| Federative Republic of Brazil
República Federativa do Brasil (Portuguese)
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|
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Motto: "Ordem e Progresso"
(Portuguese)
"Order and Progress" |
Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileiro
(Portuguese)
"Brazilian National Anthem"
|
National seal
Selo Nacional do Brasil 
(Portuguese)
"National Seal of Brazil" |
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| Capital |
Brasília
15°45′S 47°57′W / 15.75°S 47.95°W / -15.75; -47.95 |
| Largest city |
São Paulo |
| Official languages |
Portuguese
(see Languages of Brazil) |
| Ethnic groups |
49.4% White
42.3% Pardo (Brown)
7.4% Black
0.5% Asian
0.4% Amerindian |
| Demonym |
Brazilian |
| Government |
Presidential Federal republic |
| - |
President |
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) |
| - |
Vice-President |
José Alencar (PRB) |
| - |
President of the Chamber of Deputies |
Michel Temer (PMDB) |
| - |
President of the Senate |
José Sarney (PMDB) |
| - |
Chief Justice |
Gilmar Mendes |
| Independence |
from Portugal |
| - |
Declared |
September 7, 1822 |
| - |
Recognized |
August 29, 1825 |
| - |
Republic |
November 15, 1889 |
| - |
Current constitution |
October 5, 1988 |
| Area |
| - |
Total |
8,514,877 km2 (5th)
3,287,597 sq mi |
| - |
Water (%) |
0.65 |
| Population |
| - |
2009 estimate |
191,241,714[1] (5th) |
| - |
2007 census |
189,987,291 |
| - |
Density |
22/km2 (182nd)
57/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) |
2008 estimate |
| - |
Total |
$1.984 trillion[2] (9th) |
| - |
Per capita |
$10,465[2] (77th) |
| GDP (nominal) |
2008 estimate |
| - |
Total |
$1.665 trillion [3] (8th) |
| - |
Per capita |
$8,295[2] (63rd) |
| Gini (2009) |
49.3[4] |
| HDI (2007) |
0.813[5] (high) (75th) |
| Currency |
Real (R$) (BRL) |
| Time zone |
BRT [6] (UTC-2 to -4[7]) |
| - |
Summer (DST) |
BRST [8] (UTC-2 to -4) |
| Date formats |
dd/mm/yyyy (CE) |
| Drives on the |
right |
| Internet TLD |
.br |
| Calling code |
+55 |
Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil) 
listen (help·info), is the largest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking country on that continent.[9] It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America[10] and the fifth most populous country in the world.[9][11]
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi).[9] It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz.[9]
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822.[12] Initially independent as the Brazilian Empire, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified.[12] Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic.[13] The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.[13][14]
Brazil is the world's eighth largest economy at market exchange rates[3] and the ninth largest by purchasing power parity.[15] Economic reforms have given the country new international recognition.[16] It is a founding member of the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society,[11] Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.[9]
Etymology
The etymology of the name Brazil is not well established. The most accepted is that it was named after the tree brazilwood[17] which in Portuguese is pau-brasil, with the word brasil being commonly given the etymology 'red like an ember,' formed from Latin brasa ('ember') plus the suffix -il* (from iculum or ilium).[18][19][20] Another possibility is the Irish legendary island of Hy-Brazil, known to Western European sailors in the 1500s[21] and popularized in its current spelling by Italian cartographer Angelinus Alorto's 1325 map "L'Isola Brazil."[22] Its origin comes from the celtic word bress, which means 'to bless,' thereby giving the island Hy Brazil the name 'Blessed land.' The "scholars from the 16th century did not doubt that the name Brazil came from the legendary island", but wrongly held the belief that it had been named after the wood came from the sailors who trafficked it.[23]
History
Native Brazilians and early Portuguese settlers
The first Christian mass celebrated in what would later be called Brazil and also the beginning of the
Portuguese colonization.
When arriving in April 1500 in the coast of what would later be known as Brazil, the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral found the primitive people who inhabited it.[24][25] They were divided in several distinct tribes, that fought among themselves[26] and that shared the same Tupi-Guarani linguistic family.[24] The “men were hunters, fishers and food collectors and the women were encharged of the reduced agricultural activity that was practiced.”[24] Some of the tribes were nomads and other sedentary; they knew the fire but not metal casting and a few were cannibals.[24]
The settling was effectively initiated in 1534, when King Dom João III divided the Brazilian territory in twelve hereditary captaincies that would be governed by members of the lesser nobility or proceeding from educated families.[27][28] The experience revealed itself to be an utter disaster, and in 1549 the king assigned a governor-general to administrate the entire colony.[28][29] With the foundation of villages appeared the municipal councils, and consequently, the beginning of the democratic representative system in Brazil.[30] Until 1549, most of the few settlers were exiled men, but from that date and on, the voluntary emigrants (including women and children) became predominant.[31]
Around 1530, the Tupiniquim (the same tribe that Cabral met)[32] and their bitter enemies the Tupinambá, the largest and most important tribes in Brazil, allied themselves with the Portuguese and the French, respectively.[26] Between the Portuguese and the Tupiniquim “occurred a certain intermittently pacific inter-racial assimilation.”[33] While the Tupinambás, however, were mostly exterminated in long wars and mainly by European diseases to which they had no immunities.[34][35] The ones that survived were enslaved by other tribes or by the Portuguese or fled toward the countryside.[34][36] By the middle of the 16th century, sugar had become the most important item of the Brazilian exportations.[26][37] Thus, the Portuguese turned to other forms of man power to handle with the increasing international demand.[34][38] Enslaved Africans were imported and became the “basic pillar of the economy” in the most populous areas of the colony.[39][40]
Territorial expansion
Through wars against the French, the Portuguese slowly expanded their territory to the Southeast, taking Rio de Janeiro in 1567, and to the northwest, São Luís in 1615.[41] They suffered a setback with the Dutch invasions that began in 1630 and that managed to conquer large portions of the Brazilian northeastern coastline. The Dutch domain did not last long and they were expelled definitively in 1649.[42] The Portuguese sent military expeditions to the Amazon rainforest that defeated and conquered British and Dutch strongholds. The Portuguese settlement in the region initiated in 1669, with the foundation of villages and forts.[43] In 1680 they reached the far south and founded Sacramento at the side of the Rio de la Plata, in the Eastern Strip region (current Uruguay).[44]
At the end of the 17th century sugar exports entered in decline due to competition with the British and Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and also due to high taxes.[45] The discovery of gold by explorers in the region that would later be called Minas Gerais (General Mines) between 1693 and 1695 saved the colony from its imminent collapse.[46] From all over Brazil, as well from Portugal, thousands of immigrants, from all ethnicities, departed toward the mines.[47] A 20% tax over the gold extraction created dissatisfaction that resulted in an open rebellion in 1720. The Portuguese government suffocated it with relative ease, assuring its rule over the region for the next seventy years,[48] until the discovery of two small secessionist conspiracies in Minas Gerais and Bahia.[49] In the following decades other gold mines were found in current Mato Grosso and Goiás, in the Brazilian Central-West.[50] The Spanish tried to prevent the Portuguese expansion on the territory belonged to them according to the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 and succeeded on conquering the Eastern Strip in 1777. All in vain as the Treaty of San Ildefonso signed in the same year confirmed Portuguese domain over all lands proceeding from its territorial expansion, thus creating most of current Brazilian borders.[51]
In 1808, the Portuguese Royal family, fleeing from the troops of the French Emperor Napoleon I that were invading Portugal and most of Central Europe, established themselves in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which thus became the seat of the entire Portuguese Empire[52] In 1815 King Dom João VI, then regent on behalf of his incapacitated mother, elevated Brazil from colony to sovereign Kingdom united with Portugal.[52] The Portuguese invaded French Guiana in 1809 (that was returned to France in 1817)[53] and the Eastern Strip in 1816 that was subsequently renamed Cisplatina.[54]
Independence and Empire
King Dom João VI returned to Europe in 26 April, 1821, leaving his elder son Dom Pedro as regent to rule Brazil.[55] The Portuguese government attempted to turn Brazil into a colony once again, thus depriving it of its achievements since 1808.[56] The Brazilians refused to yield and Prince Pedro stood by their side declaring the country's independence from Portugal in September 7, 1822.[57] On October 12, 1822, Pedro was acclaimed first Emperor of Brazil as Dom Pedro I and crowned on 1 December 1822.[58] In 1822 almost all Brazilians were in favor of a monarchical form of government. Republicanism was an ideal supported by few individuals at that moment of the Brazilian history.[59] The subsequent Brazilian War of Independence expanded through almost its entire territory, with battles that were fought in the northern[60], northeastern[61] and southern[62] regions of Brazil. The last Portuguese army surrendered in March 8, 1824[63] and Brazilian independence was recognized by Portugal in November 25, 1825.[64]
The first Brazilian constitution was promulgated in 25 March 1824, after its acceptance by the municipal councils across the country.[65][66][67][68] It was “a highly advanced charter for the time where it was elaborated”[69] and had all individual guarantees that would be found in the subsequent Brazilian republican constitutions.[70] The government form was a hereditary, constitutional and representative (and after 1847, parliamentary[71]) monarchy.[72] The State was divided in four branches: Executive, Legislative, Judiciary and Moderating (or Royal Prerogative)[68] – the latter, responsible for the “consolidation of the national unit and for the stability of the Empire’s political system”.[73]
The Brazilian defeat in the Argentina-Brazil War resulting in the loss of Cisplatine (nowadays Uruguay),[74] Pedro I incapacity in dealing with a representative system where he would have to take in account the opinion of the parliamentary opposition[75] and the provincial desire for a higher decentralization[76] all contributed for lowering his prestige among the Brazilians. But the main reason for his abdication was due to his continuous interest in the succession crisis in Portugal.[77] The emperor refused the Portuguese crown in favor of his eldest daughter in 1826,[78] but his brother Dom Miguel usurped the throne.[79] For the surprise, and against the will, of the Brazilians,[80][81][82] Pedro I abdicated in 7 April 1831 and departed to Europe to reclaim his daughter’s crown leaving behind his son and heir who became Dom Pedro II.[83]
Emperor Pedro II reign
Emperor
Dom Pedro II at age 27, 1853. For "the longevity of his government and the transformations that occurred in its course, no other Head of State has marked more deeply the history of the country."
[84]
As the new emperor, who ascended the crown as a child, could not exert his constitutional prerogatives as Emperor (Executive and Moderating Power) until he reached maturity, a regency was created.[85] Disputes between political factions that led to rebellions resulted in an unstable, almost anarchical, regency.[86] The rebellious factions, however, continued to uphold the throne of Pedro II as a way of giving the appearance of legitimacy to their actions (that is, they were not in revolt against the monarchy). The Cabanagem[87] the Sabinada[87] and the Balaiada,[87][88] all followed this course, even though some declared the secession of the provinces as independent republics (but only so long as Pedro II was a minor).[89] The "generation of politicians who had come to power in the 1830s, following upon the abdication of Pedro I, had learned from bitter experience the difficulties and dangers of government. By 1840 they had lost all faith in their ability to rule the country on their own. They accepted Pedro II as an authority figure whose presence was indispensable for the country's survival."[90]
Thus, Pedro II was prematurely declared of age and “Brazil was to enjoy nearly half a century of internal peace and rapid material progress.”[91] From then "onward the Empire’s stability and prosperity when compared to the turmoil and poverty of the Spanish American republics gave ample proof” of the emperor’s successful government[92] Brazil also won three international wars during his long reign of 58 years (Platine War,[93] Uruguayan War[94] and War of the Triple Alliance).[95] The emperor, who never owned slaves,[96] also led the abolitionist campaign[97] that eventually extinguished slavery after a slow but steady process that went from the end of international traffic in 1850[98] up to the complete abolition in 1888.[99] However, he took longer than expected "to trespass the political obstacles”[100] making Brazil the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery.[101] Slavery had been in decline since the country's independence: in 1823, 29% of the Brazilian population were slaves; it fell to 24% in 1854; then to 15,2% in 1872;[102] and finally to less than 5% in 1887.[103]
When the monarchy was overthrown in November 15, 1889.[104] there was no desire in Brazil (at least among the majority of its population) to change the form of government[105] and Pedro II was on the height of his popularity among his subjects.[106][107] Pedro II, however, “bore prime, perhaps sole, responsibility for his own overthrown.”[108] After the death of his two male sons, he believed that “the imperial regime was destined to end with him.”[109] The emperor did not care about its fate[110][111] and did nothing (nor allowed anyone) to prevent the military coup[112] that was backed by former slave owners that resented the abolition of slavery.[113] The monarchist reaction after the fall of the empire “was not small and even less its repression”.[114]
Old Republic and Vargas Era
The Brazilian coup d'état of 1930 raised
Getúlio Vargas (on center with military uniform but no hat) to power. He would rule the country for fifteen years.
The early republican government “was little more than a military dictatorship. The army dominated affairs both at Rio de Janeiro and in the states. Freedom of the press disappeared and elections were controlled by those in power”.[115] In 1894 the republican civilians rose to power, opening a “prolonged cycle of civil war, financial disaster, and government incompetence.”[116] By 1902, the government "began a return to the policies pursued during the Empire, policies that promised peace and order at home and a restoration of Brazil’s prestige abroad.”[116] José Paranhos Júnior, the Baron of Rio Branco was appointed minister of foreign relations and was highly successful in negotiating several treaties that expanded (with the purchase of Acre) and secured the Brazilian boundaries.[117] In the 1920s the country was plagued by several rebellions caused by young military officers.[118][119] By 1930, the regime was weakened and demoralized, which allowed the defeated presidential candidate Getúlio Vargas to lead a coup d’état and assume the presidency.[120]
Vargas was supposed to assume the presidency temporarily, but instead closed the National Congress, extinguished the Constitution, ruled with emergency powers and deposed the states governors and nominated substitutes loyal to him in their places.[121][122] Due to the opposition against his measures, Vargas allowed new elections in 1933, but was indirectly elected for a new term in 1934.[123][124] In the following year the Communists rebelled all over the country and tried to take power, but were defeated.[125] Vargas did not have any intention to rule under a democracy[126] and obtained from the National Congress emergency powers that were renewed over the next couple of years.[127] The communist threat served as an excuse for him to launch another coup d’Etat in 1937, making Brazil a full dictatorship.[128][129] Once again Vargas nominated state governors and closed the National Congress.[130][131] The repression against the opposition was brutal, with more than 20,000 people imprisoned, interment camps for political prisoners were created in distant regions of the country, censorship of the press was established and torture by the government's agents of repression became common.[132][133]
Brazil remained neutral at the early years of World War II until the government declared war against the Axis powers in 1942.[134] Many of Vargas closest allies were against it, as they preferred an alliance with Nazi Germany.[135] After that Vargas forced Brazilians that were descendants of Germans, Japanese and Italians into concentration camps,[136] and sent troops to the battlefields in Italy in 1944.[137][138] With the end of the Nazi-fascist regimes in Europe after the allied victory in 1945, Vargas position became unsustainable and he was overthrown by a military coup in the same year.[139] Democracy was reinstated and General Eurico Gaspar Dutra, one of Vargas’ former pro-Nazi allies,[140] was elected president and took office in 1946.[141] Vargas returned to power in 1951, this time democratically elected, but he was incapable of both governing under a democracy and of dealing with an active opposition and ended up committing suicide in 1953.[142][143]
Military regime and Contemporary era
The
Brazilian military regime that lasted from 1964 until 1985 was marked by alternated moments of freedom and implacable repression.
Some brief interim governments succeeded after Vargas‘s suicide.[144] Juscelino Kubitscheck became president in 1956 and assumed a conciliating posture that allowed him to govern without major crises.[145] His economical and industrial policy was highly successful.[146] But his greatest achievement was the construction of Brasília, the new Brazilian capital inaugurated in 1960.[147] His successor was Jânio Quadros who resigned in 1961, less than a year after taking office.[148] His vice-president, João Goulart, assumed the presidency, but suffered large opposition as a political heir of Vargas and was also accused of having connection with the Communists.[149]
In April 1964 João Goulart was deposed in a coup that resulted in a military regime[150] that was intended to be transitory,[151] but that gradually closed itself until it became a full dictatorship with the promulgation of the Fifth Institutional Act in 1968.[152] The repression against the ones who opposed the dictatorship and also against the communist terrorists (that did not struggle over the return of democracy, but instead over the implantation of a communist dictatorship)[153] was the most severe, but not nearly as brutal as in other Latin American countries.[154] Due to the extraordinary economic growth, that was known as “economic miracle”, the regime reached its highest level of popularity in those years of repression.[155] The regime, although relatively steady,[156] was incapable of ending with the military indiscipline that had also affected the past civil governments.[157] General Ernesto Geisel became president in 1974 and began his project of re-democratization through a process that would have to be “slow, gradual and safe”.[158][159] Geisel ended with the military indiscipline that existed in the country since 1889,[160] as well as with the torture of political prisoners and censorship of the press,[161] and finally, with the dictatorship itself after he extinguished the Fifth Institutional Act.[162] However, the military regime continued under his chosen successor to accomplish the transition to full democracy, General João Figueiredo.[163] The last military president granted general amnesty to the government’s agents of repression, to the communist terrorists and to victims of political persecution.[164]
The civilians fully returned to power in 1985 when José Sarney assumed the presidency.[165] His government was deemed a failure due to the uncontrollable economic crisis and unusually high inflation that resulted in his extreme unpopularity.[166] That allowed the election in 1989 of the almost unknown nationwide Fernando Collor,[167] who was impeached by the National Congress in 1992.[168] He was succeeded by his Vice-President Itamar Franco, who called Fernando Henrique Cardoso to assume the Ministry of Finance portfolio. Cardoso was highly successful with his Plano Real (Royal Plan)[169] that granted stability to the Brazilian economy[170] and his efforts were recognized by the Brazilians who elected him president in 1994 and again in 1998.[171] The peaceful and warmly transition from power to Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, who was elected in 2002 (and re-elected in 2006), revealed that Brazil had finally succeeded in achieving its long sought political stability.[172]
Government and politics
The Brazilian Federation is based on the union of three autonomous political entities: the States, the Municipalities and the Federal District.[13] A fourth entity originated in the aforementioned association: the Union.[13] There is no hierarchy among the political entities. The Federation is set on six fundamental principles:[13] sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of the people, social value of labor, freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism. The classic tripartite branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial under the checks and balances system), is formally established by the Constitution.[13] The executive and legislative are organized independently in all four political entities, while the judiciary is organized only in the federal and state levels.
All members of the executive and legislative branches are directly elected.[173][174][175] Judges and other judicial officials are appointed after passing entry exams.[173] Voting is compulsory for those between 18 and 65 years old.[13] Four political parties stand out among several small ones: Workers' Party (PT), Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), and Democrats (formerly Liberal Front Party – PFL). Almost all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive.
