 | |
| Geography |
|
Largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
|
| Location: |
Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
10 00 S, 55 00 W
|
| Area: |
total: 8,514,877 sq km
land:
8,459,417 sq km
water:
55,460 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
Size comparison:
slightly smaller than the US
|
| Land Boundaries: |
total: 16,885 km
border countries:
Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
|
| Coastline: |
7,491 km
|
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
|
| Climate: |
mostly tropical, but temperate in south
|
| Terrain: |
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
|
| Natural resources: |
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
|
| Land use: |
arable land: 6.93%
permanent crops:
0.89%
other:
92.18% (2005)
|
| Irrigated land: |
29,200 sq km (2003)
|
| Natural hazards: |
recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
|
| Current Environment 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
|
| International Environment Agreements: |
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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| People |
| Population: |
198,739,269
country comparison to the world: 5
note:
Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,872,855; that figure was about 3.8% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census (July 2009 est.)
|
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 27,092,880/female 26,062,244)
15-64 years:
66.8% (male 65,804,108/female 67,047,725)
65 years and over:
6.4% (male 5,374,230/female 7,358,082) (2009 est.)
|
| Median age: |
total: 28.6 years
male:
27.8 years
female:
29.3 years (2009 est.)
|
| Population growth rate: |
1.199% (2009 est.)
|
| Birth rate: |
18.43 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
| Death rate: |
6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
| Net migration rate: |
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
| Sex ratio: |
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:
0.73 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 22.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
26.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 71.99 years
male:
68.43 years
female:
75.73 years (2009 est.)
|
| Total fertility rate: |
2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.6% (2007 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
730,000 (2007 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
15,000 (2007 est.)
|
| Nationality: |
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective:
Brazilian
|
| 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% (2000 census)
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| 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% (2000 census)
|
| Languages: |
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
|
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
88.6%
male:
88.4%
female:
88.8% (2004 est.)
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| Government |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form:
Brazil
local long form:
Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form:
Brasil
|
| Government type: |
federal republic
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| Capital: |
name: Brasilia
geographic coordinates:
15 47 S, 47 55 W
time difference:
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February
note:
Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands
|
| 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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| Independence: |
7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
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| National holiday: |
Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
|
| Constitution: |
5 October 1988
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| Legal system: |
based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
| Suffrage: |
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
|
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR Gomes da Silva (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 Gomes da Silva (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 and two-thirds 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)
elections:
Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 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, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 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; note - as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 21, DEM (formerly PFL) 12, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 7, PDT 5, PR 4, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PRB 1, PP 1, PSC 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 95, PT 79, PSDB 59, DEM (formerly PFL) 53, PR 44, PP 40, PSB 29, PDT 25, PTB 19, PPS 14, PV 14, PCdoB 13, PSC 11, PMN 5, PRB 4, PHS 3, PSOL 3, PTC 1, PTdoB 1
|
| Judicial branch: |
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
|
| Political parties and leaders: |
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 (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL) [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA]; 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]
|
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Landless Workers' Movement or MST
other:
labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church
|
| International organization participation: |
AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, 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, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mauro VIEIRA
chancery:
3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 238-2805
FAX:
[1] (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
embassy:
Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address:
Unit 7500, DPO, AA 34030
telephone:
[55] (61) 3312-7000
FAX:
[55] (61) 3225-9136
consulate(s) general:
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s):
Recife
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| Economy |
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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, Brazil's external debt totaled less than its foreign reserve holdings, 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 huge swings as foreign investors pulled 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.
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| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.024 trillion (2009 est.)
$2.022 trillion (2008 est.)
$1.924 trillion (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
|
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.482 trillion (2009 est.)
|
| GDP - real growth rate: |
0.1% (2009 est.)
5.1% (2008 est.)
6.1% (2007 est.)
|
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,200 (2009 est.)
$10,300 (2008 est.)
$9,900 (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
|
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 6.5%
industry:
25.8%
services:
67.7% (2009 est.)
|
| Labor force: |
95.21 million (2009 est.)
|
| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 20%
industry:
14%
services:
66% (2003 est.)
|
| Unemployment rate: |
7.4% (2009 est.)
