1984 Edition

Agriculture

main products — coffee, rice, corn, sugarcane, soybeans, cotton, manioc, oranges; nearly self-sufficient

Airfields

4,351 total, 3,475 usable; 264 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,4403,659 m; 417 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

90 total, 81 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 34 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Area

8,512,100 km2; 60% forest; 23% built-on area, waste, and other; 13% pasture; 4% cultivated

Branches

strong executive with very broad powers; bicameral legislature (National Congress — Senate, Chamber of Deputies; powers of the two bodies have been sharply reduced); 1 1-man Supreme Court

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force

civilian government controlled by the military

Budget

(1982 est.) revenues $25.7 billion, expenditures $25.7 billion (Treasury budget only)

Capital

Brasilia

Paramaribo

Civil air

176 major transport aircraft

10 major transport aircraft

CNP

$295 billion, $2,360 per capita (1982 est); 19% gross investment, 82% consumption, — 1% net foreign balance (1982 est.); real growth rate 0% (1982 est.)

Coastline

7,491 km People

386 km People

Communists

6,000, less than 1,000 militants

Crude steel

17.5 million metric tons capacity; 13.0 million metric tons produced (1982 est.)

Elections

Figueiredo, who took office on 15 March 1979, was elected by an electoral college, composed of the members of Congress and delegates selected from the state legislatures on 15 October 1978; next presidential election 1985 Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PDS), progovernment, Jose Sarney, president; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Ulysses Guimaraes, president; three smaller parties are Workers Party (PT), Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), and Democratic Labor Party (PDT)

none planned Political parties and leaders: 25 February National Unity Movement (November 1983) official party established by Bouterse; regular party activity officially suspended, although some continue low-level functioning; leftists (all small groups) — Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan Krolis

Electric power

40,000,000 kW capacity (1983); 150.0 billion kWh produced (1983), 1,140 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, black, Amerindian; 55% white, 38% mixed, 6% black, and 1% other

37% Hindustani (East Indian), 31% Creole (black and mixed), 15.3% Javanese, 10.3% Bush Negro, 2.6% Amerindian, 1.7% Chinese, 1.0% Europeans, 1.7% other

Exports

$20.2 billion (f.o.b., 1982); soybeans, coffee, transport equipment, iron ore, steel products, chemicals, meat, shoes, sugar

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 858,183 metric tons (1979); exports, $162 million (f.o.b., 1982); imports, $80 million (f.o.b., 1982)

Government leader

Gen. (Ret.), JoSo Baptista de Oliveira FIGUEIREDO, President

Government leaders

Lt. Col. Desire BOUTERSE, Army Commander and strongman; Lachmipersad Frederick RAMDAT-MISIER, Acting President (figurehead); Wim UDENHART, Prime Minister

Highways

1,399,440 km total; 83,965 km paved, 1,315,475 km gravel or earth

20,000 km total; 1 ,700 km bituminous treated, 3,652 km gravel, 2,304 km improved earth; remainder unimproved earth and track

Imports

$19.4 billion (f.o.b., 1982); petroleum, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, wheat, copper, aluminum

Inland waterways

50,000 km navigable

5,310 km navigable

Labor force

about 50 million in 1982 — 29.9% agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fishing; 24.4% industry, 20.3% services, transportation, and communication; 9.4% commerce; 7.0% social activities; 4.1% public administration; 2.9% other

129,000; unemployment 20% (1983)

Land boundaries

13,076 km Water

1,561 km Water

Language

Portuguese (official)

Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others; Hindi; Ja-

Legal system

based on Latin codes; dual system of courts, state and federal; constitution adopted 1967 and extensively amended in 1969; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

suspended constitution

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

200 nm

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)

Literacy

74%

80%

Major industries

textiles and other consumer goods, chemicals, cement, lumber, steel, motor vehicles, other metalworking industries, capital goods

Major trade partners

exports— 20% US, 6% Netherlands, 6% FRG, 6% Japan, 5% Italy, 4% France (1982 est.); imports— 40% OPEC, 15% US, 5% Japan, 4% FRG, 4% Mexico, 3% France, 3% Argentina (1982 est.)

Member of

FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1983, $222.3 million; 0.95% of Central government budget Land 1 63,265 km2; negligible arable land, meadow and pasture; 76% forest; 16% built on, waste, or other; 8% unused but potentially productive

Military manpower

males 15-49, 4,878,000; 2,981,000 fit for military service; 223,000 reach military age (18) annually

Monetary conversion rate

842 cruzeiros=US$l (31 October 1983)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 September

Independence Day, 25 November

Nationality

noun — Brazilian(s); adjective — Brazilian

noun — Surinamer(s); adjective — Surinamese

Official name

Federative Republic of Brazil

Republic of Suriname

Organized labor

about 6 million (1982) Government

approx. 33% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

the Catholic Church, over the years, has been a consistent critic of the regime; labor unions, at least as far as wage demands, have been active at times; business organizations can be influential, especially in the economically powerful states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais

Pipelines

crude oil, 2,000 km; refined products, 465 km; natural gas, 257 km

refined products, 815 km

Political subdivisions

23 states, 3 territories, federal district (Brasilia)

9 districts before 1980 coup, each headed by District Commissioner responsible to Minister of District Government and Decentralization except for Paramaribo, whose commissioner is responsible to Minister of Home Affairs, not functioning at present; 100"People'sCommittees" installed at local level

Population

134,380,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.3%

370,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.8%

Ports

8 major, 23 significant minor

1 major (Port Sudan)

Railroads

24,600 km total; 22,450 km 1.000meter gauge, 1,750km 1.600-meter gauge, 200 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 200 km 0.760-meter gauge; 1,050 km electrified

Religion

(1980) 89% Roman Catholic (nominal)

Hindu, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Moravian, other

Suffrage

compulsory over age 18, except illiterates; approximately 58,200,000 eligible to vote in 1982

suspended

Telecommunications

good telecom system; extensive radio relay facilities; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations with total of 3 antennas; 18 domestic satellite stations; 7.5 million telephones (6.3 per 100 pop!.); 1,485 AM, 150 FM, and 200 TV stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables Brazil (continued)

large system by African standards, but barely adequate; consists of radio relay, cables, radiocommunications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 65,030 telephones (0.3 per 100 popl.); 4 AM, no FM, and 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

Type

federal republic; military-backed presidential regime since April 1964

military-civilian rule

Voting strength

(November 1982 federal and state elections) 37% progovernment PDS; 63% divided among four opposition parties (PMDB, PT, PTB, and PDT)