Brazil

Federative Republic of Brazil

federal republicIndependence 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Brazil as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBrasilia
Position10 00 S, 55 00 W
Area8,511,965 sq km
LocationEastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
1997

Every edition of Brazil

Populationas each edition published it
164.51 million July 1997 est. · 152.51m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.1% 1997 est. · 1.35% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 27 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 62.7 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.29 children per woman 1997 est. · 3.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
53.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 69 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$6,300 1996 est. · $2,350 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.9% 1996 est. · -0.2% in 1993

Geography

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

18 fields

Land useshare of 8,511,965 sq km

arable land 5%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 22%forests and woodland 58%other 14% (1993 est.)irrigated 28,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
8,511,965sq km
land : 8,456,510 sq kmwater: 55,455 sq kmnote: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Pauloslightly smaller than the US
Coastline
7,491km
contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf : 200 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
3,014m
Pico da Neblinalowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
14,691km
border countries: 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 km

Location

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Geographic coordinates

10 00 S, 55 00 W

Map references

South America

Climate

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

Natural resources

bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Natural hazards

recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Environment - current 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

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields
Population
164,511,366
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 1.1% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
20.43Death
9.42Net migration
0

Ethnic groups

white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%mixed white and black 38%black 6%other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Literacy
83.3%
definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: 83.3%female : 83.2% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
30% (male 25,018,597; female 24,164,894)
15-64 years:
65% (male 53,217,683; female 54,215,461) 65 years and over : 5% (male 3,181,539; female 4,713,192) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.68 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

53.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population :
61.42 years
male:
56.78 years
female:
66.3 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.29 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Brazilian(s)
adjective:
Brazilian

Religions

Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%

Languages

Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Government

Federal republic; President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995)

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53%
Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%Luis Inacio LULA da Silva 26%Eneas CARNEIRO 7%Orestes QUERCIA 4%Leonel BRIZOLA 3%Espiridiao AMIN 3%election last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1998)

Federal Senate, elected 3 October 1994 for two-thirds of Senatepercent of vote

PMBD 28%PFL 22%PSDB 12%PPR 7%PDT 7%PT 6%PTB 6%other 12%

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

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

Suffrage

voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age

Executive branch

chief of state :
  • President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995);
  • Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995);
  • note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
  • President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995);
  • Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995);
  • note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections:
  • president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms;
  • election last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1998)
election results:
  • Fernando Henrique CARDOSO elected president;
  • percent of vote - Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%, Luis Inacio LULA da Silva 26%, Eneas CARNEIRO 7%, Orestes QUERCIA 4%, Leonel BRIZOLA 3%, Espiridiao AMIN 3%;
  • note - second direct presidential election since 1960

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period ) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
  • Federal Senate - last held 3 October 1994 for two-thirds of Senate (next to be held October 1998 for one-third of the Senate);
  • Chamber of Deputies - last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998)
election results:
  • Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - PMBD 28%, PFL 22%, PSDB 12%, PPR 7%, PDT 7%, PT 6%, PTB 6%, other 12%;
  • seats by party - NA;
  • Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PMDB 21%, PFL 18%, PDT 7%, PSDB 12%, PPR 10%, PTB 6%, PT 10%, other 16%;
  • seats by party - NA

note: party totals since the fall of 1994 have changed considerably due to extensive party-switching

Judicial branch

Supreme Federal Tribunal, judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Political parties and leaders

  • Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Paes DE ANDRADE, president];
  • Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jose JORGE, president];
  • Workers' Party or PT [Jose DIRCEU, president];
  • Brazilian Workers' Party or PTB [Rodrigues PALMA, president];
  • Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president];
  • Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Espiridiao AMIN, president];
  • Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Artur DA TAVOLA, president];
  • Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto FREIRE, president];
  • Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Joao AMAZONAS, chairman];
  • Liberal Party or PL [Alvaro VALLE, president];
  • Progressive Reform Party or PPR [Esperido AMIN, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders

left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party are critical of government's social and economic policies

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), BIS (pending member), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MTCR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Paulo Tarso FLECHA de LIMA
chancery:
3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 238-2700

FAX

[1] (202) 238-2827; consulate(s) general : Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission :
Ambassador Melvyn LEVITSKY
embassy:
Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal
mailing address:
Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone:
[55] (61) 321-7272

FAX

[55] (61) 225-9136

consulate(s) general:
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s):
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

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.

22 fields
Real growth rate
2.9%
(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 3.5% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate
5.2%
(1996 est.)
Labor force
57million
(1989 est.)by occupation: services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%

GDP - composition by sector(1995)

agriculture 13%industry 38%services 49% (1995)

Budget

Revenues
$86 billionExpenditures
$90 billion (1995)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Economy - overview

Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. Prior to the institution of a stabilization plan - the Plano Real (Real Plan) - in mid-1994, stratospheric inflation rates had disrupted economic activity and discouraged foreign investment.

Since then, tight monetary policy has brought inflation under control - consumer prices increased by only 10% in 1996 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7% in 1994 to 2.9% in 1996 due to tighter credit. The steadily appreciating currency has also encouraged imports, contributing to a growing trade deficit, and depressed export growth.

Brazil's more stable economy allowed it to weather the fallout in 1995 from the Mexican peso crisis relatively well, and record levels of foreign investment have since flowed in, helping to swell official foreign exchange reserves to $60 billion in 1996; stock markets reflected this increased investor confidence, gaining 53% in dollar terms.

President CARDOSO remains committed to further reducing inflation in 1997 and putting Brazil on track for expanded economic growth, but he faces several key challenges. Fiscal reforms requiring constitutional amendments are stalled in the Brazilian legislature; in their absence, the government is continuing to run deficits and has limited room to relax its interest and exchange rate policies much if it wants to keep inflation under control.

High interest rates have made servicing domestic debt dramatically more burdensome for both public and private sector entities, contributing to federal and state budget problems and a surge in bankruptcies.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.022 trillion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,300 (1996 est.)

Industries

textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Electricity - capacity

59.036 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production

268.874 billion kWh (1995) note: imports some electricity from Paraguay

Agriculture - products

coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Exports

total value:
$47.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:
iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts
partners:
EU 26%, Latin America 22%, US 23%, Argentina 11% (1995)

Imports

total value:
$53.3 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:
crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal
partners :
EU 26%, US 24%, Argentina 11%, Japan 5% (1995)

Debt - external

$176 billion (December 1996)

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $107 million (1993)

Currency

1 real (R$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

R$ per US$1 - 1.043 (January 1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995), 0.639 (1994); CR$ per US$1 - 390.845 (January 1994), 88.449 (1993), 4.513 (1992) note: on 1 August 1993 the cruzeiro real (CR$), equal to 1,000 cruzeiros, was introduced; another new currency, the real (R$) was introduced on 1 July 1994, equal to 2,750 cruzeiro reais

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1,223, FM 0, shortwave 151

Radios

60 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

112 note: Brazil has the world's fourth largest television broadcasting system

Televisions

30 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
1,205
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m : 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 125 914 to 1,523 m: 304

Networkskm

Highways
1.939 millionRailways
27,418Waterways
50,000
Highways: paved: 178,388 km · unpaved: 1,760,612 km (1995 est.) · Railways: (1,750 km electrified) · broad gauge: 5,730 km 1.600-m gauge · standard gauge : 194 km 1.440-m gauge · narrow gauge: 20,958 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge · dual gauge: 523 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges

Railways

total:
27,418 km (1,750 km electrified)
broad gauge:
5,730 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge :
194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge:
20,958 km 1.000-m gauge; 13 km 0.760-m gauge
dual gauge:
523 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges

Highways

total:
1.939 million km
paved:
178,388 km
unpaved:
1,760,612 km (1995 est.)

Pipelines

  • crude oil 2,000 km;
  • petroleum products 3,804 km;
  • natural gas 1,095 km

Ports and harbors

Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria

Merchant marine

total :
193 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,475,748 GRT/7,175,061 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 42, cargo 26, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 11, container 13, liquefied gas tanker 11, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 62, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11

note: Brazil owns 16 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,270,275 DWT that operate under Bahamian, Liberian, Panamanian, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines registry (1996 est.)

Airports

2,871 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 1,213 1,524 to 2,437 m: 67 914 to 1,523 m: 1,146 (1996 est.)

Military

Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes Marines), | Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)

7 fields

Military branches

Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes Marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 45,876,084 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • short section of the boundary with Paraguay, just west of Salto das Sete Quedas (Guaira Falls) on the Rio Parana, has not been precisely delimited;
  • two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River

Illicit drugs

  • limited illicit producer of cannabis, minor coca cultivation in the Amazon region, mostly used for domestic consumption;
  • government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis;
  • important transshipment country for Bolivian and Colombian cocaine headed for the US and Europe BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY Territory] (dependent territory of the UK)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Brazil.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/brazil/1997.

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