spanish Meseta. (2.) The southern zone which has a Mediterranean climate with low annual precipitation and sunny days with weather conditions influenced by the Azorean high pressure systems. Average temperature ranges in Lisbon are from 8 to 14 degrees in January to 17 to 28 degrees in August.