Brazil

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.

Brazil Information

• 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; estimate
• Nationality: noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian
• Location:: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
• Religions:: Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%
• Ethnic Groups:: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
• 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
• 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
• Coast Line: 7,491 km
• Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
• Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 6.96% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 92.15% (2001)
• Environmental 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 cit
• Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
• Highways: total: 1,724,929 km paved: 94,871 km unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000)
• 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 ga
• Ports & Harbours: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria
• Airports: 3,803 (2003 est.)