The form of government is that of a democratic republic, with a presidential system.[13] The president is both head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a four-year term,[13] with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. The current president is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He was elected on October 27, 2002,[176] and re-elected on October 29, 2006.[177] The President appoints the Ministers of State, who assist in governing.[13] Legislative houses in each political entity are the main source of laws in Brazil. The National Congress is the Federation's bicameral legislature, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively.
Law
Interior of the Brazilian Supreme Court.
Brazilian law is based on Roman-Germanic traditions.[178] Thus, civil law concepts prevail over common law practices. Most of Brazilian law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part of the system, playing a complementary role. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are not binding on other specific cases except in a few situations. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influence in law creation and in law cases. The legal system is based on the Federal Constitution, which was promulgated on 5 October 1988, and is the fundamental law of Brazil. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules.[179] As of April 2007, there have been 53 amendments. States have their own constitutions, which must not contradict the Federal Constitution.[180] Municipalities and the Federal District do not have their own constitutions; instead, they have "organic laws" (leis orgânicas).[13][181] Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms.[13]
Jurisdiction is administered by the judiciary entities, although in rare situations the Federal Constitution allows the Federal Senate to pass on legal judgments.[13] There are also specialized military, labor, and electoral courts.[13] The highest court is the Supreme Federal Tribunal. This system has been criticised over the last decades due to the slow pace at which final decisions are issued. Lawsuits on appeal may take several years to resolve, and in some cases more than a decade elapses before definitive rulings are made.[182] Nevertheless, Supreme Federal Tribunal is the first court in the world to transmit its sessions on television, and more recently also in Youtube.[183][184]
Foreign relations
Brazil is a political and economic leader in Latin America.[185][186] However, social and economic problems prevent it from becoming an effective global power.[187] Between World War II and 1990, both democratic and military governments sought to expand Brazil's influence in the world by pursuing a state-led industrial policy and an independent foreign policy. More recently, the country has aimed to strengthen ties with other South American countries, engage in multilateral diplomacy through the United Nations and the Organization of American States.[188] Brazil's current foreign policy is based on the country's position as a regional power in Latin America, a leader among developing countries, and an emerging world power.[189] In general current Brazilian foreign policy reflects multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, and nonintervention in the affairs of other countries.[190] The Brazilian Constitution also determines the country shall seek the economic, political, social and cultural integration of the nations of Latin America.[13][191][192][193]
Military
AMX ground attack aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Army Rapid Action Force during the 2003 Independence Day Parade
The Armed forces of Brazil consist of the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy, and the Brazilian Air Force. The Brazilian military numbers about 300,000 men and women and has a budget of 2.6 percent of the national economy in 2009 or about $52 billion US dollars.[13] The Military Police (States' Military Police) is described as an ancillary force of the Army by the constitution, but is under the control of each state's governor.[13] The Brazilian armed forces are the largest in Latin America. The Brazilian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Brazilian armed forces, the largest air force in Latin America, with about 700 manned aircraft in service.[194] The Brazilian Navy is responsible for naval operations and for guarding Brazilian territorial waters. It is the oldest of the Brazilian Armed forces and the only navy in Latin America to operate an aircraft carrier, the NAe São Paulo (formerly FS Foch of the French Navy).[195] The Brazilian Army is responsible for land-based military operations, with a strength of approximately 190,000 soldiers. In 2008 the Brazilian minister of defense has formulated the “Estratégia Nacional de Defesa” (National defense Strategy), that claims to build a strong national industry and make strategic partnerships with allied nations to develop technology together.[196]
Recently, Brazil has began to emerge as a major world power and a potential superpower; thus Brazil has begun to develop as a major military power. In 2008, Brazil has signed a strategic partnership with France and Russia to trade military technology. Brazil has also begun negotiations with France to have Brazil build 120 Rafale aircraft locally by Embraer.[197] Also in 2008 the Brazilian company Embraer showcased the Brazilian transport aircraft, Embraer KC-390, and some countries already have shown interest in the aircraft, with France even placing orders.[198][199] In 2009 Brazil purchased 4 Scorpène submarines for US $9.9 billion with a massive technology transfer agreement. In a second agreement, France will provide technical assistance to Brazil so that Brazil can design and produce indigenous nuclear powered submarines, to be completely built in Brazil.[200] The Brazilian government has announced that a Helibras factory in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, will initially produce 50 units of the EC 725 and up to 1,300 new helicopters for the Brazilian military. Helibras will now also produce Eurocopter's full line of products, with the first units to be operational in 2010.[201] The Department of Defense of Brazil, in 2009 also asked the Brazilian Navy to develop a plan for the next 30 years. To carry out the plans of power projection that Brazil wants to run, the expenditure will cost more than $138 billion US dollars, within the Navy alone. The program is called PEAMB.[202] The strategy is to buy or build 2 aircraft carriers (40 000 tonnes), 4 Amphibious assault ships (20 000 tonnes), 30 escort ships, 15 submarines, 5 nuclear submarines and 62 (patrol ships).[203] In July 2009, the minister of defense, Nelson Jobim, said that Brazil will expend about 0.7% ($13 billion USD) of the GDP per year to modernize the forces in addition to the 2.6% yearly defense budget. He stated, "We are raising a study to make the financial schedule of the entire project. It will be a 20 year plan, including modernization and expansion of the elements for defense of the Brazilian territory.[204]
Subdivisions
According to the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, Brazil is a federation of 26 states, one federal district and also the municipalities. None of these units has the right to secede from the Federation.[13]
States
States (estados) are based on historical, conventional borders and have developed throughout the centuries, though some boundaries are arbitrary. The states can be split or joined together in new states if their people express a desire to do so in a plebiscite. States have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes and receive a share of taxes collected by the Federal government. They have a governor and a unicameral legislative body (Assembleia Legislativa) elected directly by their voters. They also have independent Courts of Law for common justice. Despite that, in Brazil states have much less autonomy to create their own laws than in the United States. For example, criminal and civil laws can only be voted by the federal bicameral Congress and are uniform throughout the country.[13]
In 1977, Mato Grosso state was split into two. The northern new state retained the name Mato Grosso and the old capital, Cuiabá, while the southern area became the new state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with Campo Grande as its capital. In 1988, the northern portion of Goiás state became the new state of Tocantins. Initially, the capital of Tocantins was the small city of Miracema do Norte (now called Miracema do Tocantins), but it was later moved to the new city of Palmas.
The equator cuts through the states of Amapá, Pará, Roraima and Amazonas in the North, and the Tropic of Capricorn cuts through the states of São Paulo, northern Paraná and southern Mato Grosso do Sul.[205] Acre is in the far west side of the country, covered by the Amazonian forest. Paraíba is the easternmost state of Brazil; Ponta do Seixas, in the city of João Pessoa, is the easternmost point of continental Brazil and of the Americas. In contrast to the tropical climate of most of Brazil, the southern states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina all have a temperate subtropical climate.
The state of Amazonas is the largest in area, comparable in size to Alaska. The state of São Paulo has the largest population and is the economic center of Brazil. Its agriculture, industry, commerce, and services are the most diversified in the nation. Although a large part of its production is exported to other states and other countries, the consumer market of the state is also the biggest in Brazil. In contrast to most of the Brazilian states, the economy of São Paulo is strong even in noncoastal cities.
Today the city of Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the homonymous state, but it has not always been so. Until 1960, the city was the national capital, and its territory was Brazil's Federal District. This led to the strange and confusing situation that the city of Rio de Janeiro was not located in the surrounding state with the same name (whose capital was then Niterói). In 1960, Brasília became the new national capital, and a new Federal District was carved out of Goiás state to contain it. Then the city of Rio de Janeiro became a new state, named Guanabara (after the large bay on which the city sits), as one can still find in old books. Comprising only one city, Guanabara was the only Brazilian state that had no municipalities: the city was directly administered by the state government. All these anomalies disappeared in 1975, when the states of Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro merged, retaining the name of Rio de Janeiro. The city of Rio de Janeiro then became a new municipality and the capital of the new combined state.
Municipalities
Municipalities (municípios) can be split or joined together in new municipalities if their people express a desire to do so in a plebiscite, following some rules of the Federal Constitution and keeping their borders within the former state; forming exclaves is also expressly forbidden. Municipalities have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes and receive a share of taxes collected by the Union and state government.[13] They have a mayor and a legislative body elected directly by their people, but they have no separate Courts of Law. Indeed, a Court of Law organized by the state can encompass many municipalities in a single justice administrative division called comarca.
The Federal District
The Federal District (Distrito Federal) contains the national capital city, Brasília. The Federal District is not a state in its own right, but shares some characteristics of a state and some of a municipality, while also having some special provisions of its own, intended for the local administration not to conflict with the federal government seat that it hosts. It cannot be divided into municipalities, and its Courts of Law are part of the Federal Judiciary System.[13]
Former territories
The Brazilian Constitution allows for the existence of incorporated territories (territórios), ruled directly by the federal government and with less autonomy than states, but no territory currently exists. The first territory to be created was Acre, in 1904, when that former Bolivian region became Brazilian. In 1943, when Brazil went to the Second World War, for strategic reasons the Getúlio Vargas regime detached six further territories from border and outlying areas of the country, in order to administer them directly: Amapá, Rio Branco, Guaporé, Ponta Porã, Iguaçu, and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
In 1946, two of the seven territories became extinct, reverting to the original states they had been split from: Mato Grosso state incorporated the territory of Ponta Porã and the northern part of Iguaçu, while central Iguaçu went to the state of Paraná, and southern Iguaçu went to the state of Santa Catarina.
As for the other territories (Acre, Amapá, Guaporé, Rio Branco, and Fernando de Noronha), they remained as such for many years more. In 1956, the name of Guaporé territory was changed to Rondônia, and in 1962 Rio Branco territory was renamed Roraima. Also in 1962, Acre became a state.
In 1988, with the new Constitution, Amapá, Rondônia and Roraima became states as well, while Fernando de Noronha became part of the state of Pernambuco, thus leaving no more territories remaining in Brazil.
Regions
The Brazilian regions are merely geographical, not political or administrative divisions, and do not have any specific form of government. Although defined by law, Brazilian regions are useful mainly for statistical purposes, and sometimes to define the application of federal funds in development projects.
The national territory was divided in 1969 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), for demographic and statistical purposes, into five main regions: North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South.
The North region covers 45.27% of the land area of Brazil, but has the lowest number of inhabitants. With the exception of Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone, and Belém, the biggest metropolitan area of the region, it is fairly unindustrialized and undeveloped. It accommodates most of the Amazon rainforest and many indigenous tribes.
The Northeast region is inhabited by about 30% of Brazil's population.[206] It is culturally diverse, with roots set in the Portuguese colonial period and in Amerindian and Afro-Brazilian elements. It is also the poorest region of Brazil,[207] and suffers from long periods of drought.[208] The largest cities are Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza.
The Central-West region has low demographic density when compared to the other regions, being only more densely populated than the North region.[209] Part of its territory is covered by the world's largest wetland area, the Pantanal[210] as well as a small part of the Amazon Rainforest in the northwest. However, most of the region is covered by the Cerrado, the world's largest savanna. The Central-West region contributes significantly towards the nation's agricultural output.[211]
The Southeast region is by far the richest in terms of total economic output, and also the most densely populated region.[209] It has a larger population than any South American country except Brazil itself, and hosts one of the largest megalopolises of the world, extending between the country's two largest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The region is very diverse, including the major business center of São Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais and its capital Belo Horizonte, the third-largest metropolitan area in Brazil, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the coast of Espírito Santo.
The South region is the wealthiest by GDP per capita[207] and has the highest standard of living among the country's regions. It is also the coldest region of Brazil,[212] with occasional frost and snow in some of the higher-altitude areas.[213] It has been settled mainly by European immigrants, mostly of Italian, German and Portuguese ancestry, being clearly influenced by these cultures.
Geography
Topography map of Brazil.
