| Background: |
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 Latin America's leading economic power by the
1970s. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing
problem. |
| Location: |
Eastern South
America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
10 00 S, 55 00 W |
| Map
references: |
South America |
| Area: |
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 |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than the US |
| Land
boundaries: |
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 |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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:
5%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 58%
other: 14% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
28,000 sq km
(1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
recurring
droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation in
Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers the
existence of a multitude of plant and animal species
indigenous to the area; 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
note: President CARDOSO in September 1999
signed into force an environmental crime bill which for the
first time defines pollution and deforestation as crimes
punishable by stiff fines and jail sentences |
| Environment
- international 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 |
| Geography
- note: |
largest country
in South America; shares common boundaries with every South
American country except Chile and Ecuador |
| Population: |
174,468,575
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 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
28.57% (male 25,390,039; female 24,449,902)
15-64 years: 65.98% (male 56,603,895; female
58,507,289)
65 years and over: 5.45% (male 3,857,564;
female 5,659,886) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.91% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
18.45
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.34 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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 (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
36.96
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 63.24 years
male: 58.96 years
female: 67.73 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.09 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.57% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
540,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
18,000 (1999
est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
white (includes
Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed
white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese,
Arab, Amerindian) 1% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
(nominal) 80% |
| Languages: |
Portuguese
(official), Spanish, English, French |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.3%
male: 83.3%
female: 83.2% (1995 est.) |
| 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: |
federative
republic |
| 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 |
| Independence: |
7 September 1822
(from Portugal) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
7 September (1822) |
| Constitution: |
5 October 1988 |
| 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 |
| Executive
branch: |
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
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
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 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA
October 2002)
election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO
reelected president; percent of vote - 53% |
| Legislative
branch: |
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)
elections: Federal Senate - last held 4 October
1998 for one-third of Senate (next to be held NA October
2002 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies -
last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 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 |
| Judicial
branch: |
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) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Brazilian
Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Jader BARBALHO,
president]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto
JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Teotonio
VILELA Filno]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel
ARRAES, president]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB
[Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB
[Sergio Roberto Gomes SOUZA, chairman]; Democratic Labor
Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president]; Liberal Front
Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president]; Liberal Party or
PL [Francisco Teixeira de OLIVEIRA]; Popular Socialist Party
or PPS [Ciro GOMEZ, president]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose
DIRCEU, president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
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 |
| International
organization participation: |
AfDB, BIS, CCC,
ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNMOP, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
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 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Anthony S. HARRINGTON
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 |
| Flag
description: |
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) |
| Economy
- overview: |
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. In the late eighties and early nineties,
high inflation hindered economic activity and investment.
"The Real Plan", instituted in the spring of 1994,
sought to break inflationary expectations by pegging the
real to the US dollar. Inflation was brought down to single
digit annual figures, but not fast enough to avoid
substantial real exchange rate appreciation during the
transition phase of the "Real Plan". This
appreciation meant that Brazilian goods were now more
expensive relative to goods from other countries, which
contributed to large current account deficits. However, no
shortage of foreign currency ensued because of the financial
community's renewed interest in Brazilian markets as
inflation rates stabilized and the debt crisis of the
eighties faded from memory. 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. Brazil's debt to GDP ratio for 1999
beat the IMF target and helped reassure investors that
Brazil will maintain tight fiscal and monetary policy even
with a floating currency. The economy continued to recover
in 2000, with inflation remaining in the single digits and
expected growth for 2001 of 4.5%. Foreign direct investment
set a record of more than $30 billion in 2000. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $1.13 trillion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.2% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $6,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
9%
industry: 29%
services: 62% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
17.4% (1990 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1%
highest 10%: 47.6% (1996) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
79 million (1999
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 53.2%,
agriculture 23.1%, industry 23.7% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
7.1% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$151 billion
expenditures: $149 billion, including capital
expenditures of $36 billion (1998) |
| Industries: |
textiles, shoes,
chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft,
motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
6.9% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
337.44 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
5.28%
hydro: 90.66%
nuclear: 1.12%
other: 2.94% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
353.674 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
5 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
39.86 billion kWh
note: supplied by Paraguay (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, soybeans,
wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef |
| Exports: |
$55.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
manufactures,
iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 23%, Argentina
11%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 5% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$55.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 24%, Argentina
12%, Germany 10%, Japan 5%, Italy 5% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$232 billion
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
NA |
| Exchange
rates: |
reals per US
dollar - 1.954 (January 2001), 1.830 (2000), 1.815 (1999),
1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996)
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 |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
17.039 million
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
4.4 million
(1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: good working system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay
system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth
stations
international: 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1,365, FM 296,
shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations)
(1999) |
| Radios: |
71 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
138 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
36.5 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.br |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
50 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
8.65 million
(2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
30,539 km (2,129 km electrified); note - excludes urban rail
broad gauge: 5,679 km 1.600-m gauge (1199 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
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) (1999 est.) |
| Highways: |
total:
1.98 million km
paved: 184,140 km
unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 2,980
km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Belem, Fortaleza,
Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife,
Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
171 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,788,999 GRT/6,067,314
DWT
ships by type: bulk 33, cargo 26, chemical
tanker 5, combination ore/oil 9, container 12, liquefied gas
11, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo
5, petroleum tanker 56, roll on/roll off 12, short-sea
passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
3,264 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
570
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 141
914 to 1,523 m: 370
under 914 m: 33 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
2,694
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 1,279
under 914 m: 1,347 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Brazilian Army,
Brazilian Navy (includes naval air and marines), Brazilian
Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 48,298,486 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 32,388,786 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
1,762,740 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$13.408 billion
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.9% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
limited illicit
producer of cannabis, minor coca cultivation in the Amazon
region, mostly 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 the US and 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 Bolivian, Peruvian, and Colombian cocaine |
|
