Brazil
Introduction Brazil
-------------------
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 South America's leading
economic power by the 1970s. Highly
unequal income distribution remains
a pressing problem.
Geography Brazil
----------------
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
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
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
Coastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge
of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 6.3%
permanent crops: 1.42%
other: 92.28% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 26,560 sq km (1998 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 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
Environment - international party to: Antarctic-Environmental
agreements: 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
People Brazil
-------------
Population: 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.)
Age structure: 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.)
Population growth rate: 0.87% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 18.08 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 35.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.55 years
female: 67.91 years (2002 est.)
male: 59.4 years
Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.57% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 540,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
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.)
Government Brazil
-----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Federative
Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local short form: Brasil
local long form: Republica
Federativa do Brasil
Government type: federative republic
Capital: Brasilia
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
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
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)
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)
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 [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]
Political pressure groups and left wing of the Catholic Church,
leaders: Landless Worker's Movement, and
labor unions allied to leftist
Worker's Party are critical of
government's social and economic
policies
International organization AfDB, BIS, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-
participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US: 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
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Donna
US: 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
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 Brazil
--------------
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. 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.34
trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.9% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,400
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9%
industry: 32%
services: 59% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 22% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1%
percentage share: highest 10%: 46.7% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini 59.1 (1997)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.7% (2001)
Labor force: 79 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 53%, agriculture 23%,
industry 24%
Unemployment rate: 6.4% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $100.6 billion
expenditures: $91.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000)
Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement,
lumber, iron ore, tin, steel,
aircraft, motor vehicles and parts,
other machinery and equipment
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 342.302 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 5.85%
other: 3.74% (2000)
hydro: 88.97%
nuclear: 1.44%
Electricity - consumption: 360.641 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 42.3 billion kWh
note: supplied by Paraguay (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn,
sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Exports: $57.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: manufactures, iron ore, soybeans,
footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners: US 24.4%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany
8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9%,
Netherlands (2001)
Imports: $57.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemical
products, oil, electricity, autos
and auto parts
Imports - partners: US 23.2%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany
8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9% (2001)
Debt - external: $251 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Currency: real (BRL)
Currency code: BRL
Exchange rates: 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
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Brazil
---------------------
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: 11.94 million (2001)
Transportation Brazil
---------------------
Railways: 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.)
Highways: total: 1.98 million km
paved: 184,140 km
unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996)
Waterways: 50,000 km
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: 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
Airports: 3,365 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: 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)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2,738
1,524 to 2,437 m: 72
914 to 1,523 m: 1,316
under 914 m: 1,350 (2001)
Military Brazil
---------------
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 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 48,859,610 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 32,743,504 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 1,762,740 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $13.408 billion (FY99)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.9% (FY99)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Brazil
---------------------------
Disputes - international: uncontested dispute with Uruguay
over islands in the Rio Quarai (Rio
Cuareim) and the Arroio Invernada
(Arroyo de la Invernada)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; minor
coca cultivation in the Amazon
region, used for domestic
consumption; government has a large-
scale eradication program to control
cannabis; important transshipment
country for 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 Colombian,
Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine
