An Introduction to Portugal
The westernmost country of mainland Europe, Portugal stares southwest across the Atlantic towards its former colony, Brazil, which is home to 85% of the world's Portuguese speakers. See full country profile.Latest Research News from Europe (Other)
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GOVERNMENT: Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
AREA: 92,212 sq km
POPULATION: 10,581,949 (2012 est.)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Official Language: Portugese
Some business and general info
The Market Research Industry
Trade and Industry in Portugal
No less dramatic, in the long run, was the effect on religion and science. The quake struck on an important church holiday and destroyed almost every important church in the city, causing the country's staunchly Roman Catholic leaders to speculate on theories of divine judgement and retribution. On the positive side, it gave birth to the science of seismology, as Portugals PM sent a questionnaire to all parishes of the country gathering information about the timing of the tremors, direction of the shockwave and of building collapse, number of deaths and the rising and falling of the sea - the answers are still archived in the country's Torre de Tombo national historical archive and represent a goldmine for scientists.
One thing the quake didnt destroy is the 1386 Treaty of Windsor, thought to be the oldest military alliance still in force anywhere in the world.
This Anglo-Portuguese agreement, beginning with treaties from thirteen years earlier, has served both countries well - for example securing English / British aid in the Napoleonic Peninsular war and Portugese help for the UK in the First World War. Heres to lasting friendship that transcends boundaries, centuries and even penalty shoot-outs...
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The westernmost country of mainland Europe, Portugal stares southwest across the Atlantic towards its former colony, Brazil, which is home to 85% of the world's Portuguese speakers.
Portugal was established as an independent kingdom in 1139 and claims to be the oldest European state. It also controlled whats often called the world's first global empire and is undoubtedly the record-holder for longevity, taking its first colony in 1415 (Ceuta, on the north African coast now a Spanish exclave) and relinquishing the last, Macau, in 1999. The decline of the Empire began with Napoleons invasion of Portugal in 1807 and the independence of Brazil, in 1822.Portugal was ruled between 1932 and 1968 by dictator Antnio de Oliveira Salazar, who despite his repressive rule remains thoroughly popular in the country - he was voted the Greatest Portuguese in a poll in 2007. A left wing military coup in 1975 removed his successors and the country has since then moved to a more liberal stance, joined the EU and disposed of its remaining colonies. Portugal enjoys a strong healthcare system, a devotion to peace - it was one of five European countries to remain neutral in WWII - and a high Human Development Index.
GDP: $248.9 bn (2011 est.); $23,361 per capita
Religions oman Catholic 84.5%; other Christian faiths 2.2%; other faiths 4.3%; non-religious 9%
Currency: Euro
Telephone Code: + 351
MR Association(s):
Portuguese Association of Market Research Companies (APODEMO)
Portugal is the 40th largest research market in the world, and the 20th largest in Europe. 92 percent of MR turnover comes from domestic clients and 8 percent from international. According to the ESOMAR Global Prices Study 2012 the country was the 34th most expensive for carrying out research.
Source: ESOMAR
With a high income mixed economy, diversified and service-based, Portugal has seen gradual modernization since the 1960s, and privatisation and liberalisation since the late 1980s. Good growth in the 1990s was followed by a slowing between 2001 and 2008, precisely the reverse of the economies in central and eastern Europe whose services have played a part in under-cutting Portugals competitive edge.
Portugal is exposed to the financial crisis with high levels of public debt and a rigid labour market, and austerity measures introduced in 2011 and tied to an EU bailout totalling EUR 80bn, have yet to 'ake much impact on its prospects.
Portuguese Exports were $55.8 bn in 2011 and covered a wide range of commodities including food and wine, chemicals and plastics, wood and paper products, and textiles major partners in 2009 with their shares were Spain 25.2%, Germany 13.8%, France 12.2%, the UK 5% and Angola 5%. Imports of $76.0 bn came from Spain (31.1%), Germany (12.4%) and France (6.9%) among others, and include agricultural and chemical products, vehicles, electronics / instruments and textile materials.
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laurence@mrweb.com
