GENERAL INFORMATION
Area
92,345 sq km (35,655 sq miles).
Population
10,407,000 (offcial estimate 2002).
Population Density
112.7 per sq km.
Capital
Lisbon.
Population: 564,657; 1,900,000 in Greater Lisbon
Government
Republic since 1910.
Head of State: President Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio since 1996.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes since 2004.
Language
Portuguese. English is widely spoken within the business community.
Religion
Roman Catholic.
Time
GMT (GMT + 1 from
last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. 110 volts in some areas and 230 DC in parts of the south. Continental two-pin plugs are in use.
Communications
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 351. Outgoing international code: 00. There are call boxes in most villages and all towns; there are also public telephones in many cafes and bars, from which international calls may be made.
Mobile telephone
GSM 900/1800 networks. Operators include Optimus (website: www.optimus.pt), TMN (website: www.tmn.pt) and Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.pt). Coverage exists across the whole country.
Fax
Available at fax bureaux and large hotels in major cities.
Internet
ISPs include Esoterica, which operates an Internet Access Center, and Comnexo, Sonet and Telepac. Internet cafes exist in all urban areas, and some post offices offer Internet facilities.
Telegram
There are telegram facilities at most major hotels. The public office at Praça dos Restauradores, Lisbon is open daily 0900-1800.
Post
Post office (correios) hours: usually Mon-Fri 0800-2200, Sat-Sun 0900-1800. The post office at Lisbon Airport is open 24 hours a day. Airmail to European destinations from continental Portugal and the Azores takes three days; from Madeira, up to five days. There are poste restante facilities at post offices throughout the country.
Press
Each region has its own Portuguese-language dailies. The English-language newspapers published in Portugal include: Anglo Portuguese News (Lisbon), and The News (Algarve).
Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Public Holidays
Jan 1 2005: New Year’s Day.
Feb 8: Mardi Gras (Carnival).
Mar 25: Good Friday.
Apr 25: Freedom Day.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 26: Corpus Christi.
Jun 10: Portugal Day.
Aug 15: Assumption.
Oct 5: Republic Day.
Nov 1: All Saint’s Day.
Dec 1: Restoration of Independence Day.
Dec 8: Immaculate Conception.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Jan 1 2006: New Year’s Day.
Feb: Mardi Gras (Carnival).
Apr 14: Good Friday.
Apr 25: Freedom Day.
May 1: Labor Day.
Jun 10: Portugal Day.
Aug 15: Assumption.
Oct 5: Republic Day.
Nov 1: All Saints’ Day.
Dec 1: Restoration of Independence Day.
Dec 8: Immaculate Conception.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Note
Holidays falling on a Sunday are not observed on the following Monday.
Special Events
Portugal has many festivals – for a complete list, contact ICEP/Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office. The following is a selection of special events occurring in Portugal in 2005:
Jan 20: Festa das Fogaceiras, Santa Maria da Feira.
Feb 5-8: Carnival, Torres Vedras, Sines, Loulé, Sesimbra, Nazaré and Funchal; Madeira Mardi Gras.
Feb 21-Mar 7: Fantasporto (International Fantastic Film Festival), Porto.
Mar 21-28: Holy Week Festivities, Braga.
Apr 1-4: Algarve Portuguese Golf Open, Portimão.
Apr 9-10: Madeira Flower Festival.
May 3: Feast of the Cross/Feast of our Lady of the Castle, Monsanto.
Jun 1-30: Atlantic Festival, Madeira.
Jun 9-11: Super Bock Super Rock (music festival), Lisbon.
Jun 12-13: Feast of St Anthony, Lisbon.
Jul 4-18: Almada International Theater Festival, Lisbon.
Jul 28-30: Vilar de Mouros Music Festival, Porto e Norte.
Aug 17-20: Paredes de Coura Festival, Porto e Norte.
Aug 19-21: Our Lady of Agony Feast, Viana do Castelo.
Sep 2-4: Madeira Wine Festival.
Sep 5: Portuguese Moto GP, Estoril.
Sep-Nov: Porto Jazz Festival.
Oct-Nov: National Horse Fair, Golegã.
Nov 17-20: 2005 Algarve World Cup (golf tournament).
Contact Information:
Location
Western Europe.
Country dialing code
351.
ICEP Portugal (Investimentos, Comércio e Turismo de Portugal)
Instituto De Turismo De Portugal (Portuguese Tourism Institute)
Rua Ivone Silva, Lote 6 - 1050-124 Lisboa, Portugal
Tel: 2178 10000. Fax: 2176 15638/9
Email: turismo@itp.min-economia.pt
Website: www.visitportugal.pt
Embassy of the Portuguese Republic
11 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PP, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5331. Fax: (020) 7235 0739.
E-mail: london@portembassy.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300 and 1400-1730.
Portuguese Consulate General
3 Portland Place, London W1B 1HR, UK
Tel: (020) 7291 3770 or (0906) 550 8948 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute). Fax: (020) 7291 3799.
E-mail: mail@cglon.dgaccp.pt
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1330 (closed UK and Portuguese public holidays).
ICEP/Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office
Portuguese Embassy, 11 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PP, UK
Tel: 0845 35512112 (brochure request and information service; local call rate). Fax: (020) 7201 6633.
E-mail: icep.london@icep.pt
Website: www.visitportugal.com
British Embassy
33 Rua de São Bernardo, 1249-082 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 2139 24000. Fax: 2139 24185 (press section).
E-mail: ppalisbon@fco.gov.uk
Website: www.uk-embassy.pt
Consulates in: Funchal (Madeira), Oporto, Portimão and Ribeira Grande (Azores).
Embassy of the Portuguese Republic
2012 Massachussetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 328 8610. Fax: (202) 462 3726.
E-mail: embportwash@attglobal.net
Consulates General in: Boston, Newark, New Bedford, New York, Providence, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
ICEP/Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office
590 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA
Tel: (212) 723 0200/99. Fax: (212) 764 6137.
E-mail: tourism@portugal.org
Website: www.portugal.org
Embassy of the United States of America
Avenida das Forças Armadas, Sete Ríos 1600-081 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 2172 73300. Fax: 2172 69109 or 2172 71500 (consular section).
E-mail: conslisbon@state.gov
Website: www.american-embassy.pt
Consulate in: Ponta Delgada (Azores).
Embassy of the Portuguese Republic
645 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 0B8, Canada
Tel: (613) 729 0883 or 729 2922. Fax: (613) 729 4236.
E-mail: embportugal@embportugal-ottawa.org
Website: www.embportugal-ottawa.org
Consulates in: Alberta, Edmonton, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
ICEP/Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office
60 Bloor Street W, Suite 1005, Toronto, Ontario M4W 3B8, Canada
Tel: (416) 921 7376. Fax: (416) 921 1353.
E-mail: icep.toronto@iceptor.ca
Website: www.visitportugal.com
Only deals with enquiries within Canada.
Canadian Embassy
Avenida da Liberdade 198-200, 3rd floor, 1269-121 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 2131 64600. Fax: 2131 64692.
E-mail: lsbon@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Website: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/lisbon
Consulates in: Faro and Ponta Delgada (Azores). |
