Background: Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule Brazil peacefully 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. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems.

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 3,014 m

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

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

Irrigated land: 29,200 km² (2003)

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

Population: 198,739,269
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 (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 1.199% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 110
Below poverty line: 31% (2005)

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.7%
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 65,804,108/female 67,047,725)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,374,230/female 7,358,082) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.6 years
Male: 27.8 years
Female: 29.3 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.199% (2009 est.)
Rank: 110

Birth rate: 18.43 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 111

Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 151

Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 90

Urbanization
Urban population: 86% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

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 (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 22.58 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 97
Male: 26.16 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 18.83 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.99 years
Rank: 121
Male: 68.43 years
Female: 75.73 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 116

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 66
People living with hivaids: 730,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 16
Deaths: 15,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 25

Education expenditures: 4% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 105

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: 15 years (2005)

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 third Sunday in February
Note: Brazil is divided into four 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

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; note - military conscripts do not vote

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva ; Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
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 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and if necessary 31 October 2010)
Election results: Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (PT) reelected president - 60.83% Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%

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 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 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)
Election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6 PSDB 5 PMDB 4 PTB 3 PT 2 PDT 1 PSB 1 PL 1 PPS 1 PRTB 1 PP 1 PCdoB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89 PT 83 PFL 65 PSDB 65 PP 42 PSB 27 PDT 24 PL 23 PTB 22 PPS 21 PCdoB 13 PV 13 PSC 9 other 17; note - as of 1 January 2009 the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 21 DEM (formerly PFL) 12 PSDB 13 PT 12 PTB 7 PDT 5 PR 4 PSB 2 PCdoB 1 PRB 1 PP 1 PSC 1 PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 95 PT 79 PSDB 59 DEM (formerly PFL) 53 PR 44 PP 40 PSB 29 PDT 25 PTB 19 PPS 14 PV 14 PCdoB 13 PSC 11 PMN 5 PRB 4 PHS 3 PSOL 3 PTC 1 PTdoB 1

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 (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL) [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA]; 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 [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

International organization participation: AfDB (nonregional member) BIS CAN (associate) CPLP FAO G-15 G-20 G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAES LAIA Mercosur MIGA MINURCAT MINURSO MINUSTAH NAM (observer) NSG OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG SICA (observer) UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNITAR UNMIL UNMIS UNMIT UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA
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 Clifford M. SOBEL
From the us embassy: Avenida das Nacoes Quadra 801 Lote 3 Distrito Federal Cep 70,403-900 Brasilia
From the us mailing address: Unit 3,500 APO 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 (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: 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. From 2003 to 2007 Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains coupled with high commodity prices contributed to the surge in exports. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA da Silva restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration in October of that year LULA da Silva announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. Brazil's debt achieved investment grade status early in 2008 but the government's attempt to achieve strong growth while reducing the debt burden created inflationary pressures. For most of 2008 the Central Bank embarked on a restrictive monetary policy to stem these pressures. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in September Brazil's currency and its stock market - Bovespa - have significantly lost value -41% for Bovespa for the year ending 30 December 2008. Brazil incurred another current account deficit in 2008 as world demand and prices for commodities dropped in the second-half of the year.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 10
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 84

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 102
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.7%
Industry: 28%
Services: 65.3% (2008 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: 4.3% (2008 est.)
Rank: 62

Labor force: 93.65 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 6
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 66% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.3% (2007 est.)
Rank: 109

Population below poverty line: 31% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.1%
Highest 10: 43% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index: 60.7 (1998)
Rank: 10

Budget
Revenues: NA
Expenditures: NA

Public debt: 52% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 58

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2007 est.)
Rank: 95

Central bank discount rate: 17.85% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 9

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 43.72% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 4

Stock of domestic credit: $1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 11

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 12

Current account balance: $1.551 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 180

Exports: $160.6 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 23
Commodities: transport equipment iron ore soybeans footwear coffee autos
Partners: US 14.4% China 12.4% Argentina 8.4% Netherlands 5% Germany 4.5% (2008)

Imports: $120.6 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 26
Commodities: machinery electrical and transport equipment chemical products oil automotive parts electronics
Partners: US 14.9% China 11.6% Argentina 7.9% Germany 7% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $180.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 7

Debt external: $240.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 27

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $248.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 15

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $107.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 23

Exchange rates: reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.8644 (2008 est.) 1.85 (2007 est.) 2.1761 (2006) 2.4344 (2005) 2.9251 (2004)

Electricity
Production: 438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 11
Consumption: 404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 10
Exports: 2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 12.62 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 39
Consumption: 23.65 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 32
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 200
Imports: 11.03 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 21
Proven reserves: 365 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 36

Telephones
Main lines in use: 41.141 million (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 6
Mobile cellular: 150.641 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 5

Telephone system
General assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone density reaching 80 per 100 persons
Domestic: 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
International: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables including Atlantis 2 that provide direct links 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 (2008)

Internet
Country code: .br
Hosts: 15.929 million (2009)
Hosts rank: 5
Users: 64.948 million (2008)
Users rank: 5

Military expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 62

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)

Airports: 4,000 (2009)
Rank: 2
With paved runways total: 721
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 171
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 460
With paved runways under 914 m: 56 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 3,279
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 87
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1547
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1645 (2009)

Heliports: 13 (2009)

Pipelines: condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,892 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 28,857 km
Rank: 10
Broad gauge: 5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

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) (2008)
Rank: 3

Merchant marine
Total: 136
Rank: 45
By type: bulk carrier 19 cargo 22 carrier 1 chemical tanker 7 container 11 liquefied gas 12 passenger/cargo 12 petroleum tanker 45 roll on/roll off 7
Foreign owned: 25 (Chile 1 Denmark 2 Germany 6 Greece 1 Mexico 1 Norway 5 Spain 9)
Registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1 Bahamas 2 Ghana 1 Liberia 3 Marshall Islands 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Guaiba Ilha Grande Paranagua Rio Grande Santos Sao Sebastiao Tubarao

Disputes international: unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering smuggling arms and illegal narcotics trafficking and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested boundary dispute with Uruguay over Isla Brasilera at the confluence of the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada rivers that form a tripoint with Argentina; the Itaipu Dam reservoir covers over a once contested section of Brazil-Paraguay boundary west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore under Bolivian administration in 1958 but sovereignty remains in dispute

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)