PORTUGAL

Location:
Portugal is located on the west of the Iberian Peninsula: its land borders are with Spain and it has a long Atlantic coastline. The islands of Madeira and the Azores (a group of nine islands) belong to Portugal.

Area:
92,391 sq km

Neighbouring countries:
Spain 1,214 km

Coastline:
1,793 km

Climate:
Portugal has a mild climate without extremes of temperature. Winters are never too cold and summers are always moderately hot. The North has an Atlantic climate influenced by the Gulf Stream. The Centre has gentle dry summers and short mild winters. The South has a warm, dry Mediterranean climate without extremes of heat. Madeira offers a pleasant climate all year round. The Azores also offers mild weather tempered by the Atlantic.

Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m, highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m

Population:
10,066,253 (July 2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000

Religions:
Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)

Languages:
Portuguese

Getting to Portugal:
By plane There are international airports at Lisbon, Oporto, Faro, Funchal (Madeira), Ponta Delgada (São Miguel Island-Azores) and Lages (Terceira Island-Azores). The national airlines are TAP Air Portugal and Portugalia.

By train Daily international trains run between Paris-Lisbon (Sud Express), crossing the frontier at Vilar Formoso; between Lisbon-Madrid, crossing the frontier at Marvão; and between Oporto-Vigo, crossing the frontier at Valença. Portuguese Railroads.

By coach There are three companies running services between many European cities and Oporto (Inter-Norte), Lisbon (Inter-Centro) and Faro (Inter-Sul).

Passports and visas:
Portugal is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. Visas are required by all except the following for stays of up to 90 days: (a) nationals of EU countries, Australia, Canada, USA, Japan and nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Norway and Switzerland holding valid national ID cards.

(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela;

(c) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft, provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport. However, nationals of certain countries always require a transit visa, even when not leaving the airport transit area; contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for details.

For up to date rules that apply for your home country we advise you to contact the nearest Portuguese Embassy or Consulate for further information.

Customs regulations:
You must be at least 20 years of age to bring in spirits and at least 18 to bring in wine, beer, cigarettes and tobacco. Up to 3 kilos of meat may be brought in from EEA countries. The meat must be stamped with the country of origin.

You are not permitted to bring in fresh fruits, vegetables or dairy products. You may only bring medicine for your personal use, and you should have a letter from your doctor attesting to your need for the medicine.

Health and safety:
Medical assistance is available in hospitals providing 24 hours a day emergency service. There are also many clinics open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In case of emergency dial the number 115. In case of road accident use the nearest SOS phone (orange). For further information see Phone Directory.

Chemists are open 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. /3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings. In every area, you can always find one that is open all night or on Sunday. See the sign on the door (white cross on green background) to find your nearest chemist. The Portuguese word for chemist is "Farmácia".

Time:
Portugal time is Greenwich Mean (GMT) time except for Madeira and Azores which are one and two hours behind Portugal respectively.

Currency:
Euro

Banks:
Banks are open from 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, closing on public holidays.

Working hours:
Shops are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (working days). On Saturdays most shops close at 1 p.m., eventhough there are some open in the afternoon. (Retailers & Personal Service Directory) Shopping Centres are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight, every day of the week.

Museums:
From 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays.

Telephones:
All over Portugal, there are crediphones where phone cards can be used. These can be bought in post offices and news agents. At post offices, calls can be paid for at the end of the conversation. To phone abroad, dial 00 then the country code and city/local code.

Post:
Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. In main cities there are one post office station open on Saturdays. Stamps are sold here and also on shops bearing the sign of the red horse. The Portuguese word for post office is "Correios" and for stamp is "selo".

Food and Restaurants :
Portugal offers an excellent choice of restaurants, bars and cafes that also serve alcohol. It is possible to find traditional and international cuisine almost everywhere. Meal times are as follows: lunch - noon to 3pm and dinner - 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Typical meals are: Breakfast - tends to be small and simple. You will more than likely be served bread, rolls, toast, jam, butter and coffee.

Dinner - the main meal usually begins with soup; "caldo verde" - thick potato, cabbage and sausage soup. "Sopa a portuguesa" - similar to caldo verde, with an addition of beans, broccoli, carrots and turnips. "Conja de galinha" - chicken and rice soup. The main course usually consists of meat or fish dishes. "Ameijoas ne cataplano" - steamed clams, sausages, ham, white wine, tomato, onion and herbs. "Bacalhaou" - dried salted cod, baked with parsley, potatoes, onions and olives. "Frango or galinha" - chicken fried, grilled, barbecued, stewed or roasted.

Desserts - some of the favourites are "pudim flan" - caramel custard. "Arroz doce" - rice pudding and cinnamon.

Typical drinks: Portuguese wine is excellent, red - tinto, white - branco, vinho verde - green wine. Other common drinks are ports and madeiras. To end your meal you should order a bica, a small black coffee.

Electricity:
The current is 220 volts AC, with a continental round pin plug.

Public holidays: Almost everything is closed on: January 1, April 25, Good Friday, May 1, Corpus Christi, June 10, August 15, October 5, November 1, December 1 and 8 and 25. Check for local holidays too.

Transportation in the country:
For buses and trams in cities, you pay the driver a flat fare. In Lisbon and Oporto there are special tourist tickets at Carris (Lisbon) and the Lisbon Underground or STCP (Oporto) information kiosks, open form 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Taxis are plentiful and cheap. They are usually painted green and black, although these colours are being gradually changed to beige. They have an illuminated taxi sign at the top. In the city they charge a standard meter fare; outside the city's limits they charge per kilometre and are entitled to charge for the return fare. In cities, luggage travelling in the booth adds a surcharge. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. there is a surcharge of about 20%. The usual amount to tip is 10% of the fare.

There are Express trains from Lisbon through Coimbra to Oporto (Alfa trains) and regional trains (Inter-cidades and Inter-regionais) connecting the different areas of Portugal.

First and second class are available except for local and suburban trains. Special tickets include tourist tickets (valid for 7, 14 or 21 days). There are special rates on "Blue Days" offering return tickets with discount for trips over 100 km. People over 65 are entitled to have special discounts. For international, long and medium distance express services, it's advisable to make reservations. Train timetables are available from information desks at stations and tourism offices. Portuguese Railroads

Coach services are run in express or ordinary coaches, linking the country's main cities and towns all over.

Motoring and car hire:
All motor vehicles drive on the right. Unless otherwise indicated, vehicles approaching from the right have priority at junctions. Seatbelts are obligatory. The law is strict regarding drinking and driving. The maximum speed in towns is 50 km p/h and on main roads and highways is 90 and 120 km p/h respectively. Petrol stations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On highways services stations are open 24 hours a day.

Car hire companies can be found in all major towns, and at the international airports. You must show proof of identity (Identity Card for EC citizens and passport for other nationals) and a valid driving license. A green card is essential and it's wise to take out insurance coverage and collision insurance. Cars can not be hired out to anyone under 21.