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| Introduction | Brazil |
| 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 is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. |
| People | Brazil |
| Population: | 184,101,109 note: Brazil took a count in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 26.6% (male 24,915,902; female 23,966,713) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 61,739,012; female 62,770,480) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 4,389,659; female 6,319,343) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 27.4 years male: 26.7 years female: 28.2 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.11% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 17.25 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 30.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 34.47 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.41 years male: 67.45 years female: 75.57 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.7% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 660,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 15,000 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian |
| Ethnic groups: | white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic (nominal) 80% |
| Languages: | Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.4% male: 86.1% female: 86.6% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Brazil |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil conventional short form: Brazil local short form: Brasil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil |
| 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 Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA (PSDB) 38.7% elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); runoff election held 27 October 2002 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president head of government: President Luiz Inacio "Lula" DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government |
| 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) election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3, PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PP 49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5, other 11; note - many congressmen have changed party affiliation since the election elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose SERRA]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PP [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz DE FRANCA Penna]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Dr. Eneas CARNEIRO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator Roberto FREIRE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [leader NA]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose GENOINO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | left wing of the Catholic Church; Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party |
| International organization participation: | AfDB, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Federico Antonio HUMBERT Arias FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Donna J. HRINAK embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000 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) |
| Communications | Brazil |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 38.81 million (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 46,373,300 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: good working system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations international: country code - 55; 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) |
| Internet country code: | .br |
| Internet hosts: | 3,163,349 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 50 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 14.3 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Brazil |
| Railways: | total: 29,412 km (1,610 km electrified) broad gauge: 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (942 km electrified) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2003) narrow gauge: 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified) |
| Highways: | total: 1,724,929 km paved: 94,871 km unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | condensate/gas 244 km; gas 10,739 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria |
| Merchant marine: | total: 151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,961,431 GRT/4,725,267 DWT by type: bulk 29, cargo 22, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 6, container 12, liquefied gas 12, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 48, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Chile 2, Germany 7, Monaco 9, Panama 1, Spain 7 registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 3,803 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 698 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 461 under 914 m: 49 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 158 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 3,438 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 78 under 914 m: 1,780 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 1,579 |
| Heliports: | 417 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Brazil |
| Military branches: | Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Brazilian Air Force (FAB) |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 17 years of age for voluntary service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 52,100,042 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 34,799,098 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 1,788,495 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $10,439.4 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.1% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Brazil |
| Disputes - international: | unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina |
| Illicit drugs: | illicit producer of cannabis; minor 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 and the US; 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 earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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