Brazil

Federative Republic of BrazilRepublica Federativa do Brasil

federative republicIndependence 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Brazil as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 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

Populationas each edition published it

172.86 million July 2000 est. · 152.51m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.94% 2000 est. · 1.35% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 27 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

62.94 years 2000 est. · 62.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.13 children per woman 2000 est. · 3.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

38.04 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 69 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,150 1999 est. · $2,350 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

0.8% 1999 est. · -0.2% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970s. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.

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

note: President CARDOSO in September 1999 signed into force an environmental crime bill which for the first time defines pollution and deforestation as crimes punishable by stiff fines and jail sentences

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields

Population

172,860,370

growth rate: 0.94% (2000 est.)

Note

note: Brazil took an intercensal count in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, which is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

18.84Death

9.37Net migration

-0.03

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2000 est.)62.94

58.54 · 67.56

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)83.3%

83.3% · 83.2%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%mixed white and black 38%black 6%other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 29% (male 25,607,074; female 24,670,960)
15-64 years:: 66% (male 55,793,005; female 57,598,489)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 3,727,912; female 5,462,930) (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

38.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Brazilian(s)
adjective:: Brazilian

Religions

Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

Languages

Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Government

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

19 fields

Federal Senate, 513 seats, elected 4 October 1998 for one-third of Senateseats by party

PFL 106PSDB 99PMDB 82PPB 60PT 58PTB 31PDT 25PSB 19PL 12PCdoB 7other 14

Country name

conventional long form:: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form:: Brazil
local long form:: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form:: Brasil

Data code

Government type

federative republic

Capital

Brasilia

Administrative divisions

26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal);
Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

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

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 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002)
election results:: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president; percent of vote - 53%

Legislative branch

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

elections:: Federal Senate - last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of Senate (next to be held NA October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate);
Chamber of Deputies - last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002)
election results:: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PMDB 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5, PSB 3, PDT 2, PPS 1;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58, PTB 31, PDT 25, PSB 19, PL 12, PCdoB 7, other 14

Judicial branch

Supreme Federal Tribunal, 11 judges are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Political parties and leaders

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Jader BARBALHO, president];
Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ, president];
Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Teotinho VILELA Filho, president];
Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES, president];
Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo MALUF, president];
Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Joao AMAZONAS, chairman];
Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president];
Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president];
Liberal Party or PL [Valdemar COSTA Neto, president];
Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto FREIRE, president];
Worker's Party or PT [Jose DIRCEU, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
chancery:: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 238-2700
FAX:: [1] (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general:: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Anthony S. HARRINGTON
embassy:: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900 Brazil
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

31 fields

Real growth rate

0.8%

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: -2.6% (1999 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1999)

Unemployment rate

7.5%

(1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

17.4%

(1990 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1997)

agriculture 14%industry 36%services 50% (1997)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

18%

23%

13%

Argentina

12%

Germany

10%

Netherlands

Japan

Italy

Exports $46.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)Imports $48.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999)(1999)

Budget

Revenues

$151 billionExpenditures

$149 billion (1998)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $36 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 4.92%hydro 91.02%nuclear 0.99%other 3.07% (1998)

Electricity production

316.927 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

336.242 billion (1998)Electricity imports

41.5 billion

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. In the late eighties and early nineties, high inflation hindered economic activity and investment.

The Real Plan, instituted in the spring of 1994, sought to break inflationary expectations by pegging the real to the US dollar. Inflation was brought down to single digit annual figures, but not fast enough to avoid substantial real exchange rate appreciation during the transition phase of the Real Plan.

This appreciation meant that Brazilian goods were now more expensive relative to goods from other countries, which contributed to large current account deficits. However, no shortage of foreign currency ensued because of the financial community's renewed interest in Brazilian markets as inflation rates stabilized and the debt crisis of the eighties faded from memory.

The maintenance of large current account deficits via capital account surpluses became problematic as investors became more risk averse to emerging market exposure as a consequence of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the Russian bond default in August 1998. After crafting a fiscal adjustment program and pledging progress on structural reform, Brazil received a $41.5 billion IMF-led international support program in November 1998.

In January 1999, the Brazilian Central Bank announced that the real would no longer be pegged to the US dollar. This devaluation helped moderate the downturn in economic growth in 1999 that investors had expressed concerns about over the summer of 1998. Brazil's debt to GDP ratio of 48% for 1999 beat the IMF target and helped reassure investors that Brazil will maintain tight fiscal and monetary policy even with a floating currency. The economy is expected to push growth up to 3% in 2000.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.057 trillion (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,150 (1999 est.)

Labor force

74 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$46.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

manufactures, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee

Imports

$48.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity

Debt - external

$200 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$1.012 billion (1995)

Currency

1 real (R$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

reals (R$) per US$1 - 1.804 (January 2000), 1.815 (1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996), 0.918 (1995) note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US$

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

4 million

(1997)

Internet users

197

(1999)

Fixed lines

19 million

(1997)

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), connected by microwave relay system to MERCOSUR Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)

Radios

71 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

138 (1997)

Televisions

36.5 million (1997)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

138

1,524 to 2,437 m

346

914 to 1,523 m

1,306

under 914 m

1,357

Paved 541Unpaved 2,736

Networkskm

Highways

1.98 millionRailways

27,882Waterways

50,000

Highways: paved: 184,140 km · unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (1,122 km electrified); note - excludes urban rail · broad gauge: 4,057 km 1.600-m gauge · narrow gauge: 23,489 km 1.000-m gauge · dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (1999 est.)

Railways

total:: 27,882 km (1,122 km electrified); note - excludes urban rail
broad gauge:: 4,057 km 1.600-m gauge
narrow gauge:: 23,489 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge:: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (1999 est.)

Highways

total:: 1.98 million km
paved:: 184,140 km
unpaved:: 1,795,860 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998)

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

total:: 174 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,964,808 GRT/6,403,284 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 34, cargo 28, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 9, container 10, liquified gas 10, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off 11, short-sea passenger 1 (1999 est.)

Airports

3,277 (1999 est.)

Military

Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes naval air and marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.9%

(FY99)

Military branches

Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes naval air and marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 47,732,285 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 32,029,873 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 1,830,195 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$13.408 billion (FY99)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River

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, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe;
increasingly used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia;
upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Central Intelligence Agency. “Brazil.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/brazil/2000.

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