2002 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2002 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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 South America's leading economic power by the 1970s. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
Geography
Area
total: 8,511,965 sq km 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 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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Environment - current issues
deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; 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
Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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
26,560 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 14,691 km 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
Land use
arable land: 6% permanent crops: 2% other: 92% (1998 est.)
Location
Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Map references
South America
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 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
People and Society
Age structure
28% (male 25,140,954; female 24,199,276) 15-64 years: (male 3,992,017; female 5,863,234) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
18.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Ethnic groups
white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.57% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
18,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
540,000 (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate
35.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Life expectancy at birth
67.91 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.3% male: 83.3% female: 83.2% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian
Net migration rate
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Population
176,029,560 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 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
0.87% (2002 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 (2002 est.)
Government
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 short form: Brasil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
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 [55] (061) 321-7272 FAX: consulate(s): Recife
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA 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
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 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 6 October 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president 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
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-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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)
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: 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 note: PSDB 13, PT 7, PDT 5, PSB 4, PTB 4, PPB 2, PPS 2, PL 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party (as of January 2002) - PFL 96, PSDB 93, PMDB 90, PT 59, PPB 49, PTB 33, PL 24, PDT 17, PSB 16, PPS 13, PCdoB 10, other 13 elections: Federal Senate - last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held 6 October 2002)
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Political parties and leaders
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER, president]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ, president]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose ANIBAL, president]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES, president]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELLO, chairman]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto, president]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator 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
Suffrage
voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age
Economy
Agriculture - products
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Budget
revenues: $100.6 billion expenditures: $91.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)
Currency
real (BRL)
Currency code
BRL
Debt - external
$251 billion (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
59.1 (1997)
Economic aid - recipient
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. 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, and the country posted moderate GDP growth. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001 - to less than 2% - because of a slowdown in major markets and the hiking of interest rates by the Central Bank to combat inflationary pressures. Investor confidence was strong at yearend 2001, in part because of the strong recovery in the trade balance.
Electricity - consumption
360.641 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
42.3 billion kWh note: supplied by Paraguay (2000)
Electricity - production
342.302 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 5.85% other: 3.74% (2000) hydro: 88.97% nuclear: 1.44%
Exchange rates
reals per US dollar - 2.378 (January 2002), 2.358 (2001), 1.830 (2000), 1.815 (1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997) 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 dollar
Exports
$57.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities
manufactures, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners
US 24.4%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9%, Netherlands (2001)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $1.34 trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 9% industry: 32% services: 59% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
1.9% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 46.7% (1997)
Imports
$57.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity, autos and auto parts
Imports - partners
US 23.2%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9% (2001)
Industrial production growth rate
1% (2001 est.)
Industries
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.7% (2001)
Labor force
79 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
services 53%, agriculture 23%, industry 24%
Population below poverty line
22% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
6.4% (2001 est.)
Communications
Internet country code
.br
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
50 (2000)
Internet users
11.94 million (2001)
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
general assessment: 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
17.039 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular
4.4 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
138 (1997)
Televisions
36.5 million (1997)
Transportation
Airports
3,365 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 627 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 153 914 to 1,523 m: 407 under 914 m: 40 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways
1,316 under 914 m: Military Brazil
Highways
total: 1.98 million km paved: 184,140 km unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996)
Merchant marine
total: 165 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,662,570 GRT/5,875,933 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Monaco 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 32, cargo 25, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 9, container 12, liquefied gas 11, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 54, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1
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
total: broad gauge: 5,679 km 1.600-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) narrow gauge: 24,666 km 1.000-m gauge (930 km electrified) dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge note: in addition to the interurban routes itemized above, Brazil has 247.8 km of suburban railway consisting of 170.8 km of 1.600-m gauge (75 km electrified) and 77 km of 1.000-m gauge (1999 est.)
Waterways
50,000 km
Military and Security
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$13.408 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.9% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 48,859,610 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 32,743,504 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age
18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 1,762,740 (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
uncontested dispute with Uruguay over islands in the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada)
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 Colombian and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe; 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 This page was last updated on 1 January 2002 Bassas da India