lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Ponta do Pico in Azores 2,351 m

Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore,
uranium ore, marble

Land use:
arable land: 32%
permanent crops: 6%
meadows and pastures: 6%
forest and woodland: 40%
other: 16%

Irrigated land: 6,340 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic
locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People
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Population: 9,865,114 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 888,157; female 843,309)
15-64 years: 68% (male 3,249,973; female 3,414,793)
65 years and over: 14% (male 601,913; female 866,969) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.02% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 10.53 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.92 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.31 years
male: 71.52 years
female: 79.31 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural)
adjective: Portuguese

Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland,
Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who
immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other
2%

Languages: Portuguese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 8