Map of Brazil | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule Brazil gained its independence in 1822 maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985 when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems. In January 2010 Brazil assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.


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Location: Eastern South America bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S 55 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 8,514,877 km²
Rank: 5
Land: 8,459,417 km²
Water: 55,460 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 boundaries
Total: 16,885 km
Border countries: (10) Argentina 1261 km; Bolivia 3,423 km; Colombia 1644 km; French Guiana 730 km; Guyana 1606 km; Paraguay 1365 km; Peru 2,995 km; Suriname 593 km; Uruguay 1068 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
Extremes highest point: Pico da Neblina 2,994 m

Natural resources: bauxite gold iron ore manganese nickel phosphates platinum tin rare earth elements uranium petroleum hydropower timber

Land use
Arable land: 6.93%
Permanent crops: 0.89%
Other: 92.18% (2005)

Irrigated land: 45,000 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 8,233 km³ (2000)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Geography
Note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador


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Population: 203,429,773 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 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
Growth rate: 1.134% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 104
Below poverty line: 26% (2008)

Nationality
Noun: Brazilian
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)

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

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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.2%
15-64 years: 67% (male 67,524,642/female 68,809,357)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 5,796,433/female 7,899,650) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 29.3 years
Male: 28.5 years
Female: 30.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.134% (2011 est.)
Rank: 104

Birth rate: 17.79 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 108

Death rate: 6.36 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 151

Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 120

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 87% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/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 (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.17 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 93
Male: 24.63 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.53 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.53 years
Rank: 124
Male: 68.97 years
Female: 76.27 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 108

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.72 physicians/1000 population (2007)
Rank: 75

Hospital bed density: 2.4 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 91

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.1% (2003)
Rank: 52

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.2% (2007)
Rank: 110

Education expenditures: 5.08% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 55

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.6%
Male: 88.4%
Female: 88.8% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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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

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 last Sunday in February
Note: Brazil is divided into three 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day 7 September (1822)

Constitution: 5 October 1988

Legal system: civil law; note - a new Brazilian civil law code was enacted in 2002 replacing the 1916 code

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

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 Dilma ROUSSEFF ; Vice President Michel TEMER (since 1 January 2011); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Dilma ROUSSEFF (since 1 January 2011); Vice President Michel TEMER (since 1 January 2011)
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 on 3 October 2010 with runoff on 31 October 2010 (next to be held on 5 October 2014 and if necessary a runoff election on 2 November 2014)
Election results: Dilma ROUSSEFF (PT) elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Dilma ROUSSEFF 56.01% Jose SERRA (PSDB) 43.99%

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 of members 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 on 3 October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held in October 2014 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 3 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014)
Election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 20 PT 13 PSDB 10 DEM (formerly PFL) 7 PTdoB 6 PP 5 PDT 4 PR 4 PSB 4 PPS 1 PRB 1 other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 87 PMDB 80 PSDB 53 DEM (formerly PFL) 43 PP 41 PR 41 PSB 34 PDT 28 PTdoB 21 PSC 17 PCdoB 15 PV 15 PPS 12 other 18

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 [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA] (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL); 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 [Jose Eduardo DUTRA]

International organization participation: AfDB (nonregional member) BIS CAN (associate) CPLP FAO FATF G-15 G-20 G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAES LAIA LAS (observer) Mercosur MIGA 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 UNISFA UNITAR UNMIL UNMISS UNMIT UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mauro Luiz Iecker VIEIRA
In the us chancery: 3,006 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 238-2,805
In the us fax: [1] (202) 238-2,827
In the us consulate general: Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles Miami New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas A. SHANNON
From the us embassy: Avenida das Nacoes Quadra 801 Lote 3 Distrito Federal Cep 70,403-900 Brasilia
From the us mailing address: Unit 7,500 DPO AA 34,030
From the us telephone: [55] (61) 3,312-7,000
From the us fax: [55] (61) 3,225-9,136
From the us consulate general: Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo
From the us consulate: Recife

Flag description: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress); the current flag was inspired by the banner of the former Empire of Brazil (1822-1889); on the imperial flag the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I the first Emperor of Brazil while the yellow stood for the Habsburg Family of his wife; on the modern flag the green represents the forests of the country and the yellow rhombus its mineral wealth; the blue circle and stars which replaced the coat of arms of the original flag depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889 - the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has changed with the creation of new states and has risen from an original 21 to the current 27 (one for each state and the Federal District)

