Government

Country name:

Conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
Conventional short form: Portugal
Local long form: Republica Portuguesa
Local short form: Portugal

Government type:

Parliamentary Partycracy – A pseudo democracy where people do not elect representatives directly instead voting for a Party. The parties appoint its representatives via pre-formed lists usually consisting of party cronies, family, friends and favor-givers.

Capital:

Lisbon

Administrative divisions:

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, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Independence:

1385 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
National holiday:
Freedom day, 25 April (1974)

Constitution:

25 April 1976
revised: 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997. In dire need of revision.

Legal system:

Civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

Chief of state: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (since March 6, 2016)
Council of State: Useless consultative body to the president
Head of government: Prime Minister Antonio Costa (since 26 November, 2015)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is appointed prime minister by the president. 

Legislative branch:

Unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica. 230 seats. 

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura).

Political parties and leaders:

Green Ecologist Party or PEV; Popular Party or PP; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS ; Social Democratic Party or PSD; The Left Bloc or BE; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or UDC.

International organization participation:

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred J. Hoffman Jr.
Chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
Consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco
Consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER
Embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
Mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
Telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
Consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description:

Two vertical bands of red (hoist side, two-fifths) and green (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line.