Brazil

fresh water lake(s):

Lagoa dos Patos - 10,140 sq km

salt water lake(s):

Lagoa Mirim (shared with Uruguay) - 2,970 sq km

• 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 São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro

noun:

Brazilian(s)

adjective:

Brazilian

• Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language);
• less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and many minor Amerindian languages

major-language sample(s):

O Livro de Fatos Mundiais, a fonte indispensável para informação básica. (Brazilian Portuguese); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

total:

35.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

34 years

female:

36.1 years

• 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 São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

12.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

14.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.3 years (2024 est.)

male:

72.6 years

female:

80.1 years

total:

6.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

12.8% (2020 est.)

male:

16.2% (2020 est.)

female:

9.4% (2020 est.)

• 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

urban population:

87.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

10.94 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

462.3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

401.83 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

79,889,010 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

1,118,446 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

1.4% (2014 est.)

fresh water lake(s):

Lagoa dos Patos - 10,140 sq km

salt water lake(s):

Lagoa Mirim (shared with Uruguay) - 2,970 sq km

municipal:

16.13 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

9.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

41.42 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

6

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Araripe;
• Cacapava;
• Quarta Colonia;
• Serido;
• Southern Canyons Pathways;
• Uberaba (2024)

conventional long form:

Federative Republic of Brazil

conventional short form:

Brazil

local long form:

República 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

name:

Brasília

geographic coordinates:

15 47 S, 47 55 W

time difference:

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note:

Brazil has four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands

etymology:

• name bestowed on the new capital of Brazil upon its inauguration in 1960;
• previous Brazilian capitals had been Salvador from 1549 to 1763 and Rio de Janeiro from 1763 to 1960

• 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

history:

several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988

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 two 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 2023

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

4 years

• 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

chief of state:

President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2023)

head of government:

President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2023)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a single consecutive term and additional terms after at least one term has elapsed);
• election last held on 2 October 2022 with runoff on 30 October 2022 (next to be held on 4 October 2026)

election results:

• 2022: Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva elected president in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (PT) 48.4%, Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 43.2%, Simone Nassar TEBET (MDB) 4.2%, Ciro GOMES (PDT) 3%, other 1.2%;
• percent of vote in second round - Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (PT) 50.9%, Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 49.1%

;

• 2018: 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 - the president is both chief of state and head of government

• Act (Agir) (formerly Christian Labor Party or PTC)
• Avante (formerly Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB)
• Brazil Union (União Brasil); note - founded from a merger between the Democrats (DEM) and the Social Liberal Party (PSL)
• Brazilian Communist Party or PCB
• Brazilian Democratic Movement or MDB
• Brazilian Labor Party or PTB
• Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB
• Brazilian Labor Party or PTB
• Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB
• Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB
• Christian Democracy or DC (formerly Christian Social Democratic Party)
• Cidadania (formerly Popular Socialist Party or PPS)
• Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB
• Democratic Labor Party or PDT
• Democratic Party or PSDC
• Democrats or DEM (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL); note - dissolved in February 2022
• Green Party or PV
• Liberal Party or PL [Valdemar Costa Neto] (formerly Party of the Republic or PR)
• National Mobilization Party or PMN
• New Party or NOVO
• Patriota (formerly National Ecologic Party or PEN)
• Podemos (formerly National Labor Party or PTN)
• Progressive Party (Progressistas) or PP
• Republican Social Order Party or PROS
• Republicans (Republicanos) (formerly Brazilian Republican Party or PRB)
• Social Christian Party or PSC
• Social Democratic Party or PSD
• Social Liberal Party or PSL
• Socialism and Freedom Party or PSOL
• Solidarity or SD
• Sustainability Network or REDE
• United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU
• Workers' Cause Party or PCO
• Workers' Party or PT

• 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 diamond shape roughly mirrors that of the country);
• 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)

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, and Vanuatu

name:

"Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem)

lyrics/music:

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

total World Heritage Sites:

24 (15 cultural, 8 natural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Brasilia (c);
• Historic Salvador de Bahia (c);
• Historic Ouro Preto (c);
• Historic Center of the Town of Olinda (c);
• Iguaçu National Park (n);
• Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis (c);
• Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes (c);
• Central Amazon Conservation Complex (n);
• Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves (n);
• Historic Center of Salvador de Bahia (c);
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas (c );
• Brasilia (c );
• Serra da Capivara National Park (c );
• Historic Center of Sao Luis( c);
• Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves (n);
• Historic Center of the Town of Diamantina (c );
• Pantanal Conservation Area (n);
• Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves (n);
• Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks (n);
• Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás (c);
• São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão (c );
• Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea (c );
• Pampulha Modern Ensemble (c );
• Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (c );
• Paraty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity (m);
• Sítio Roberto Burle Marx (c );
• Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (n)

• upper-middle income, largest Latin American economy;
• Mercosur, BRICS, G20 member and OECD accession candidate;
• growth driven by strong domestic consumption;
• tax simplification reforms aimed at addressing business conditions and lagging productivity;
• high inequality in income and access to health and education

Fitch rating:

BB (2023)

Moody's rating:

Ba2 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2018)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

6.2% (2023 est.)

industry:

22.3% (2023 est.)

services:

58.9% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

17.9% (2023 est.)

male:

15.6% (2023 est.)

female:

20.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

16.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

1.7% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.2% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

41% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

2 (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction:

1 (2023)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

1.88GW (2023 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

2.2% (2023 est.)

production:

15.644 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption:

32.787 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

7,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

20.389 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

6.596 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

total petroleum production:

4.221 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

3.027 million bbl/day (2022 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

12.715 billion barrels (2021 est.)

production:

22.67 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

consumption:

31.654 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports:

75.122 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

8.812 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

363.985 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• Brazil is one of the largest mobile and broadband markets in Latin America with healthy competition and pricing;
• 5G services was provided to all capital cities in July 2022, as well as about 35,500km of the national highway network;
• the country also has one of the largest fixed line broadband markets in Latin America, though broadband subscriptions is only slightly above the regional average, trailing behind Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay;
• amendments to the licensing regime adopted in October 2019 also require that ISPs which have switched to authorizations invest money saved from lighter regulations in the expansion of broadband services;
• the fixed line broadband market has seen rapid growth for a number of years, with a growing focus on fiber broadband;
• in 2019 the number of fiber accesses overtook DSL connections;
• the country is a key landing point for a number of important submarine cables connecting to the US, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa;
• several new cable systems are due to come into service through to 2022, which will increase bandwidth and push down broadband prices for end-users;
• investments have also been made into terrestrial fiber cables between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line connections stand at roughly 13 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 102 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 55;
• landing points for a number of submarine cables, including Malbec, ARBR, Tamnat, SAC, SAm-1, Atlantis -2, Seabras-1, Monet, EllaLink, BRUSA, GlobeNet, AMX-1, Brazilian Festoon, Bicentenario, Unisur, Junior, Americas -II, SAE x1, SAIL, SACS and SABR 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;
• satellites is a major communication platform, as it is almost impossible to lay fiber optic cable in the thick vegetation (2019)

• 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 (2022)

number of registered air carriers:

9 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 443

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

102,109,977 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

1,845,650,000 (2018) mt-km