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Background:
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Following
three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil
became an independent nation in 1822. 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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|
Location:
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Eastern
South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean |
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 S, 55
00 W |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total:
8,511,965 sq km
land: 8,456,510 sq km
water: 55,455 sq km
note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha,
Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and
Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
14,691 km
border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia
3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km,
Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km,
Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km |
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Coastline:
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7,491 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial
sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the
continental margin |
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Climate:
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mostly
tropical, but temperate in south |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat
to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m |
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Natural resources:
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bauxite,
gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum,
tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 6.96%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 92.15% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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26,560 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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recurring
droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in
south |
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Environment - current issues:
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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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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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largest
country in South America; shares common boundaries with
every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
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Population:
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186,112,794
note: Brazil took a count in August 2000, which
reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was
about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census
Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of
4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country
explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates,
lower population and growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 26.1% (male 24,789,495/female 23,842,715)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 62,669,392/female
63,719,631)
65 years and over: 6% (male 4,549,552/female
6,542,009) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
27.81 years
male: 27.06 years
female: 28.57 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.06% (2005
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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16.83
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.15
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.03
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
29.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 71.69 years
male: 67.74 years
female: 75.85 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.93
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.7% (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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660,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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15,000
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian |
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Ethnic groups:
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white
(includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish)
55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other
(includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic (nominal) 80%, other 20% |
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Languages:
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Portuguese
(official), Spanish, English, French |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 86.1%
female: 86.6% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil |
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Government type:
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federative
republic |
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Capital:
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Brasilia |
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Administrative divisions:
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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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Independence:
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7 September
1822 (from Portugal) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 7 September (1822) |
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Constitution:
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5 October
1988 |
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Legal system:
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based on
Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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voluntary
between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory
over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military
conscripts do not vote |
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Executive branch:
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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); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms;
election last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held 1
October 2006, with a runoff on 29 October 2006 if
necessary); runoff election held 27 October 2002
election results: in runoff election 27 October
2002, Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) elected with 61.3%
of the vote; Jose SERRA (PSDB) 38.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the
Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three
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 6 October
2002 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held
October 2006 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of
Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held
October 2006)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMBD 19, PFL 19,
PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3, PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1,
PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71,
PP 49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12,
PRONA 6, PV 5, other 11; note - many congressmen have
changed party affiliation since the most recent election |
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Judicial branch:
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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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Political parties and leaders:
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Brazilian
Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel
TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Federal Deputy
Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or
PSDB [Senator Eduardo AZAREDO]; Brazilian Socialist
Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Miguel ARRAES]; Communist
Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELO]; Democratic
Labor Party or PDT [Carlos LUPI]; Democratic Socialist
Party or PSD [Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES]; Green Party
or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Liberal Front Party
or PFL [Senator Jorge BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL
[Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order
Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy Dr. Eneas
CARNEIRO]; 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]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose
GENOINO] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Landless
Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations; large
farmers' associations; religious groups including
evangelical christian churches and the Catholic Church |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, BIS,
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, 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, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET,
UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Roberto ABDENUR
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700
FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador John DANILOVICH
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3,
Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000
FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136
consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s): Recife |
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Flag description:
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green with
a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue
celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one
for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the
same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has
a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO
(Order and Progress)
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Economy - overview:
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Possessing
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 and 2004, 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 2004
surpassed the previous year's record export level and
again posted a current account surplus. 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 2004, 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:
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purchasing
power parity - $1.492 trillion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.1% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $8,100 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
10.1%
industry: 38.6%
services: 51.3% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.8% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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22% (1998
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 48% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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60.7 (1998) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7.6% (2004
est.) |
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Labor force:
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89 million
(2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
20%, industry 14%, services 66% (2003 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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11.5% (2004
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$140.6 billion
expenditures: $172.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004) |
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Public debt:
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52% of GDP
(2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus;
beef |
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Industries:
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textiles,
shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel,
aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and
equipment |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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6% (2004
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
|
339 billion
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 8.3%
hydro: 82.7%
nuclear: 4.4%
other: 4.6% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
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351.9
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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7 million
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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36.58
billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2002) |
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Oil - production:
|
1.788
million bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
|
2.199
million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
|
NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
|
13.9
billion bbl (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
|
5.95
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.59
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
|
3.64
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
221.7
billion cu m (2004) |
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Current account balance:
|
$8 billion
(2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$95 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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transport
equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos |
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Exports - partners:
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US 21.2%,
China 7.8%, Argentina 6%, Germany 5.1%, Netherlands 4.8%
(2004) |
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Imports:
|
$61 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery,
electrical and transport equipment, chemical products,
oil |
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Imports - partners:
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US 22.4%,
Germany 9.2%, Argentina 8.1%, China 5.5% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
|
$52.94
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
|
$219.8
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
|
$30 billion
(2002) |
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Currency:
|
real (BRL) |
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Currency code:
|
BRL |
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Exchange rates:
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reals per
US dollar - 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002),
2.3577 (2001), 1.8301 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year
|
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Telephones - main lines in use:
|
38.81
million (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
46,373,300
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1,365,
FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with
AM stations) (1999) |
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Radios:
|
71 million
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
|
138 (1997) |
|
Televisions:
|
36.5
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
|
.br |
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Internet hosts:
|
3,163,349
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
50 (2000) |
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Internet users:
|
14.3
million (2002)
|
|
Railways:
|
total:
29,412 km (1,610 km electrified)
broad gauge: 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (942 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km
electrified)
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges
(three rails) (78 km electrified) (2003) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
1,724,929 km
paved: 94,871 km
unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000) |
|
Waterways:
|
50,000 km
(most in areas remote from industry and population)
(2004) |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate/gas
244 km; gas 10,739 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil
5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Belem,
Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto
Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador,
Santos, Vitoria |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
150 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,961,431 GRT/4,725,267
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 28, cargo 25, chemical
tanker 7, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, liquefied
gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 48, roll
on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 17 (Chile 2, Germany 7, Norway 1,
Spain 7)
registered in other countries: 8 (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
4,136 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
698
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 158
914 to 1,523 m: 461
under 914 m: 49 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
3,438
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 78
914 to 1,523 m: 1,579
under 914 m: 1,780 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
417 (2004
est.)
|
|
Military branches:
|
Brazilian
Army, Brazilian Navy (includes Naval Air and Marines),
Brazilian Air Force (FAB) |
|
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
|
19 years of
age for compulsory military service, conscript service
obligation - 12 months; 17 years of age for voluntary
service (2001) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males
age 19-49: 45,586,036 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males
age 19-49: 33,119,098 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
1,785,930 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$11 billion
(2004) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.8% (2004)
|
| Transnational
Issues |
Brazil |
|
Disputes - international:
|
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
UNCLOS to extend its maritime continental margin |
|
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