Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
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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 has overcome more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became South America's leading economic power by the 1970s. 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
note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
water: 55,455 sq km
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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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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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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%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 92% (1998 est.)
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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, 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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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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176,029,560
note: Brazil took an intercensal count in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, which 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 2002 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 28% (male 25,140,954; female 24,199,276)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 57,424,151; female 59,409,928)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 3,992,017; female 5,863,234) (2002 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.87% (2002 est.)
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Birth rate:
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18.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Death rate:
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9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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35.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 63.55 years
female: 67.91 years (2002 est.)
male: 59.4 years
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Total fertility rate:
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2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.57% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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540,000 (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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18,000 (1999 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%
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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: 83.3%
male: 83.3%
female: 83.2% (1995 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local short form: Brasil
local long form: Republica Federativa do 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
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president; percent of vote - 53%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held 6 October 2002)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
head of government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
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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 or 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)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party PMBD 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5, PSB 3, PDT 2, PPS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58, PTB 31, PDT 25, PSB 19, PL 12, PCdoB 7, other 14
note: Federal Senate - seats by party (as of January 2002) - PMDB 24, PFL 18, PSDB 13, PT 7, PDT 5, PSB 4, PTB 4, PPB 2, PPS 2, PL 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party (as of January 2002) - PFL 96, PSDB 93, PMDB 90, PT 59, PPB 49, PTB 33, PL 24, PDT 17, PSB 16, PPS 13, PCdoB 10, other 13
elections: Federal Senate - last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held 6 October 2002)
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER, president]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ, president]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose ANIBAL, president]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES, president]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELLO, chairman]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto, president]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator Roberto FREIRE, president]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose DIRCEU, president]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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left wing of the Catholic Church, Landless Worker's Movement, and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are critical of government's social and economic policies
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, BIS, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Donna J. HRINAK
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (061) 321-7272
FAX: [55] (061) 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. The maintenance of large current account deficits via capital account surpluses became problematic as investors became more risk averse to emerging market exposure as a consequence of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the Russian bond default in August 1998. After crafting a fiscal adjustment program and pledging progress on structural reform, Brazil received a $41.5 billion IMF-led international support program in November 1998. In January 1999, the Brazilian Central Bank announced that the real would no longer be pegged to the US dollar. This devaluation helped moderate the downturn in economic growth in 1999 that investors had expressed concerns about over the summer of 1998, and the country posted moderate GDP growth. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001 - to less than 2% - because of a slowdown in major markets and the hiking of interest rates by the Central Bank to combat inflationary pressures. Investor confidence was strong at yearend 2001, in part because of the strong recovery in the trade balance.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $1.34 trillion (2001 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.9% (2001 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2000 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 9%
industry: 32%
services: 59% (2000 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%: 1%
highest 10%: 46.7% (1997)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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59.1 (1997)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7.7% (2001)
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Labor force:
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79 million (1999 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 53%, agriculture 23%, industry 24%
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Unemployment rate:
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6.4% (2001 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $100.6 billion
expenditures: $91.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)
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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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1% (2001 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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342.302 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 5.85%
other: 3.74% (2000)
hydro: 88.97%
nuclear: 1.44%
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Electricity - consumption:
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360.641 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Electricity - imports:
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42.3 billion kWh
note: supplied by Paraguay (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
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Exports:
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$57.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactures, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
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Exports - partners:
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US 24.4%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9%, Netherlands (2001)
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Imports:
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$57.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity, autos and auto parts
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Imports - partners:
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US 23.2%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9% (2001)
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Debt - external:
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$251 billion (2001)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA
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Currency:
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real (BRL)
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Currency code:
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BRL
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Exchange rates:
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reals per US dollar - 2.378 (January 2002), 2.358 (2001), 1.830 (2000), 1.815 (1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997)
note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Railways:
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total:
broad gauge: 5,679 km 1.600-m gauge (1,199 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 24,666 km 1.000-m gauge (930 km electrified)
dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
note: in addition to the interurban routes itemized above, Brazil has 247.8 km of suburban railway consisting of 170.8 km of 1.600-m gauge (75 km electrified) and 77 km of 1.000-m gauge (1999 est.)
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Highways:
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total: 1.98 million km
paved: 184,140 km
unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996)
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Waterways:
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50,000 km
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998)
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Ports and harbors:
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Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria
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Merchant marine:
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total: 165 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,662,570 GRT/5,875,933 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Monaco 1
(2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 32, cargo 25, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 9, container 12, liquefied gas 11, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 54, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1
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Airports:
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3,365 (2001)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 627
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 153
914 to 1,523 m: 407
under 914 m: 40 (2001)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 2,738
1,524 to 2,437 m: 72
914 to 1,523 m: 1,316
under 914 m: 1,350 (2001)
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This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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