Statistical information Brazil 1997

Brazil in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W
Map reference:
South AmericaAreaTotal: 8,511,965 km²
Land: 8,456,510 km²
Water: 55,455 km²
Note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundariesTotal: 14,691 km
Border countries: (10) 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 kmCoastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claimsContiguous 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Land useArable land: 5%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 22%
Forests and woodland: 58%
Other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 28,000 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
GeographyNote: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
top of pagePopulation: 164,511,366 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.1% (1997 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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%
Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 30% (male 25,018,597; female 24,164,894)
15-64 years: 65% (male 53,217,683; female 54,215,461)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,181,539; female 4,713,192) (July 1997 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.1% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 20.43 births/1000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 53.4 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 61.42 years
Male: 56.78 years
Female: 66.3 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 83.3%
Male: 83.3%
Female: 83.2% (1995 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age
Executive branchChief 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 3 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1998)
Election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO elected president; percent of vote - Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%, Luis Inacio LULA da Silva 26%, Eneas CARNEIRO 7%, Orestes QUERCIA 4%, Leonel BRIZOLA 3%, Espiridiao AMIN 3%; note - second direct presidential election since 1960
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 3 October 1994 for two-thirds of Senate (next to be held October 1998 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998)
Election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - PMBD 28%, PFL 22%, PSDB 12%, PPR 7%, PDT 7%, PT 6%, PTB 6%, other 12%; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PMDB 21%, PFL 18%, PDT 7%, PSDB 12%, PPR 10%, PTB 6%, PT 10%, other 16%; seats by party - NA
Note: party totals since the fall of 1994 have changed considerably due to extensive party-switching
Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), BIS (pending member), 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, MTCR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Paulo Tarso FLECHA de LIMA
In the us chancery: 3,006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 238-2,700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 238-2,827
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Melvyn LEVITSKY
From the us embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal
From the us mailing address: Unit 3,500, APO AA 34,030
From the us telephone: [55] (61) 321-7,272
From the us FAX: [55] (61) 225-9,136
From the us consulates general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
From the us consulates: 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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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. Prior to the institution of a stabilization plan - the Plano Real (Real Plan) - in mid-1994, stratospheric inflation rates had disrupted economic activity and discouraged foreign investment. Since then, tight monetary policy has brought inflation under control - consumer prices increased by only 10% in 1996 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7% in 1994 to 2.9% in 1996 due to tighter credit. The steadily appreciating currency has also encouraged imports, contributing to a growing trade deficit, and depressed export growth. Brazil's more stable economy allowed it to weather the fallout in 1995 from the Mexican peso crisis relatively well, and record levels of foreign investment have since flowed in, helping to swell official foreign exchange reserves to $60 billion in 1996; stock markets reflected this increased investor confidence, gaining 53% in dollar terms. President CARDOSO remains committed to further reducing inflation in 1997 and putting Brazil on track for expanded economic growth, but he faces several key challenges. Fiscal reforms requiring constitutional amendments are stalled in the Brazilian legislature; in their absence, the government is continuing to run deficits and has limited room to relax its interest and exchange rate policies much if it wants to keep inflation under control. High interest rates have made servicing domestic debt dramatically more burdensome for both public and private sector entities, contributing to federal and state budget problems and a surge in bankruptcies.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 2.9% (1996 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,300 (1996 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 13%
Industry: 38%
Services: 49% (1995)
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: 3.5% (1995 est.)
Labor forceTotal: 57 million (1989 est.)
By occupation services: 42%
By occupation agriculture: 31%
By occupation industry: 27%
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1996 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $86 billion
Expenditures: $90 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1995)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsTotal value: $47.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts
Partners: EU 26%, Latin America 22%, US 23%, Argentina 11% (1995)
ImportsTotal value: $53.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal
Partners: EU 26%, US 24%, Argentina 11%, Japan 5% (1995)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $176 billion (December 1996)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: R$ per US$1 - 1.043 (January 1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995), 0.639 (1994); CR$ per US$1 - 390.845 (January 1994), 88.449 (1993), 4.513 (1992)
Note: on 1 August 1993 the cruzeiro real (CR$), equal to 1,000 cruzeiros, was introduced; another new currency, the real (R$) was introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750 cruzeiro reais
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 59.036 million kW (1995)
Production: 268.874 billion kWh (1995)
Production note: imports some electricity from Paraguay
Consumption per capita: 1,572 kWh (1995 est.)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 14,426,673 (1992 est.)
Telephone system: 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)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $6.736 billion (1994)
Percent of gdp: 1.1% (1994)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 2,871 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 1,658
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 19
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 125
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 304
With paved runways under 914 m: 1,205 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1,213
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 67
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1,146 (1996 est.)
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 2,000 km; petroleum products 3,804 km; natural gas 1,095 km
RailwaysTotal: 27,418 km (1,750 km electrified)
Broad gauge: 5,730 km 1.600-m gauge
Standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 20,958 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge
Dual gauge: 523 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges
RoadwaysWaterways: 50,000 km navigable
Merchant marineTotal: 193 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,475,748 GRT/7,175,061 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 26, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 11, container 13, liquefied gas tanker 11, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 62, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11
Note: Brazil owns 16 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,270,275 DWT that operate under Bahamian, Liberian, Panamanian, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines registry (1996 est.)
Ports and terminalsBrazil - Transnational issues 1997
top of pageDisputes international: short section of the boundary with Paraguay, just west of Salto das Sete Quedas (Guaira Falls) on the Rio Parana, has not been precisely delimited; two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit 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 and Colombian cocaine headed for the US and Europe