The vicinity to the western ocean tempers the climate of Portugal and exempts it from the dry heat by which Spain is visited. The great inequalities of the surface pro duce, however, great diversities of climate; for, while snow falls abundantly on the mountains in the northern provinces, it is never seen in the lowlands of the southern districts, where spring begins with the new year and harvest is over by midsummer. Rain falls abundantly, especially on the coast, from October to March, and, as a general rule, the climate is healthy in the elevated districts even of the southern provinces; but malaria and fever prevail in low fiat lands and near the salt marshes. The mean annual temperature at Lisbon is 61° Fahr.
The natural products correspond to the diversity of the physical and climatic condi tions; for while barley, oats, and wheat, maize, flax, and hemp, are grown in the more elevated tracts, rice is cultivated in the lowlands, the oak thrives in the northern, the chestnut in the central, and the cork, date, and American aloe in the southern parts, while every species of European, and various kinds of semi-tropical fruits and veget ables, are grown in different parts of the country. The soil is generally rich, but agri culture is everywhere neglected, and is scarcely made subservient to the wants of the population. The cultivation of the vine and that of the olive are almost the sole branches of industry; from the former is derived the rich red wine familiarly known to us as port, from its being shipped at 0 Porto, " the port." The mineral products include gold, antimony, lead, copper, marble, slate, coal, iron, and salt, but of these the last is alone worked in sufficient quantity for exportation, and is in eager demand for the British market, on account of its superior hardness, which adapts it specially for the salting of meat for ships.
The finest cattle are reared in the n., the horses of Alemtejo and the sheep of Beira are most valued. Mules and asses are the principal beasts of burden. Goats and pigs are numerous, and are raised at a very low cost in all the mountain districts. The rear ing of bees and silk-worms is being pursued with somewhat increased energy of late years. Fish is abundant in all the rivers and on the coast. The tunny anti anchovy fisheries of Algarve are of considerable importance.
Commerce, etc.—The commercial industry of the country falls very far below its physical capabilities, and Oporto and Lisbon are the only centers of manufacture and trade, the former of which has important silk and glove manufactories, and produces an inconsiderable quantity of linen, cotton, and wool fabrics, metal and earthenware goods, tobacco, cigars, leather, etc. But in the 19 years preceding 1870 the agricultural exports h:id doubled. Iu 1873, 4,941 foreign vessels entered, and 4,973 cleared the ports of Port
ugal; of Portuguese sea-going vessels, 724 entered, and 1102 cleared; and of coasters, 5,452 entered, and 5,134 cleared. In June, 1878, 674 in. of railway were open, and 154 more in course of construction, principally in the environs of Lisbon, Oporto, Santarem, and Vigo; but the country is almost entirely without roads, the few which exist having been within the last thirty years, before which time the whole of the kingdom was in the same impassable condition in which the southern provinces still remain. The scarcity and inefficiency of bridges and the total want of canals render internal traffic almost impracticable, and, as a matter of course. put an impassable barrier iu the way of the progress of civilization and the growth of material prosperity.
The exports, which consist almost entirely of wine, fruits, oil, and cork, are chiefly sent to Great Britain and her colonies. In 1875 the exports from Portugal to England were valued at £4,444,071. Among these exports, the wine alone monopolized two thirds of the total value. The great bulk of Portuguese imports are from the United Kingdom, and in 1875 had a value of £2,563,067.
The budget for 1876-77 gives the total of the receipts, which are derived from direct and indirect taxation and from the national domains. at 24,059,984 milreis; while the expenditure, iucluding home and foreign debts, the charges of the state, public works, etc., is estimated at 25.062,727 milreYs (1 lards = 55 pence). There has been no budget for the last 30 years without a deficit. The budget for the foreign possessions of Portu gal gives for the same year the receipts at 2,027,124 milreis; expenditure, 1,930,164 mil reTs. The national debt in 1876, including foreign loans, amounted to 355,778,014 milreis (upward of 79.000,000).
Army and iVaq.—The actual strength of the army wan, in 1877, rated at 1512 officers and 38.917 men. The colonial army has 547 officers and 7,298 men. The navy con sisted in 1870 of 26 steam-vessels, carrying 133 guns, and 11 vessels without steam power, with 35 guns. The principal naval depots are at Lisbon and Oporto. Portugal has 55 fortresses, the greater number of which are mere fortified castles. Among the ' more important are Elvas, S. Julians Cascaes, Piuinhe, Almeida, and Valenta. There are six orders of knighthood—viz., the order of Christ, founded in 1319: St. Benedict of Avis; the tower and sword, founded in 1459, and reorganized in 1808; our lady of Villa Vicosa, established in 1819; and the order of St. John of Jerusalem, which was separated in 1802 from that of Malta. Besides these, there is one civil service order, founded in 1288.