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 a half 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. Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, Brazil was seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth. The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the first ever to be held in South America, was seen as symbolic of the country's rise. However, from about 2013 to 2016, Brazil was plagued by a sagging economy, high unemployment, and high inflation, only emerging from recession in 2017. Former President Dilma ROUSSEFF (2011-2016) was removed from office in 2016 by Congress for having committed impeachable acts against Brazil's budgetary laws, and her vice, Michel TEMER, will serve the remainder of her second term until 1 January 2019. On 28 October 2018, Jair BOLSONARO won the presidency with 55 percent of the vote and will take office on 1 January 2019.

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Land: 8,358,140 km²
Water: 157,630 km²
Rank: 6
Comparative: slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries
Total: 16,145 km
Border countries: (10) Argentina 1263 km; , Bolivia 3,403 km; , Colombia 1790 km; , French Guiana 649 km; , Guyana 1308 km; , Paraguay 1371 km; , Peru 2,659 km; , Suriname 515 km; , Uruguay 1050 km; , Venezuela 2,137 km

Coastline: 7,491 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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
Mean elevation: 320 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.9% (2011 est.)
Forest: 61.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 5.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 54,000 km² (2012)

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

Geography
Note: largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador; most of the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, extends through the west central part of the country; shares Iguazu Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Argentina

Population
Distribution: the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro: 208,846,892 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 5
Growth rate: 0.71% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 140
Below poverty line:

Nationality
Noun: Brazilian(s)
Adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic groups: white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)

Languages:

Religions: Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile: Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition. Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country. The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population. Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty. More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas (slums).Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination. After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation. Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals. Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population. The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class. Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.89% (male 23,310,437 /female 22,414,551)
15-24 years: 16.29% (male 17,254,084 /female 16,758,140)
25-54 years: 43.86% (male 45,449,158 /female 46,151,759)
55-64 years: 9.35% (male 9,229,665 /female 10,296,824)
65 years and over: 8.61% (male 7,666,845 /female 10,315,429) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.8 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 32.4 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 11.4 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 8.7 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.4 years
Male: 31.5 years
Female: 33.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 100

Population growth rate: 0.71% (2018 est.)
Rank: 140

Birth rate: 13.9 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 135

Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 136

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 103

Population distribution: the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro

Urbanization
Urban population: 86.6% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.05% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 21.65 million Sao Paulo, 13.293 million Rio de Janeiro, 5.972 million Belo Horizonte, 4.47 million BRASILIA (capital), 4.094 million Porto Alegre, 4.028 million Recife (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; illegal wildlife trade; illegal poaching; 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: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 19.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 13.8 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 91

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.3 years (2018 est.)
Male: 70.7 years (2018 est.)
Female: 78 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 125

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 159

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 80.2% (2013)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 13% of population
Total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 1.85 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 12% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 48.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 17.2% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 55
People living with hivaids: 860,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 12
Deaths: 14,000 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 18

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016): note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.1% (2016)
Rank: 82

Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 38

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 92.6% (2015 est.)
Male: 92.2% (2015 est.)
Female: 92.9% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years (2014)
Male: 15 years (2014)
Female: 16 years (2014)

Country name
Conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
Conventional short form: Brazil
Local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
Local short form: Brasil
Etymology: the country name derives from the brazilwood tree that used to grow plentifully along the coast of Brazil and that was used to produce a deep red dye

Government type: federal presidential 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 has 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
History: several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by at least one-third of either house of the National Congress, by the president of the republic, or by simple majority vote by more than half of the state legislative assemblies; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote by both houses in each of 2 readings; constitutional provisions affecting the federal form of government, separation of powers, suffrage, or individual rights and guarantees cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2017 (2018)

Legal system: civil law; note - a new 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
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Suffrage: voluntary between 16 to 18 years of age, over 70, and if illiterate; compulsory between 18 to 70 years of age; note - military conscripts by law cannot vote

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 31 August 2016); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 31 August 2016); Vice President (vacant)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 October 2018 with runoff on 28 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022)
Election results: Jair BOLSONARO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 46%, Fernando HADDAD (PT) 29.3%, Ciro GOMEZ (PDT) 12.5%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 4.8%, other 7.4%; percent of vote in second round - Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 55.1%, Fernando HADDAD (PT) 44.9%; note - BOLSONARO will take office 1 January 2019: note: on 12 May 2016, Brazil's Senate voted to hold an impeachment trial of President Dilma ROUSSEFF, who was then suspended from her executive duties; Vice President Michel TEMER took over as acting president; on 31 August 2016 the Senate voted 61-20 in favor of conviction and her removal from office; TEMER is serving as president for the remainder of ROUSSEFF's term, which ends 1 January 2019

