2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

8,456,510 sq km

note

includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

total

8,511,965 sq km

water

55,455 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the US

Climate

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Coastline

7,491 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Geographic coordinates

10 00 S, 55 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

28,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

total

14,691 km

Land use

arable land

5%

forests and woodland

58%

other

14% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

22%

Location

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

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.)

Birth rate

18.84 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages

Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Life expectancy at birth

female

67.56 years (2000 est.)

male

58.54 years

total population

62.94 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

83.2% (1995 est.)

male

83.3%

total population

83.3%

Nationality

adjective

Brazilian

noun

Brazilian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

172,860,370

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.)

Population growth rate

0.94% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

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.)

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Brasilia

Constitution

5 October 1988

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

BR

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

(61) 321-7272

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA

telephone

(202) 238-2700

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

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

election results

Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president; percent of vote - 53%

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)

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

FAX

(202) 238-2827

(61) 225-9136

consulate(s)

Recife

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo

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)

Government type

federative republic

Independence

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 - 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

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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Political parties and leaders

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB ; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ, president]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB ; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB ; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo MALUF, president]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Joao AMAZONAS, chairman]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT ; Liberal Front Party or PFL ; Liberal Party or PL ; Popular Socialist Party or PPS ; 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

Suffrage

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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$149 billion, including capital expenditures of $36 billion (1998)

revenues

$151 billion

Currency

1 real (R$) = 100 centavos

Debt - external

$200 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$1.012 billion (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

336.242 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

41.5 billion kWh

note

imports electricity from Paraguay (1998)

Electricity - production

316.927 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

4.92%

hydro

91.02%

nuclear

0.99%

other

3.07% (1998)

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$

Exports

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

Exports - commodities

manufactures, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee

Exports - partners

US 18%, Argentina 13%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 4% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

14%

industry

36%

services

50% (1997)

GDP - per capita

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

GDP - real growth rate

0.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 47.9% (1995)

Imports

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

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity

Imports - partners

US 23%, Argentina 12%, Germany 10%, Japan 5%, Italy 5% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

-2.6% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (1999)

Labor force

74 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%

Population below poverty line

17.4% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.5% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

197 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

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

Radios

71 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

Telephones - main lines in use

19 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

138 (1997)

Televisions

36.5 million (1997)

Airports

3,277 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

541 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 138 914 to 1,523 m: 346 under 914 m: 32 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

2,736 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 1,306 under 914 m: 1,357 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

184,140 km

total

1.98 million km

unpaved

1,795,860 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

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.)

total

174 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,964,808 GRT/6,403,284 DWT

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

Railways

broad gauge

4,057 km 1.600-m gauge

dual gauge

336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (1999 est.)

narrow gauge

23,489 km 1.000-m gauge

total

27,882 km (1,122 km electrified); note - excludes urban rail

Waterways

50,000 km navigable

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$13.408 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.9% (FY99)

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 - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

1,830,195 (2000 est.)

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

BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY