PORTUGAL
A. THE COUNTRY
The Portuguese Republic, in Europe, occupies 15% of the Iberian
Peninsula and the Atlantic islands of the Azores and Madeira.
The government is a parliamentary democracy. While strengthened by
membership in the EU, its economy is below many EU countries. It has
difficulty competing for investment with the lower economies of Asia and
Eastern/Central Europe. Tourism, manufacturing and services are of
importance.
B. THE PEOPLE
The population is ~10,733,000 and the official language, Portuguese.
~91.3% are Portuguese, ~1.1% Indigenous minorities (Romani, Galician,
Mirandesa), ~1.l7% Europeans (Spanish, Ukrainian, French, Italian),
~5.9% Other (Brazilian, Angolan, Caboverdian, East Asian, Mozambican).
Large numbers of immigrants continue to flow into Portugal.
C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM
The Catholic Church retains much influence and the north of the country
is the most loyal to Catholicism. The centre and south have a more
secular point of view.
~94.4% claim to be Christian, ~5.14% Non-religious, ~0.32% Muslim,
~0.08% Hindu, ~0.03% Other, ~0.02% Buddhist, ~0.01% Jewish.
In the Christian category:
~89.64% are Catholic, ~2.19% Independent, ~1.25% Protestant, ~0.75%
Orthodox, ~0.04% Anglican, ~1.23% are groups originating in Western
society that are considered ‘marginal’.
Evangelicals represent ~3% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~2.8% and of those 2.7% are Pentecostals.
Donna Siemens
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.