Statistical information Brazil 1999

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: 171,853,126 (July 1999 est.)
Note: Brazil took a census in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for 1991; the Factbook's demographic statistics for Brazil do not take into consideration the results of the1996 census since the full results have not been released for analysis
Growth rate: 1.16% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: 17.4% (1990 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 26,059,687; female 25,095,236)
15-64 years: 65% (male 55,037,161; female 56,727,196)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,626,893; female 5,306,953) (1999 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.16% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 20.42 births/1000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.79 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 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
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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 (1999 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 35.37 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 64.06 years
Male: 59.35 years
Female: 69.01 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (1999 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 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; Chamber of Deputies_percent of vote by party_NA%; seats by party_PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58
Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, 11 judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate
Political parties and leadersInternational 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, MONUA, MTCR, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
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: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate J. Brian ATWOOD
From the us embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal Cep 70,403-900 Brazil
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 2% in 1998 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7% in 1994 to about 3.0% in 1997 due to tighter credit. The Real Plan faced its strongest challenge in 1998, as the world financial crisis caused investors to more closely examine the country's structural weaknesses. The most severe spillover for Brazil_after Russia's debt default in August 1998_created unrelenting pressure on the currency which forced the country to hike annual interest rates to 50%. Approximately $30 billion in capital left the country in August and September. 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. Capital continued to leach out of the country, and investors, concerned about the rising mountain of debt and currency widely-viewed as overvalued, stayed on the sidelines. In January 1999, Brazil made an abrupt shift of course in exchange rate policy, abandoning the strong currency anti-inflation anchor of the Real Plan. On 13 January 1999, Central Bank officials announced a one-time 8% devaluation of the real, and on 15 January 1999, the currency was declared to be freely floating. President CARDOSO remains committed to limiting inflation and weathering the financial crisis through austerity and sacrifice as the country rides out a deep recession. He hopes the country will resume economic growth in the second half of 1999, so that he can once again focus on his longer-term goal of reducing poverty and income inequality. CARDOSO still hopes to address mandated revenue sharing with the states and cumbersome procedures to amend the constitution before the end of his second term.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 0.5% (1998)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $6,100 (1998 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 14%
Industry: 36%
Services: 50% (1997)
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: 4.5% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.)
By occupation services: 42%
By occupation agriculture: 31%
By occupation industry: 27%
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1998 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: 17.4% (1990 est.)
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $151 billion
Expenditures: $149 billion, including capital expenditures of $36 billion (1998)
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 balanceExports: $51 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts
Partners: EU 28%, Latin America (excluding Argentina) 23%, US 20%, Argentina 12% (1996)
Imports: $57.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal
Partners: EU 26%, US 22%, Argentina 13%, Japan 5% (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $258.1 billion (December 1998)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: reals (R$) per US$1: 1.501 (January 1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995), 0.639 (1994); CR$ per US$1_390.845 (January 1994)
Note: the real (R$) was introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750 cruzeiro reais; 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$
top of pageElectricityProduction: 291.63 billion kWh (1997)
Production by source fossil fuel: 4.38%
Production by source hydro: 92.09%
Production by source nuclear: 0.8%
Production by source other: 2.73% (1996)
Consumption: 323.215 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 8 million kWh (1996)
Imports: 37.5 billion kWh (1996)
Imports note: imported electricity from Paraguay
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: $14.7 billion (1998)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (1998)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 3,265 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 514
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 19
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 134
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 325
With paved runways under 914 m: 31 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 2,751
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 73
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1,312
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1,366 (1998 est.)
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998)
RailwaysTotal: 28,862 km (1,187 km electrified)
Broad gauge: 4,123 km 1.600-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 24,390 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge
Dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails)
RoadwaysWaterways: 50,000 km navigable
Merchant marineTotal: 179 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,132,037 GRT/6,642,442 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 35, cargo 28, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 10, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 10, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 61, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Ports and terminalsBrazil - Transnational issues 1999
top of pageDisputes international: 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, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe; increasingly used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia