Portugal

C

Judiciary

The judicial system in Portugal is headed by the Supreme Court, which is made up of a president and 29 judges. Below the Supreme Court are Courts of Appeal and ordinary and special district courts.

D

Local Government

Local authority is vested in the district governors and district legislatures. Each district is further subdivided into parishes, each with an elected assembly and council.

E

Health and Welfare

Portugal has a mixed public and private health care system. In 2004 there were some 308 people for every doctor, and around 278 people per hospital bed. Life expectancy in 2008 was 75 years for men and 82 years for women, and infant mortality was around 5 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 1993 around 10.5 per cent of the national budget was spent on health care. A controversial bill to legalize abortion was rejected in a referendum in 1998.

F

Defence

Portugal, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has modern, well-equipped armed forces. Military service is compulsory for male citizens for a period of 4 to 18 months. In 2004 the armed forces numbered about 44,900 personnel, including 26,700 in the army, 10,950 in the navy, and about 7,250 in the air force. Paramilitary forces, such as the National Republican Guard, number some 40,900 in total.

G

International Organizations

Portugal is a member of the United Nations (UN), the EU, the Western European Union, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe, and NATO.