Brazil occupies a large area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of the continent's interior region,[214] sharing land borders with Uruguay to the south; Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest; Bolivia and Peru to the west; Colombia to the northwest; Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the French overseas department of French Guiana to the north.[9] Brazil shares a border with every country in South America, except for Ecuador and Chile. The factors of size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Brazil geographically diverse.[214] Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world—after Russia, Canada, China and the United States—and third largest in the Americas; with a total area of 8,511,965 square kilometers (3,286,488 sq mi), including 55,455 square kilometers (21,411 sq mi) of water.[9] It spans three time zones; from UTC-4, in the western states; to UTC-3, in the eastern states, the official time of Brazil, and UTC-2, in the Atlantic islands.[215]
Brazilian topography is also diverse, including hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of Brazil lies between 200 metres (660 ft) and 800 metres (2,600 ft) in elevation.[216] The main upland area occupies most of the southern half of the country.[216] The northwestern parts of the plateau consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills.[216] The southeastern section is more rugged, with a complex mass of ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).[216] These ranges include the Mantiqueira Mountains, the Espinhaço Mountains, and the Serra do Mar.[216] In north, the Guiana Highlands form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the Amazon Basin from rivers that empty into the Orinoco River system, in Venezuela, to the north. The highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina at 3,014 metres (9,890 ft), and the lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean.[9] Brazil has a dense and complex system of rivers, one of the world's most extensive, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean.[217] Major rivers include the Amazon, the largest river in terms of volume of water, and the second-longest in the world; the Paraná and its major tributary, the Iguaçu River, where the Iguazu Falls are located; the Negro, São Francisco, Xingu, Madeira and the Tapajós rivers.[217]
Climate
The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale and varied topography, but the largest part of the country is tropical.[9] Analysed according to the Köppen system, Brazil hosts five major climatic subtypes: equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, and temperate; ranging from equatorial rainforests in the north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to temperate coniferous forests in the south and tropical savannas in central Brazil.[218] Many regions have starkly different microclimates.[219][220]
An equatorial climate characterizes much of northern Brazil. There is no real dry season, but there are some variations in the period of the year when most rain falls.[218] Temperatures average 25 °C (77 °F),[220] with more significant temperature variations between night and day than between seasons.[219] Over central Brazil rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of a savanna climate.[219] This region is as large and extensive as the Amazon basin but, lying farther south and being at a moderate altitude, it has a very different climate.[218] In the interior northeast, seasonal rainfall is even more extreme. The semiarid climate region generally receives less than 800 millimetres (31 in) of rain,[221] most of which falls in a period of three to five months[222] and occasionally even more insufficiently, creating long periods of drought.[219] From south of Bahia, near São Paulo, the distribution of rainfall changes, where some appreciable rainfall occurs in all months.[218] The south has temperate conditions, with average temperatures below 18 °C (64 °F) and cool winters;[220] frosts are quite common, with occasional snowfalls in the higher areas.[218][219]
Wildlife
Brazil's large territory comprises different ecosystems, such as the Amazon Rainforest, recognized as having the greatest biological diversity in the world;[223] the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, which together sustain some of the world's greatest biodiversity.[224] In the south, the Araucaria pine forest grows under temperate conditions.[224] The rich wildlife of Brazil reflects the variety of natural habitats. Much of it, however, remains largely unknown, and new species are found on nearly a daily basis.[225]
Scientists estimate that the total number of plant and animal species in Brazil could approach four million.[224] Larger mammals include pumas, jaguars, ocelots, rare bush dogs, and foxes. Peccaries, tapirs, anteaters, sloths, opossums, and armadillos are abundant. Deer are plentiful in the south, and monkeys of many species abound in the northern rain forests.[224][226] Concern for the environment in Brazil has grown in response to global interest in environmental issues.[227]
Its natural heritage is extremely threatened by cattle ranching and agriculture, logging, mining, resettlement, oil and gas extraction, over-fishing, expansion of urban centres, wildlife trade, fire, climate change, dams and infrastructure, water contamination, and invasive species.[223] In many areas of the country, the natural environment is threatened by development.[228] Construction of highways has opened up previously remote areas for agriculture and settlement; dams have flooded valleys and inundated wildlife habitats; and mines have scarred and polluted the landscape.[227][229]
Economy
| Economy of Brazil |
 |
| Currency |
Brazilian real (BRL, R$) |
| Fiscal year |
Calendar year |
| Trade organisations |
Unasul, WTO, Mercosur, G-20 and others |
| Statistics |
| GDP |
US$ 1.994 trillion (2008) |
| GDP growth |
5.7% (2008) |
| GDP per capita |
US$ 12,105 (2008) |
| GDP by sector |
agriculture: 5.5% industry: 28.7% services: 65,8% (2007)[230] |
| Inflation (CPI) |
4.46% (2008)[231] |
Population
below poverty line |
15.5% (2009) |
| Gini index |
49.3 (2009)[232] |
| Labour force |
134.6 million (2009 est.) |
| Unemployment |
7.6% (2008)[233] |
| Main industries |
airplanes, steel; iron ore, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; electronics; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites, real state, brewing, tourism |
| External |
| Exports |
US$ 397.9 billion (2008) |
| Export goods |
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos, automotive parts, machinery, airplanes |
| Main export partners |
United States 15.8%, Argentina 9.9%, China 7.9%, Netherlands 5.4%, Germany 4.7% (2008*) |
| Imports |
US$ 173.2 billion (2008)[234] |
| Import goods |
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics |
| Main import partners |
United States 11.9%, China 10.6%, Argentina 9,0%, Germany 7,5%, Nigeria 4.5%, Japan 4.0% (2008) |
| Public finances |
| Public debt |
US$ 103.2 billion; 6.4% of GDP (2008 est.) |
| Credit rating |
BBB- [235] |
| Foreign reserves |
US$ 287.5 billion (2009 est.) |
Main data source: CIA World Fact Book
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars |
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with leaders of other nations in the
BRIC economic group.
