GEOGRAPHY
Cities:Capital
- Lisbon (pop. 1.9 million). Other major city - Oporto (1.7 million).
Terrain:Mountainous in the
north; rolling plains central south.
Climate:Maritime
temperate.
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references: Europe
Area: total
area: 92,080 sq km land
area: 91,640 sq km comparative
area: slightly smaller than Indiana note:
includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Land boundaries: total 1,214 km, Spain 1,214 km
Coastline: 1,793 km
Maritime claims: continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive
economic zone: 200 nm territorial
sea: 12 nm
International disputes: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East
Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer
and drier in south
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in
south
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore,
uranium ore, marble
Land use: arable
land: 32% permanent
crops: 6% meadows
and pastures: 6%
forest and woodland: 40% other:
16%
Irrigated land: 6,340 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current
issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
natural
hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes international
agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations
along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
