Portugal - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Portugal, it was name derives from the Roman designation "Portus Cale," meaning "Port of Cale;" Cale was located in present-day northern Portugal, and its name is said to come from the Latin word calere (to be warm) because the harbor never iced over. The Government system in this country is the semi-presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
National symbols
Armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe for modeling objects in the sky).
The flag
The National flag of Portugal has .
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The National Anthem
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More about the government of Portugal
| Date of Independence | 1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 1 December 1640 (independence reestablished after 60 years of Spanish rule); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed) |
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| National holiday | Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580) |
| Legal system | civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976, effective 25 April 1976 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the Assembly of the Republic; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of Assembly members |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Portugal |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 years; 6 years if from a Portuguese-speaking country |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (since 9 March 2016) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Antonio Luis MONTENEGRO (since 2 April 2024) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister |
| Election/appointment process | president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister |
| Most recent election date | 24 January 2021 |
| Election results | 2021: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 60.7%, Ana GOMES (ran as an independent but is a member of PS) 13%, Andre VENTURA (CH) 11.9%, João FERREIRA (PCP-PEV) 4.3%, other 10.1% 2016: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 52%, António SAMPAIO DA NOVOA (independent) 22.9%, Marisa MATIAS (BE) 10.1%, Maria DE BELEM ROSEIRA (PS) 4.2%, other 10.8% |
| Expected date of next election | January 2026 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 230 (all directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 5/18/2025 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD) - Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party (CDS-PP) (88); Chega (CH) (60); Socialist Party (PS) (58); Other (24) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 35.7% |
| Expected date of next election | September 2029 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 12 justices); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court justices nominated by the president and appointed by the Assembly of the Republic; judges can serve for life; Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges; judges elected for 6-year nonrenewable terms |
| Subordinate courts | Supreme Administrative Court (Supremo Tribunal Administrativo); Audit Court (Tribunal de Contas); appellate, district, and municipal courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Francisco Antonio DUARTE LOPES (since 7 June 2022) |
| Chancery | 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 350-5400 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 462-3726 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://washingtondc.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Boston, Newark (NJ), New York, San Francisco |
| Consulate(s) | New Bedford (MA), Providence (RI) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador John Joseph ARRIGO (since 30 September 2025) |
| Embassy | Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisboa |
| Mailing address | 5320 Lisbon Place, Washington DC 20521-5320 |
| Telephone | [351] (21) 727-3300 |
| FAX | [351] (21) 726-9109 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://pt.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) | Ponta Delgada (Azores) |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 17 (16 cultural, 1 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Historic Évora (c); Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (c); Cultural Landscape of Sintra (c); Laurisilva of Madeira (n); Historic Guimarães (c); Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (c); Convent of Christ in Tomar (c); Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (c); University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (c); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Portugal
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Portugal
Want to know more about Portugal? Check all different factbooks for Portugal below.