7.892% (2008 est.)
|
| Population below poverty line: |
26% (2005)
|
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%:
43% (2007)
|
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
56.7 (2005)
60.7 (1998)
|
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2009 est.)
5.9% (2008 est.)
|
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed):
17% of GDP (2009 est.)
|
| Budget: |
revenues: NA
expenditures:
NA
|
| Public debt: |
46.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
38.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
| Agriculture - products: |
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
|
| Industries: |
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
|
| Industrial production growth rate: |
-7% (2009 est.)
|
| Electricity - production: |
438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
| Electricity - consumption: |
404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
| Electricity - exports: |
2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
| Electricity - imports: |
42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)
|
| Oil - production: |
2.422 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
| Oil - consumption: |
2.52 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
| Oil - exports: |
570,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
| Oil - imports: |
632,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
| Oil - proved reserves: |
12.62 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
| Natural gas - production: |
12.62 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
| Natural gas - consumption: |
23.65 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
| Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
| Natural gas - imports: |
11.03 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
| Natural gas - proved reserves: |
365 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
| Current account balance: |
$-11.28 billion (2009 est.)
$-28.19 billion (2008 est.)
|
| Exports: |
$158.9 billion (2009 est.)
$197.9 billion (2008 est.)
|
| Exports - commodities: |
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
|
| Exports - partners: |
US 14.4%, China 12.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 4.5% (2008)
|
| Imports: |
$136 billion (2009 est.)
$173.1 billion (2008 est.)
|
| Imports - commodities: |
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
|
| Imports - partners: |
US 14.9%, China 11.6%, Argentina 7.9%, Germany 7% (2008)
|
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$238 billion (11 December 2009 est.)
$193.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
| Debt - external: |
$216.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$262.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$318.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$294 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$124.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$127.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
| Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$589.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$1.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
$711.1 billion (31 December 2006)
|
| Exchange rates: |
reals (BRL) per US dollar - 2.0322 (2009), 1.8644 (2008), 1.85 (2007), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005)
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| Communications |
| Telephones in use: |
41.141 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 6
|
| Cellular Phones in use: |
150.641 million (2008)
|
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone density reaching 80 per 100 persons
domestic:
extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years
international:
country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Atlantis 2, that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; 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 (2008)
|
| Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)
|
| Television broadcast stations: |
138 (1997)
|
| Internet country code: |
.br
|
| Internet hosts: |
15.929 million (2009)
|
| Internet users: |
64.948 million (2008)
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| Transportation |
| Airports: |
4,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 2
|
| Airports (paved runways): |
total: 721
over 3,047 m:
7
2,438 to 3,047 m:
27
1,524 to 2,437 m:
171
914 to 1,523 m:
460
under 914 m:
56 (2009)
|
| Airports (unpaved runways): |
total: 3,279
1,524 to 2,437 m:
87
914 to 1,523 m:
1,547
under 914 m:
1,645 (2009)
|
| Heliports: |
13 (2009)
|
| Pipelines: |
condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,892 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2008)
|
| Railways: |
total: 28,857 km
broad gauge:
5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)
standard gauge:
194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge:
22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
|
| Roadways: |
total: 1,751,868 km
paved:
96,353 km
unpaved:
1,655,515 km (2004)
|
| Waterways: |
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2008)
|
| Merchant marine: |
total: 136
by type:
bulk carrier 19, cargo 22, carrier 1, chemical tanker 7, container 11, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 45, roll on/roll off 7
foreign-owned:
25 (Chile 1, Denmark 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Mexico 1, Norway 5, Spain 9)
registered in other countries:
8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall Islands 1) (2008)
|
| Ports and terminals: |
Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao
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| Military |
|
| Military branches: |
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) (2009)
|
| Military service age and obligation: |
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)
|
| Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 52,523,552
females age 16-49:
52,628,945 (2009 est.)
|
| Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 38,043,555
females age 16-49:
44,267,520 (2009 est.)
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