PEOPLE
Portugal's
earliest recorded inhabitants-members of an Ibero-Celtic tribe
known to Imperial Rome as the Lusitani and first mentioned in
the second century B.C.-have mixed with Germanic, Celtic, Roman,
Arabic, and African peoples to form today's relatively homogeneous
Portuguese population. Portuguese citizens of black African descent,
who emigrated to Portugal after decolonization of Portugal's African
territories, make up the country's only significant and distinct
minority group but probably number fewer than 100,000.
Portuguese Culture Luis Vaz de Camoes (1524-80) is the most famous
poet to have written in Portuguese and is a Portuguese national
hero. His best-known work, The Lusiads, is an epic poem in 10
cantos about Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India
in 1497-98.
The Portuguese concept of saudade-nostalgia mixed with a melancholy
acceptance of fate-finds its clearest expression in the songs
of fado, heard most often in restaurants in Lisbon's older districts,
such as the Alfama.
Portugal has many ancient and medieval monuments and buildings,
that include the Pena and Sintra palaces; the ex-royal residence
of Queluz; the walled city of Obidos; the cathedrals at Batalha
and Alcobaca; the castle of Sao Jorge in Lisbon; Roman temple
ruins in Evora; and the castle of Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes,
near Oporto, where the Portuguese nation was founded.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Portuguese (singular and plural).
Population (2007 est.): 10.6 million. Ages 0 to 14 years--1.6 million (male 840,000; female 798,000). Ages 15 to 24 years--1.3 million (male 646,000; female 620,000). Ages 25 to 64 years--5.9 million (male 2,881,000; female 2,987,000). Ages 65 and over years--1.8 million (male 764,000; female 1,065,000).
Population density: 114 per sq. km. (44 per sq. mi.).
Annual growth rate (2007 est.): 0.334%.
Ethnic groups: Homogeneous Mediterranean stock with small minority groups from Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique), South America (Brazil) and Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania).
Religion: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 4%, atheists 3%, others 1%.
Language: Portuguese.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy (2004)--93.3%.
Health (2007 est.): Birth rate--10.59/1,000 (1.07 male/female). Death rate--10.56/1,000. Infant mortality rate--4.9/1,000. Life expectancy--77.87 years.
Work force (2007 est.): 5.5 million. Government and services (60%); industry and manufacturing (30%); agriculture and fishing (10%).
