Portugal at a Glance

• Population: approx. 10.5 million


• Capital city: Lisbon, approx. 1.9 million inhabitants


• Language: Portuguese


• Religions: 93,3% Catholics, approx. 48.000 Protestants, approx. 12.000 Muslims, approx. 2.000 Jews, approx. 17.000 Orthodox


• Form of government: Parliamentary republic

Economy

German-Portuguese economic relations are traditionally close. For years, Germany has been Portugal's second-largest trading partner. Portuguese exports amounted to EUR 3.95 billion in 2004 (13.4% of total exports). Goods worth EUR 6.50 billion were imported from Germany (14.2% of total imports). Provisional figures for 2005 put Germany in third place as a market for Portuguese products and it ranks second as exporter to Portugal.

Investments of German enterprises play a major role in the Portuguese economy. The focus has shifted in the last ten years from the traditional Portuguese sectors such as textiles and shoemaking to the manufacture of high-quality technical products and research and development. According to provisional figures, gross German direct investments amounted to over EUR 4.4 billion in 2005, again making Germany the second-largest foreign investor. Approx. 350 German-held enterprises operate in Portugal.

Culture and Science

Founded on the German-Portuguese cultural agreement of 1965, cultural relations between Germany and Portugal have traditionally been good and the Portuguese have a keen interest in German culture. The many different activities of the official cultural/educational institutions in Portugal (Goethe Institute, German Academic Exchange Service) are complemented increasingly by privately organized cultural events. The work of the Goethe Institute has met with keen interest and acclaim. The main focuses of its activity are educational liaison work, teaching German as a foreign language and organizing cultural events, increasingly in collaboration with other cultural institutes.

Efforts to promote the German language at Portuguese universities are supported by the German Academic Exchange Service, which has seconded four academic teachers to Portugal for this purpose.

Links

www.lissabon.diplo.de (Official representation of Portugal in Germany)
www.ccila-portugal.com (German Embassy in Portugal)
www.goethe.de/lissabon (Goethe-Institute in Lisbon)
www.goethe.de/porto (Goethe-Institute in Oporto)