Portugal Government

The Portuguese government can be described as a semi-presidential representative democratic republic. As stipulated by the country’s 1976 Constitution, political power in this European nation is divided between four separate entities. They are the President, Courts, Assembly of the Republic, and Government. The government is headed by a prime minister who is regarded as the head of state.

Portugal’s electoral system dictates that the president can only be elected to serve a term of five years. Its parliament, which is made up of 230 members, is elected for four years. The prime minister is appointed by the president following each election and is usually the leader of the party with the most votes. There is no time limit to how many times someone can occupy this esteemed position. Members of parliament are chosen by a system of proportional representation in districts with more than one seat. Because Portugal is part of the European Union the nation is responsible for electing twenty one members to the European Parliament.

The House of Parliament for the Portuguese government is known as Palácio de São Bento (or the Palace of Saint Benedict). Located in the capital city of Lisbon, members of parliament conduct the business of running the country from a building that once housed Benedictine monks. The Portuguese parliament has gathered in this particular location since 1836. The official residence of the Prime Minister of Portugal, the São Bento Mansion, is located in back of the main building of the Assembly of the Republic. It was constructed in 1877.

The two main political parties in Portugal are the Social Democratic Party and the Socialist Party. Other parties include the People's Party, the Portuguese Communist Party, and the Greens.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Lisbon
Languages	Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)
Ethnic Groups	Homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal
Religion	Roman Catholic 81%, other Christian 3.3%, other (includes Jewish, Muslim, other) 0.6%, none 6.8%, unspecified 8.3%
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independance	1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)
Area	92,090.00 km²
Water Area	620.00 km²
Land Area	91,470.00 km²
Population	10,833,816.00 Concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities
Location	Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
No. Bordering Countries	1
Bordering Countries	Spain 1,224 km
GDP(PPP)	$297,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$28,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Spain, France, and Germany.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine, and oil products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Spain, Germany, and France.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include agricultural products, chemical products, and vehicles.
Climate	Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	The west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains
Learn More	Portugal

Portugal Government

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