Brazil is the largest national economy in Latin America, the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates[3][236] and the ninth largest in purchasing power parity (PPP),[3][237] according to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; with large and developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, as well as a large labor pool.[15] Brazilian exports are booming, creating a new generation of tycoons.[238] Major export products include aircraft, coffee, automobiles, soybean, iron ore, orange juice, steel, ethanol, textiles, footwear, corned beef and electrical equipment.[239] The country has been expanding its presence in international financial and commodities markets, and is regarded as one of the group of four emerging economies called BRIC.[240] The biggest investment boom in history is under way; in 2007, Brazil launched a four-year plan to spend $300 billion to modernize its road network, power plants and ports.[241]
Brazil had pegged its currency, the real, to the U.S. dollar in 1994. However, after the East Asian financial crisis, the Russian default in 1998[242] and the series of adverse financial events that followed it, the Brazilian central bank temporarily changed its monetary policy to a managed-float scheme while undergoing a currency crisis, until definitively changing the exchange regime to free-float in January 1999.[243] Brazil received an International Monetary Fund rescue package in mid-2002 in the amount of $30.4 billion,[244] a record sum at that time. The IMF loan was paid off early by Brazil's central bank in 2005 (the due date was scheduled for 2006).[245] One of the issues the Brazilian central bank is currently dealing with is the excess of speculative short-term capital inflows to the country in the past few months, which might explain in part the recent downfall of the U.S. dollar against the real in the period.[246] Nonetheless, foreign direct investment (FDI), related to long-term, less speculative investment in production, is estimated to be $193.8 billion for 2007.[247] Inflation monitoring and control currently plays a major role in Brazil's Central Bank activity in setting out short-term interest rates as a monetary policy measure.[248]
Components and energy
Brazil's economy is diverse,[249] encompassing agriculture, industry, and a multitude of services.[238][250][251][252] The recent economic strength has been due in part to a global boom in commodities prices with exports from beef to soybeans soaring.[251][252] Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, logging and fishing accounted for 5.1% of the gross domestic product in 2007.[253] A performance that puts agribusiness in a position of distinction in terms of Brazil's trade balance, in spite of trade barriers and subsidizing policies adopted by the developed countries.[254][255] The industry; from automobiles, steel and petrochemicals to computers, aircraft, and consumer durables; accounted for 30.8% of the gross domestic product.[253] Industry is highly concentrated geographically, with the leading concentrations in metropolitan São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre, and Belo Horizonte. Technologically advanced industries are also highly concentrated in these locations.[256]
Brazil is the world's tenth largest energy consumer. Its energy comes from renewable sources, particularly hydroelectricity and ethanol; and nonrenewable sources, mainly oil and natural gas.[257] A global power in agriculture and natural resources, Brazil witnessed tremendous economic growth over the past three decades.[258] Brazil is expected to become a major oil producer and exporter, having recently made huge oil discoveries.[259][260][dead link][261][262] The governmental agencies responsible for the energy policy are the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the National Council for Energy Policy, the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, and the National Agency of Electricity.[263][264]
Science and technology
An
Embraer E-95 international airliner. Airplanes are one of the sophisticated products exported by Brazil.
Brazilian science effectively began in the first decades of the 19th century, when the Portuguese Royal Family, headed by John VI, arrived in Rio de Janeiro, escaping from the Napoleon's army invasion of Portugal in 1807. Until then, Brazil was a Portuguese colony, without universities, and a lack of cultural and scientific organizations, in stark contrast to the former American colonies of the Spanish Empire, which although having a largely illiterate population like Brazil and Portugal, had, however, a number of universities since the 16th century.
Technological research in Brazil is largely carried out in public universities and research institutes. Nonetheless, more than 73% of funding for basic research still comes from government sources.[265] Some of Brazil's most notable technological hubs are the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, the Butantan Institute, the Air Force's Aerospace Technical Center, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the INPE. The Brazilian Space Agency has the most advanced space program in Latin America, with significant capabilities to launch vehicles, launch sites and satellite manufacturing.[266]
A VLS model satellite launch vehicle entirely designed and produced in Brazil.
On 14 October 1997, the Brazilian Space Agency signed an agreement with NASA to provide parts for the ISS.[267] Uranium is enriched at the Resende Nuclear Fuel Factory to fuel the country's energy demands. Plans are on the way to build the country's first nuclear submarine.[268] [269] Brazil is one of the three countries in Latin America[270] with an operational Synchrotron Laboratory, a research facility on physics, chemistry, material science and life sciences.
Brazil has today a well developed organization of science and technology.
Basic research is largely carried out in public universities and research centers and institutes, and some in private institutions, particularly in non-profit non-governmental organizations. Thanks to governmental regulations and incentives, however, since the 1990s is has been growing in the private universities and companies, as well. Accordingly, more than 90% of funding for basic research comes from governmental sources.
Applied research, technology and engineering is also largely carried out in the university and research centers system, contrary-wise to other countries such as the United States, South Korea, Germany, Japan, etc. Companies such as Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and IBM have established large R&D&I centers in Brazil, starting with IBM, which had established an IBM Research Center in Brazil since the 1970s. One of the incentive factors for this, besides the relatively lower cost and high sophistication and skills of Brazilian technical manpower, has been the so-called Informatics Law, which exempts from certain taxes up to 5% of the gross revenue of high technology manufacturing companies in the fields of telecommunications, computers, digital electronics, etc. The Law has attracted annually more than 15 billion dollars of investment in Brazilian R&D&I. Multinational companies have also discovered that some products and technologies designed and developed by Brazilians have a nice competitivity and are appreciated by other countries, such as automobiles, aircraft, software, fiber optics, electronics, games, personal computers and so on.
Demographics
Iracema beach in
Fortaleza. Much of Brazil's population is concentrated along the coastline.