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Federal Court or Supremo Tribunal Federal (consists of 11 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president and approved by the Federal Senate; justices appointed to serve until mandatory retirement at age 75
Subordinate courts: Tribunal of the Union, Federal Appeals Court, Superior Court of Justice, Superior Electoral Court, regional federal courts; state court system

Political parties and leaders: Avante [Luis TIBE] (formerly Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB) Brazilian Communist Party or PCB [Ivan Martins PINHEIRO]Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER]Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Cristiane BRASIL]Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Marcos Antonio PEREIRA]Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Aecio NEVES]Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Carlos Roberto SIQUEIRA de Barros]Christian Democracy or DC [Jose Maria EYMAEL] (formerly Christian Social Democratic Party or PSDC)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 [Jose AGRIPINO] (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL)Free Homeland Party or PPL [Sergio RUBENS]Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz PENNA]Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Eduardo MACHADO]National Mobilization Party or PMN [Telma RIBEIRO dos Santos]New Party or NOVO [Moises JARDIM]Party of the Republic or PR [Alfredo NASCIMENTO]Patriota [Adilson BARROSO Oliveira] (formerly National Ecologic Party or PEN)Podemos [Renata ABREU] (formerly National Labor Party or PTN) Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto Joao Pereira FREIRE]Progressive Party or PP [Ciro NOGUEIRA]Progressive Republican Party or PRP [Ovasco Roma Altimari RESENDE]Republican Social Order Party or PROS [Euripedes JUNIOR]Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS]Social Democratic Party or PSD [Guilherme CAMPOS]Social Liberal Party or PSL [Luciano Caldas BIVAR]Socialism and Freedom Party or PSOL [Luiz ARAUJO]Solidarity or SD [Paulo PEREIRA DA SILVA]Sustainability Network or REDE [Marina SILVA]United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU [Jose Maria DE ALMEIDA]Workers' Cause Party or PCO [Rui Costa PIMENTA]Workers' Party or PT [Rui FALCAO]

International organization participation: AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, BRICS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sergio Silva do AMARAL (since 16 September 2016)
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 consulate: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael MCKINLEY (since 19 December 2016)
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: Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo

Flag description:

National symbols: Southern Cross constellation; national colors: green, yellow, blue

National anthem
Name: Hino Nacional Brasileiro (Brazilian National Anthem)
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

Economy overview: Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world, but is recovering from a recession in 2015 and 2016 that ranks as the worst in the country’s history. In 2017, Brazil`s GDP grew 1%, inflation fell to historic lows of 2.9%, and the Central Bank lowered benchmark interest rates from 13.75% in 2016 to 7%.The economy has been negatively affected by multiple corruption scandals involving private companies and government officials, including the impeachment and conviction of Former President Dilma ROUSSEFF in August 2016. Sanctions against the firms involved — some of the largest in Brazil — have limited their business opportunities, producing a ripple effect on associated businesses and contractors but creating opportunities for foreign companies to step into what had been a closed market.The succeeding TEMER administration has implemented a series of fiscal and structural reforms to restore credibility to government finances. Congress approved legislation in December 2016 to cap public spending. Government spending growth had pushed public debt to 73.7% of GDP at the end of 2017, up from over 50% in 2012. The government also boosted infrastructure projects, such as oil and natural gas auctions, in part to raise revenues. Other economic reforms, proposed in 2016, aim to reduce barriers to foreign investment, and to improve labor conditions. Policies to strengthen Brazil’s workforce and industrial sector, such as local content requirements, have boosted employment, but at the expense of investment.Brazil is a member of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), a trade bloc that includes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay - Venezuela’s membership in the organization was suspended In August 2017. After the Asian and Russian financial crises, Mercosur adopted a protectionist stance to guard against exposure to volatile foreign markets and it currently is negotiating Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and Canada.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 8

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 182

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 108

Gross national saving:
Rank: 136

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 63.4% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 20% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 15.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 12.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -11.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 20.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 72.7% (2017 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: 0% (2017 est.)
Rank: 169

Labor force: 104.2 million (2017)
Rank: 5
By occupation agriculture: 9.4%
By occupation industry: 32.1%
By occupation services: 58.5% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 165

