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The nation state of Portugal, perched on the western extremities of Europe, facing the Atlantic Ocean has existed within borders virtually unchanged for 900 years. Its 10 million people boast their own strong cultural traditions, centuries of independence from neighbouring Spain, and, thanks to its once mighty overseas empire, a distinctive Latinate language which is spoken by more than 200 million people all over the world, from Angola to the Azores and from Madeira to Mozambique. Recommend this article... |
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Portugal has attained a remarkable degree of political development and economic growth in the decades since the dictatorship of António Salazar was ended in 1974 by the Carnation Revolution; full democracy was restored two years later. Prime Minister José Sócrates and his Socialist Party (PS) won the general election in February 2005, further ensuring continued stability. Despite introducing some fiscal measures and structural reforms which are not universally popular, the PS retains a healthy degree of public support and is predicted to win a second term in 2009. The government is taking steps to improve competition in both the energy sector and manufactured product markets and is devoting additional resources to education and vocational training. Recommend this article... |
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