National symbols: Southern Cross constellation

National anthem
Name: 'Hino Nacional Brasileiro'
Lyricsmusic: Joaquim Osorio Duque ESTRADA/Francisco Manoel DA SILVA
Note: music adopted 1890 lyrics adopted 1922; the anthem's music composed in 1822 was used unofficially for many years before it was adopted

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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 its macroeconomic stability building up foreign reserves and reducing its debt profile by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. In 2008 Brazil became a net external creditor 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 Brazil in September 2008. 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 2010 boosted by an export recovery. Brazil's strong growth and high interest rates make it an attractive destination for foreign investors. Large capital inflows over the past year have contributed to the rapid appreciation of its currency and led the government to raise taxes on some foreign investments. President Dilma ROUSSEFF has pledged to retain the previous administration's commitment to inflation targeting by the Central Bank a floating exchange rate and fiscal restraint.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 9
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 30

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 102
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.8%
Industry: 26.8%
Services: 67.4% (2010 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: 10.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 22

Labor force: 102.2 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 6
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 66% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 62

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 26% (2008)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.2%
Highest 10: 42.5% (2009)

Distribution of family income gini index: 60.7 (1998)
Rank: 13

Budget
Revenues: $822.6 billion
Expenditures: $762.1 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 2.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 19

Taxes and other revenues: 39.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 45

Public debt: 62% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 43

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.9% (2009 est.)
Rank: 147

Central bank discount rate: 8.75% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 38

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 44.65% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 3

Stock of narrow money: $143.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 20

Stock of broad money: $1.522 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 10

Stock of domestic credit: $1.769 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 11

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 13

Current account balance: -$24.3 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 189

Exports: $153 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 24
Commodities: transport equipment iron ore soybeans footwear coffee autos
Partners: China 15.2% US 9.6% Argentina 9.2% Netherlands 5.1% Germany 4% (2010)

Imports: $127.7 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 22
Commodities: machinery electrical and transport equipment chemical products oil automotive parts electronics
Partners: US 15% China 14.1% Argentina 7.9% Germany 6.9% South Korea 4.6% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $238.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 7

Debt external: $346.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $319.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 14

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $117.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 24

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 461.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 10
Consumption: 421 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 10
Exports: 1.08 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 39.67 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 12.41 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 37
Consumption: 25.13 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 30
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 66
Imports: 12.72 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 19
Proven reserves: 366.4 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 35

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 42.141 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 5
Mobile cellular: 202.944 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 6

Telephone system
General assessment: good working system including an 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
Domestic: fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile-cellular technology has been a major driver in expanding telephone service to the lower-income segments of the population with mobile-cellular teledensity reaching 100 per 100 persons in 2010
International: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables including Americas-1 Americas-2 Atlantis-2 GlobeNet South Amrica-1 South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilius and UNISUR that provide direct connectivity 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 (2010)

Broadcast media: state-run Radiobras operates a radio and a television network; more than 1000 radio stations and more than 100 TV channels operating - mostly privately owned; private media ownership highly concentrated (2007)

Internet
Country code: .br
Hosts: 19.316 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 5
Users: 75.982 million (2009)
Users rank: 4

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 90

Military and security forces

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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4,072 (2010)
Rank: 2
With paved runways total: 726
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 28
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 176
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 460
With paved runways under 914 m: 55 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 3,346
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 87
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1617
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1642 (2010)

Heliports: 13 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate/gas 62 km; gas 13,514 km; liquid petroleum gas 352 km; oil 3,729 km; refined products 4,684 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 28,538 km
Rank: 10
Broad gauge: 5,627 km 1.600-m gauge (467 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 22,717 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 1,751,868 km
Rank: 4
Paved: 96,353 km
Unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)

Waterways: 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2010)
Rank: 3

Merchant marine
Total: 126
Rank: 45
By type: bulk carrier 19 cargo 18 chemical tanker 6 container 12 liquefied gas 12 passenger/cargo 10 petroleum tanker 42 roll on/roll off 7
Foreign owned: 26 (Chile 1 Denmark 3 Germany 6 Greece 1 Norway 3 Spain 12)
Registered in other countries: 27 (Argentina 1 Bahamas 1 Ghana 1 Liberia 20 Marshall Islands 1 Panama 3) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Cargo ports: Ilha Grande (Gebig) Paranagua Rio Grande Santos Sao Sebastiao Tubarao
Container ports: Santos (2,677,839) Itajai (693,580)
Oil terminals: DTSE/Gegua oil terminal Guaiba Island terminal Guamare oil terminal


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Disputes international: uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; smuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Brazil's border region with Venezuela

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region 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 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; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008)