EcoBrazil.com - Brazil Information

country information


			Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country, occupying almost half of the South American continent and bordering every country in it except for Chile and Ecuador. It's a country within itself, and its geography, wildlife and people are as beautiful as they are diverse. Much of Brazil is scarcely populated, although some regions with previously low population densities, such as the Amazon, are being rapidly settled.
			Official name Federative Republic of Brazil (Republica Federativa do Brasil)
			Area 3,285,618 sq. miles
			Population 164 million people (1999 est.)
			Capital Brasilia, located in the Distrito Federal or Federal District (since 1960).
			People 53% European descent, 37% mulatto or mixed, 6% African descent, 3% mestizo (caboclo) 1% other (Asian, etc.) (according to the 1990 census).
			Language Portuguese. Brazilian Portuguese differs somewhat from the language spoken in Portugal, just as American English differs from British English. There are significant differences in pronunciation, grammar and spelling between the two. Make sure any language aids that you acquire are for Brazilian Portuguese.
			Religion 90% (nominal) Roman Catholic, with an infusion of African spirtualism in some areas. Protestant churches are on the rise, as elsewhere in Latin America.
			Government A federal republic, consisting of 26 states and one federal district. The National Congress is divided into the Senate with 81 seats, and the Chamber of Deputies with 513 seats. The balance of power is shared by the executive, legislative and judiciary branches.
			Head of State The current head of state is President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, elected in 1994 and 1998. A four-year position, the President is term-limited to a maximum of two terms in office. A well-rounded sociology professor and prolific author, Cardoso entered politics in the 1970s, became a Senator and was served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance under President Itamar Franco in the early '90s. He acheived notoriety for being known as the architect of Brazil's successful currency reform under his leadership as Finance Minister. On January 1, 2003 the newly elected president, Luis Inacio "LULA" da Silva from the Workers Party (PT), will take the office. LULA won in a landslide against Cardoso's Candidate Jose Serra. This was Lula's fourth run to the presidency an dhe run on the platform to reform the civil injustices in Brazil.
			Currency 1 real = 100 centavos. See our Currency page for examples of Brazilian coins and paper money, as well as an up-to-date currency converter.
			Geography Brazil is usually divided into four main geographic regions. The long, narrow Atlantic seaboard has coastal ranges between the Rio Grande do Sul and Bahia, but is flatter north of Bahia. The large highlands - called the Planalto Brasileiro or central plateau - which extend over most of Brazil's interior south of the Amazon Basin are punctuated by several small mountain ranges and parted by several large rivers. Two great depressions - the Paraguay Basin, which is characterized by open forest, low woods and scrub land, and the densely forested Amazon Basin - lie in the southeast. The 6275-km-long Amazon is the world's largest river and the Amazon forest contains 30 percent of the world's remaining forest. For more information on Brazil's varied geography, click here.
			Wildlife The richness and diversity of Brazil's fauna is astounding, and the country ranks first in the world for numbers of species of primates, amphibians and plants; third for bird species; and fourth for species of butterflies and reptiles. However, many species are under threat because of the continued depletion of rainforests, the spread of desert areas in the northeast, poaching in the Pantanal region and coastal pollution.
			lease click here for travel guidelines and tips on visitng Brazil.