Population below poverty line:

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 43.4% (2016 est.)
Highest 10: 43.4% (2016 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 19

Budget
Revenues: 733.7 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 756.3 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 82

Taxes and other revenues: 35.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 57

Public debt:
Rank: 32

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 139

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 48

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 2

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 35

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 35

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 12

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 18

Current account balance:
Rank: 190

Exports:
Rank: 26
Partners: China 21.8%, US 12.5%, Argentina 8.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)
Commodities: transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles

Imports:
Rank: 29
Commodities: machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Partners: China 18.1%, US 16.7%, Argentina 6.3%, Germany 6.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 10

Debt external:
Rank: 21

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 14

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 19

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 800,000 (2013)
Access electrification total population: 99.5% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 97% (2013)
Production: 567.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 8
Consumption: 509.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 8
Exports: 219 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 73
Imports: 41.31 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 3
Installed generating capacity: 150.8 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 7
Generation sources fossil fuels: 17% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 197
Generation sources nuclear: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 28
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 64% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 24
Generation sources other renewable sources: 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 46

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.622 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 10
Crude oil exports: 736,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 17
Crude oil imports: 297,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 25
Crude oil proven reserves: 12.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 14

Refined petroleum
Products production: 2.811 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 7
Products consumption: 2.956 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 7
Products exports: 279,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 28
Products imports: 490,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 17

Natural gas
Production: 23.96 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 29
Consumption: 34.35 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 28
Exports: 134.5 million m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 48
Imports: 10.51 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 26
Proven reserves: 377.4 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 34

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 513.8 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 13

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 40,878,018 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 5
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 236,488,548 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 5

Telephone system
General assessment: good working system including an extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; four major mobile operators offering a range of voice and data services; one of the largest broadband markets in Latin America, broadband penetration only behind Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay; country is a pioneer in the region for m-commerce (electronic commerce conducted on mobile phones) (2017)
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 impetus broadening telephone service to the lower-income segments of the population with mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 114 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Americas-1, Americas-2, Atlantis-2, GlobeNet, South America-1, South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus, 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; Brazil is connected through submarine cables to the USA, Central and South America, and the Caribbean; satellites is a major communication platform, as it is almost impossible to lay fibre optic cable in the thick vegetation (2017)

Broadcast media: state-run Radiobras operates a radio and a TV network; more than 1,000 radio stations and more than 100 TV channels operating - mostly privately owned; private media ownership highly concentrated (2007)

Internet
Country code: .br
Users total: 122,841,218 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 59.7% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 4

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 28,670,016 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.)
Rank: 6

Military expenditures:
Rank: 87

Military service age and obligation: 18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 10-12 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 (2012)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 9 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 443 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 102,039,359 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 149.393 million
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: PP (2016)

Airports: 4,093 (2013)
Rank: 2
With paved runways total: 698 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 179 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 436 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 49 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 3,395 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 92 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1619 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1684 (2013)

Heliports: 13 (2013)

Pipelines: 5,959 km refined petroleum product (1,165 km distribution, 4,794 km transport), 11,696 km natural gas (2,274 km distribution, 9,422 km transport), 1985 km crude oil (distribution), 77 km ethanol/petrochemical (37 km distribution, 40 km transport) (2016)

Railways
Total: 29,850 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 194 km
Note: 1.600-1.000-m gauge (2014)
Narrow gauge: 23,342 km
Broad gauge: 5,822 km
Dual gauge: 492 km
Rank: 9

Roadways
Total: 1,580,964 km (2010)
Paved: 212,798 km (2010)
Unpaved: 1,368,166 km (2010): note: does not include urban roads
Rank: 4

Waterways: 50,000 km
Note: (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2012)
Rank: 3

Merchant marine
Total: 775 (2017)
By type: bulk carrier 20, container ship 18, general cargo 48, oil tanker 38, other 651 (2017)
Rank: 28

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Belem, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao
Oil terminal: DTSE/Gegua oil terminal, Ilha Grande (Gebig), Guaiba Island terminal, Guamare oil terminal
Container port: Santos (3,393,593) (2016)
LNG terminal: Pecem, Rio de Janiero
River port: Manaus (Amazon)
Dry bulk cargo port: Sepetiba ore terminal, Tubarao

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 84,746 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)
Stateless persons: 294 (2017)

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