Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985, when 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, one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems. In January 2010, Brazil assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

10 00 S, 55 00 W

South America

slightly smaller than the US

7,491 km

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

29,200 sq km (2003)

8,233 cu km (2000)

recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

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

largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

201,103,330

1.166% (2010 est.)

18.11 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

2.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)

0.6% (2007 est.)

730,000 (2007 est.)

15,000 (2007 est.)

white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census)

Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census)

Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

4% of GDP (2004)

federal republic

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

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

5 October 1988

based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

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 and two-thirds of members elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (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

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; 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 Sergio GUERRA]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Governor Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; the Democrats or DEM [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA] (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL); Freedom and Socialism Party or PSOL [Heloisa HELENA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Paulo Roberto MATOS]; Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB [Luis Henrique de Oliveira RESENDE]; Liberal Front Party or PFL (now known as the Democrats or DEM); National Mobilization Party or PMN [Oscar Noronha FILHO]; Party of the Republic or PR [Sergio TAMER]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Fernando CORUJA]; Progressive Party or PP [Francisco DORNELLES]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

Landless Workers' Movement or MST

AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. Since 2003, Brazil has steadily improved macroeconomic stability, building up foreign reserves, reducing its debt profile by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments, adhering to an inflation target, and committing to fiscal responsibility. In 2008, Brazil became a net external creditor and two ratings agencies awarded investment grade status to its debt. After record growth in 2007 and 2008, the onset of the global financial crisis hit Braxil in September 2008. Brazil's currency and its stock market - Bovespa - saw large swings as foreign investors pulled resources out of Brazil. Brazil experienced two quarters of recession, as global demand for Brazil's commodity-based exports dwindled and external credit dried up. However, Brazil was one of the first emerging markets to begin a recovery. Consumer and investor confidence revived and GDP growth returned to positive in the second quarter, 2009. The Central Bank expects growth of 5% for 2010.

$2.025 trillion (2009 est.)

$2.029 trillion (2008 est.)

$1.931 trillion (2007 est.)

$1.499 trillion (2009 est.)

-0.2% (2009 est.)

5.1% (2008 est.)

6.1% (2007 est.)

$10,200 (2009 est.)

$10,300 (2008 est.)

$10,000 (2007 est.)

95.21 million (2009 est.)

7.4% (2009 est.)

7.9% (2008 est.)

26% (2008)

56.7 (2005)

60.7 (1998)

17% of GDP (2009 est.)

46.8% of GDP (2009 est.)

38.8% of GDP (2008 est.)

4.2% (2009 est.)

5.9% (2008)

8.75% (31 December 2009)

20.48% (31 December 2008)

47.25% (31 December 2008)

43.72% (31 December 2007)

$125 billion (30 November 2009)

$95.03 billion (31 December 2008)

$645 billion (30 November 2009)

$724.5 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.249 trillion (31 December 2008)

$1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)

$976 billion (30 November 2009)

$589.4 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.37 trillion (31 December 2007)

coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

-7% (2009 est.)

438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)

404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)

2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)

42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)

2.422 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

2.52 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

570,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)

632,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

12.62 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

12.62 billion cu m (2008 est.)

23.65 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

11.03 billion cu m (2008 est.)

365 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$11.28 billion (2009 est.)

-$28.19 billion (2008 est.)

$158.9 billion (2009 est.)

$197.9 billion (2008 est.)

transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos

US 13.7%, Argentina 8.7%, China 8.1%, Netherlands 5.2%, Germany 4.4% (2008)

$136 billion (2009 est.)

$173.1 billion (2008 est.)

machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics

US 14.9%, China 11.6%, Argentina 7.9%, Germany 7% (2008)

$238 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$193.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$216.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$262.9 billion (31 December 2008)

$318.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$294 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$124.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$127.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

reals (BRL) per US dollar - 2.0322 (2009), 1.8644 (2008), 1.85 (2007), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005)

41.141 million (2008)

150.641 million (2008)

AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)

138 (1997)

.br

15.929 million (2009)

64.948 million (2008)

4,000 (2009)

13 (2009)

condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,989 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2009)

50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2008)

Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Atlantic Ocean as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2010)

21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)

1.7% of GDP (2009)

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; two uncontested boundary disputes with Uruguay over Isla Brasilera at the tripoint with Argentina at the confluence of the Quarai/Cuareim and Uruguay rivers, and in the 235 square kilometer Invernada River region over which tributary represents the legitimate source of the Quarai/Cuareim River; the Itaipu Dam reservoir covers over a once contested section of Brazil-Paraguay boundary west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute

second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; 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 are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008)