Brazil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the country. For other uses, see Brazil (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 10S 52W

Federative Republic of Brazil

Repblica Federativa do Brasil (Portuguese)

Flag Coat of arms

Motto:

Ordem e Progresso (Portuguese)

(English: "Order and Progress")

Anthem:

Hino Nacional Brasileiro

(English: "Brazilian National Anthem")

Flag anthem:

Hino Bandeira Nacional[1]

(English: "National Flag Anthem")

National seal

Selo Nacional do Brasil

National Seal of Brazil



Capital Braslia
1547S 4752W

Largest city So Paulo

2333S 4638W

Official languages Portuguese[2][3]

Ethnic groups(2010[4])
47.73% White

43.13% Pardo (mixed

race)

7.61% Black

1.09% Asian

0.43% Amerindian

Religion
64.6% Roman
Catholicism

22.2% Protestantism

8.0% No religion
 2.0% Spiritism

3.2% Others[5]

Demonym Brazilian

Government Federal presidentialconstitutional

republic

President Michel Temer

Vice President Vacant[6]
President of the Rodrigo Maia
Chamber of Deputies
President of the Federal Euncio Oliveira
Senate
President of the Supreme Crmen Lcia
Federal Court

Legislature National Congress

Upper house Federal Senate

Lower house Chamber of Deputies

Independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the

Algarves
Declared 7 September 1822
Recognized 29 August 1825
Republic 15 November 1889
Current constitution 5 October 1988

Area
Total 8,515,767 km2(3,287,956 sq mi)
(5th)
Water (%) 0.65

Population
2017 estimate 207,350,000[7] (5th)
Density 23.8/km2 (61.6/sq mi) (190th)

GDP (PPP) 2017 estimate

Total $3.217 trillion (8th)
Per capita $15,646 [8] (76th)

GDP (nominal) 2017 estimate

Total $2.140 trillion (8th)
Per capita $8,727[8] (68th)
 Gini (2014) 51.5[9]
high

HDI (2015) 0.754[10]

high 79th

Currency Real (R$) (BRL)

Time zone BRT (UTC2 to 5)

Summer (DST) BRST (UTC2 to 5)

Date format dd/mm/yyyy (CE)

Drives on the right

Calling code +55

ISO 3166 code BR

Internet TLD .br

Brazil ( /brzl/; Portuguese: Brasil [baziw][11]), officially the Federative Republic of

i

Brazil (Portuguese: Repblica Federativa do Brasil, listen (helpinfo)[12]), is the largest country in
both South America and Latin America. As the world's fifth-largest country by
both area and population, it is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and
the only one in the Americas.[13][14] Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has
a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi)[15] It borders all other South American countries except
Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent's land area. [16] Its Amazon River
basin includes a vast tropical forest, home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and
extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats.[15] This unique environmental
heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries, and is the subject of significant global
interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection.
Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro
lvares Cabral, who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire. Brazil remained a Portuguese
colony until 1808, when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.
In 1815, the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United
Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Independence was achieved in 1822 with the
creation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a
parliamentary system. The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a
bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress. The country became a presidential
republic in 1889 following a military coup d'tat. An authoritarian military junta came to power in
1964 and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution,
formulated in 1988, defines it as a democraticfederal republic.[17] The federation is composed of
the union of the Federal District, the 26 states, and the 5,570 municipalities.
Brazil's economy is the world's both eighth-largest by nominal GDP and eighth-largest by GDP
(PPP) as of 2015.[18][19] A member of the BRICS group, Brazil until 2010 had one of the world's
fastest growing major economies, with its economic reforms giving the country new international
recognition and influence.[20] Brazil's national development bank plays an important role for the
country's economic growth.[21] Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations,
the G20, BRICS, Unasul, Mercosul, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-
American States, and the CPLP. Brazil is a regional power in Latin America and a middle
power in international affairs,[22] with some analysts identifying it as an emerging global power.
[23]
One of the world's major breadbaskets, Brazil has been the largest producer of coffee for the
last 150 years.[24]