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Background: Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
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Common Name: Brazil
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Local Official Name: Brazil
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Abbreviated Name: Federative Republic of Brazil
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Official Name: Republica Federativa do Brasil
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Official Script Name: Brazil
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Local Common Name: Brazil
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Former Name: Brazil
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA
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Government Type: federative republic
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Independence: 1822 September 7 (from Portugal)
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Constitution: 1988 October 5
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 7 September
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International Organization Participation: AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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Administrative Divisions: 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%
Legislative Branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PFL 1, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 11, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
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Party Leaders: Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Flavio de CASTRO MARTINEZ]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy Fidelix DA CRUZ]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]
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International Disputes: unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina; in 2004 Brazil submitted its claims to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to extend its maritime continental margin
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Illicit Drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area
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Location of Brazil: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 8,511,965 sq km
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Region: Southern American |
Land Area Land: 8,456,510 sq km
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Capitol City: Brasilia
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Land Area Water: 55,455 sq km
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Current: -3
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Latitude: 010 00 S
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Border Boundary Land: 16,884 km
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Longitude: 055 00 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 7,491 km
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Arable Land: 6.93 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.89 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 3,014 m
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Location: Pico da Neblina
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Atlantic Ocean
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Largest City in Brazil: S?o Paulo
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S?o Paulo Largest City Population: 17,526,000
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Threatened Species: 663
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Environmental Issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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Irrigated Land: 29,200
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Bordering Countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,199 km
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Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
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Geographical Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
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Comparative Area of Brazil: slightly smaller than the US
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Brazil's Geography: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Brazil.
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General Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
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Natural Hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
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Economic Overview: Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed more robust growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; in 2003 to 2005, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports, and Brazil in 2005 surpassed the previous year's record export level. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's small (but growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable.
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GDP: $1,536,000,000,000 USD
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Currency: real
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GDP per Capita: $8,300 USD
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Currency Code: BRL
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GDP Growth Rate: 2.30 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% BRL
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Currency Exchange Rate History: reals per US dollar - 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002), 2.3577 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 8.40 %
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GDP of Industry: 40.00 %
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GDP of Services: 51.60 % |
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Inflation Rate: 6.90 % |
Population in Poverty: 22.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 9.80 %
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Tourism: 5,107,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.70 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $140,600,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 31.27 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $172,400,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 387,500,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 6,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 359,600,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 37,400,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 5.85%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 1.44%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 88.97%
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Other Electricity Production: 3.74%
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Oil Production: 2,010,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 15,790,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 1,610,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 21,740,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 241,700 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 572,600 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 5,947,000,000 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 15,120,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 240,000,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $188,000,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $30,000,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
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Primary Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
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Industrial Growth Rate: 3.40 %
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Import Amount in USD: $78,020,000,000 USD - machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil
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Import Partners: US 19.7%, Germany 8.7%, Argentina 8.2%, China 6.2%, Nigeria 6.1%
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Export Amount in USD: $115,100,000,000 USD - transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
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Export Partners: US 19.6%, China 7.5%, Argentina 6.9%, Germany 5.3%, Mexico 4.3%
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GINI Index: 59.70%
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Labor Force Number of People: 90,410,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 20%, industry: 14%, services: 66%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 1,822 |
Number of People with Radios: 71,000,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 138 |
Number of People with Televisions: 36,500,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 42,382,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 86,210,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 6,508,431 |
Internet Users: 25,900,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .br |
Newspapers: 43 |
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Two Letter Country Code: BR |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 55 |
Electricity Voltage: 110/220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: good working system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations
international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station
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Highways: 94,871 km |
Railways: 29,252 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 11,721 km |
Waterways: 50,000 km
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Airports: 714 |
Heliports: 417
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Motor Vehicles: 80 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 288,237,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 1.80 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 137 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 21, cargo 21, chemical tanker 8, container 8, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll on/roll off 8
foreign-owned: 15 (Chile 1, Germany 7, Norway 2, Spain 4, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 5 (Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall Islands 1)
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Ports and Harbors: Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos, Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria
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Population: 188,078,227 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 16.56 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 21.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 6.17 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 1.04% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.91 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 24,687,656 |
Population Female 0-14: 23,742,998 |
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Population Male 15-64: 63,548,331 |
Population Female 15-64: 64,617,539 |
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Population Male 65+: 4,712,675 |
Population Female 65+: 6,769,028 |
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Population 0-14: 25.80% |
Literacy Rate: 86.40% |
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Population 15-64: 68.10% |
Literacy rate of Males: 86.10% |
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Population 65+: 6.10% |
Literacy rate of Females: 86.60% |
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Population that is Male: 52.50
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Population that is Female: 47.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 71.97 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 28.60 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 68.02 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 76.12 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.70%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 660,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 15,000 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -0.03
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Nationality: BRAZILIAN
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Ethnic Groups: white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7%
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Primary Language: Portuguese
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Other Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%
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Branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - nine to 12 months years
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Manpower Available: 91,314,740 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 71,198,820 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 3,517,578 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.30
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Brazil Spa and Resort Directory
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Brazil City Information Game Earn Real Money
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