The population of Brazil is made up of many racial and ethnic groups.[271] The last National Research for Sample of Domiciles (PNAD) census revealed the following: 49.4% of the population self-declared White, about 93 million; 42.3% self-declared Pardo (brown), about 80 million; 7.4% self-declared Black, about 13 million; 0.5% self-declared Asian, about 1 million; and 0.4% self-declared Amerindian, about 519,000.[272]
A not-updated linguistic survey found 188 living indigenous languages with 155,000 total speakers. In 2007, Fundação Nacional do Índio reported the presence of 67 different tribes yet living without contact with civilization, up from 40 in 2005. With this figure, now Brazil has the largest number of uncontacted peoples in the world, even more than the island of New Guinea.[273]
A recently published article in the American Journal of Human Biology on the genetic analysis of the ethnic composition of the Brazilian people by the Universidade Católica de Brasília revealed that 80% of the Brazilian genetic pool is from Europe;
Most Brazilians can trace their ancestry to the country's indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonists, and African slaves. Since 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, miscegenation between these three groups took place. Over three centuries of Portuguese colonization, Brazil received more than 700,000 Portuguese settlers and 4 million African slaves.[274] The country has the largest population of African descent outside of Africa.[275]
Beginning in the late 19th century, Brazil opened its borders to immigration: people from over 60 countries migrated to Brazil. About 5 million European and Asian immigrants arrived between 1870 and 1953, most of them from Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Germany. In the early 20th century, people from Japan and the Middle-East also arrived.[271] The immigrants and their descendants had an important impact in the ethnic make-up of the Brazilian population, and many diasporas are present in the country. Brazil has the largest population of Lebanese in the world, it has even more Lebanese people than Lebanon, estimates range from 7-10 million.[276] Brazil has the largest population of Italians outside Italy, with over 25 million Italian Brazilians,[277] the largest population of Japanese outside Japan, with 1.6 million Japanese Brazilians,[278] as well as the second largest population of Germans outside of Germany (after only the United States), with 12 million German Brazilians.[279] A characteristic of Brazil is the race mixing. Genetically, most Brazilians have some degree of European, African, and Amerindian ancestry.[280] The entire population has highly varied racial types and backgrounds, but without clear ethnic sub-divisions.[281]
The largest metropolitan areas in Brazil are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte, with 19.7, 11.4, and 5.4 million inhabitants respectively.[282] Almost all the capitals are the largest city in their corresponding state, except for Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo, and Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina. There are also non-capital metropolitan areas in the states of São Paulo (Campinas, Santos and the Paraíba Valley), Minas Gerais (Steel Valley), Rio Grande do Sul (Sinos Valley), and Santa Catarina (Itajaí Valley).[283]
| Largest cities of Brazil |
São Paulo
Porto Alegre
Rio de Janeiro
Goiânia
Belo Horizonte
|
Rank |
Municipality |
Federative unit |
Population |
Recife
Brasília
Salvador
Campinas
Curitiba
|
| 1 |
São Paulo |
São Paulo |
10,990,249 |
| 2 |
Rio de Janeiro |
Rio de Janeiro |
6,161,047 |
| 3 |
Salvador |
Bahia |
2,948,733 |
| 4 |
Brasília |
Federal District |
2,557,158 |
| 5 |
Fortaleza |
Ceará |
2,473,614 |
| 6 |
Belo Horizonte |
Minas Gerais |
2,434,642 |
| 7 |
Curitiba |
Paraná |
1,828,092 |
| 8 |
Manaus |
Amazonas |
1,709,010 |
| 9 |
Recife |
Pernambuco |
1,549,980 |
| 10 |
Porto Alegre |
Rio Grande do Sul |
1,430,220 |
| 11 |
Belém |
Pará |
1,424,124 |
| 12 |
Guarulhos |
São Paulo |
1,279,202 |
| 13 |
Goiânia |
Goiás |
1,265,394 |
| 14 |
Campinas |
São Paulo |
1,056,644 |
| 15 |
São Luís |
Maranhão |
986,826 |
| 16 |
São Gonçalo |
Rio de Janeiro |
982,832 |
| 17 |
Maceió |
Alagoas |
924,143 |
| 18 |
Duque de Caxias |
Rio de Janeiro |
864,392 |
| 19 |
Nova Iguaçu |
Rio de Janeiro |
855,500 |
| 20 |
São Bernardo do Campo |
São Paulo |
801,580 |
| Source: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2008 Population Estimates) |
Education and health
The Federal Constitution and the 1996 General Law of Education in Brazil (LDB) determine how the Federal Government, States, Federal District, and Municipalities will manage and organize their respective education systems.[13] Each of these public educational systems is responsible for their own maintenance, which manage funds as well as mechanisms and sources for financial resources. The new Constitution reserves 25% of state and municipal taxes and 18% of federal taxes for education.[284][285]
Private school programs are available to complement the public school system. In 2003, the literacy rate was 88% of the population, and the youth literacy rate (ages 15–19) was 93.2%.[284] Illiteracy is highest in the Northeast, around 27%, which has a high proportion of rural poor.[286] Although in the same year, Brazil's education had low levels of efficiency by 15-year-old students, particularly in the public school network.[287] Higher education starts with undergraduate or sequential courses, which may offer different specialist choices such as academic or vocational paths. Depending on choice, students may improve their educational background with Stricto Sensu or Lato Sensu postgraduate courses.[285][288]
The public health system is managed and provided by all levels of government, whilst private healthcare fulfils a complementary role.[13][289] There are several problems in the Brazilian health system. In 2006, these were infant mortality, child mortality, maternal mortality, mortality by non-transmissible illness and mortality caused by external causes: transportation, violence and suicide.[289][290] In 2006 nearly 50,000 people were murdered in Brazil.[291] More than 500,000 people have been killed by firearms in Brazil between 1979 and 2003, according to the UN report.[292]
Language
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil.[11] It is spoken by almost all of the population and is virtually the only language used in newspapers, radio, television, and for all business and administrative purposes, with the exception of Nheengatu, an indigenous language of South America which was granted co-official status alongside Portuguese in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira.[293] Moreover, Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas, making the language an important part of Brazilian national identity and giving it a national culture distinct from its Spanish-speaking neighbors.[294]
Brazilian Portuguese has had its own development, influenced by the Amerindian and African languages.[295] Due to this, the language is somewhat different from that spoken in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries, mainly for phonological and orthographic differences. These differences are somewhat greater than those of American and British English.[295] As of 2008, the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) got to an agreement in the reform of Portuguese as one international language, as opposed to two diverged dialects of the same language, in which participated all countries that have Portuguese as its official language. All CPLP countries were given a certain period of time to adjust to the necessary changes, between 2009 and 2014.[296]
Minority languages are spoken throughout the vast national territory. Some of these are spoken by indigenous peoples: 180 Amerindian languages are spoken in remote areas. Others are spoken by immigrants and their descendants.[295] There are important communities of speakers of German (mostly the Hunsrückisch, part of the High German languages) and Italian (mostly the Talian dialect, of Venetian origin) in the south of the country, both largely influenced by the Portuguese language.[294][295]
Culture
Society
A wide variety of elements create a society with considerable ethnic complexity.[274] The core culture of Brazil derived from Portuguese culture, because of strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Catholic religion and the colonial architectural styles.[297] This culture, however, was strongly influenced by African, Indigenous cultures and traditions, and other non-Portuguese European people.[274] Some aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of Italian, German and other European immigrants; came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the South and Southeast of Brazil.[271] Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil's language and cuisine; and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced language, cuisine, music, dance and religion.[271][298] Darcy Ribeiro, in his O Povo Brasileiro, wrote that "Brazil emerges thus as a bud mutant, rescheduled from its own characteristics, but tied to the genetic Portuguese matrix, which unsuspected potential to grow and to be full were only realized here."[299]
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