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Brazil Index
Throughout the colonial era, the Portuguese used military forces to defend their vast claims in South America. The typical practice was to depend on local fighters and on expeditionary forces sent to deal with particular crises. Such forces usually were led by nobles and large landowners who recruited, often forcibly, unemployed men for the ranks. In addition, the Portuguese long made use of mercenaries from various nationalities, a practice that would continue into the early nineteenth century. Colonial warfare against the French, and especially the Dutch (1624-54), the continuous wars and slave-raiding expeditions against the native peoples, and the famous bandeirante
(see Glossary) expeditions produced a vibrant body of military traditions. However, the colonial era did not produce an institutionalized standing military force.
Thanks to the reforms of Marquês de Pombal, Portugal's emperor, in the mid-eighteenth century, more Brazilian-born men were drawn into colonial administration--more so than was the case in either the Spanish or the British colonies--including military affairs. Portugal did not have a navy or a large permanent army, so it had to depend on Brazilians to defend their lands. It was only after 1764 that regular royal troops were posted in Brazil, and even their ranks had to be filled out with local recruits. By the late eighteenth century, the officers of the regiments in Bahia were 60 percent Brazilian-born, but their attitudes, interests, and values were identical with the rest of the colonial elites; they were part of the Portuguese empire, not officers in a budding Brazilian army. Their identification was more with their local region or the greater Portuguese empire than with what is now Brazil.
The colonial units were segregated by color. Militia units called Henriques
(see Glossary) were composed of free blacks, while those of mixed African-European ancestry, called pardos
, had their own organizations and officers. Local bosses, then called mestres de campo
(country masters), and later known as coronéis
(colonels--see Glossary), organized the white elite and their hangers-on into urban and rural militia units. In the countryside, such units were really private armies that reinforced the power of the local elites. With royal authority behind them, the mestres
and coronéis
chased criminals and runaway slaves, kept track of who passed through their territories and how much their neighbors produced, and meted out justice as they saw fit. The viceroy was too far away to interfere with abuses.
Lieutenant Colonel Henrique Oscar Wiederspahn, in his study of Brazil's war with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (1825-28) over what is now Uruguay, observed that "the Brazilian Armed Forces have their origins in those [forces] that Dom João VI left us on returning with his Court to Lisbon. . . ." Dom Pedro I (emperor, 1822-31) used the army and navy to expel the Portuguese forces that remained loyal to the government in Lisbon after September 1822. In the campaigns of the 1820s to expel the Portuguese from Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Maranhão, the role played by foreign mercenaries, such as British Admiral Thomas Alexander Cochrane (Lord Dundonald) and Frenchman General Pierre Labatut, was pivotal in achieving victory. However, the political disputes of that decade placed the new emperor at odds with the regional elites. Their suspicion of the new imperial army (in 1828 it included a few thousand Irish and Germans recruited abroad) and of the Portuguese-born emperor and his Portuguese generals led to his abdication in 1831 and to the formation of the National Guard as a counterpoise to the army.
The army barely survived the 1830s and had to contend with the National Guard as a potential rival until early in the next century. What institutionalized the army were the fierce campaigns under the leadership of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva (later the famous Duke of Caxias (Duque de Caxias)) that crushed regional revolts (see The Regency Era, 1831-40, ch. 1) in the 1830s and 1840s. Army organization was improved in the campaign against Argentine president Juan Manuel de Rosas in the upper Río de la Plata in 1852 and institutionalized as a result of the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) against Paraguay. That war provided the army's principal battle experience and heroes and fixed its main locus of operations on the South (Sul) for decades to come.
Brazil's involvement in the Paraguayan War proved to be a watershed for the army and navy. Brazil joined Argentina and the Uruguayan Colorados (members of the Colorado Party) and successfully resisted the expansionism of Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López. In March 1870, Solano López was defeated decisively. Although the number of Paraguayan casualties remains a topic of debate among historians, a majority of the Paraguayan adult male population supposedly was killed. The Paraguayan War rapidly expanded the size of Brazil's army. In 1864, prior to the war, Brazil had 17,000 soldiers in the army; by the end of the war, there were 100,000.
On returning to Brazil, many of the officers were restless with the deficiencies in their economy, such as the lack of an industry to supply the army adequately. Their leader, the Duque de Caxias, was loyal to Pedro II (emperor, 1840-89) and kept anti-imperialist sentiments under control, but after he died in 1880 officers became more active in the political arena. Although they were barred legally from debating government policies publicly, some military officers expressed dissatisfaction openly. For example, they resented their role in capturing runaway slaves. In 1879 officers reacted strongly to a bill that would reduce the size of the military. In 1883 they vehemently opposed compulsory payments to an insurance fund. In 1887 they founded Rio de Janeiro's Military Club (Clube Militar) to express their grievances. The Military Club provided a forum for open debate and criticism of government policies.
Field Marshal Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca, the first president of the Military Club, emerged as a vocal proponent of military interests. On November 9, 1889, Benjamin Constant, a leading advocate of positivism (see Glossary), spoke at the Military Club and called for "full powers to free the military from a state of affairs incompatible with its honor and its dignity." Less than a week later, on November 15, Deodoro led a bloodless coup, which ended the empire of Dom Pedro II, and ushered in the Old Republic (1889-1930). On November 16, he declared Brazil a federal republic.
Deodoro was the provisional leader of Brazil until February 25, 1891, when Congress elected him president. He served as president until November 23, 1891. Under Deodoro the army, which had decreased to 13,000 members in the aftermath of the Paraguayan War, increased its size to 20,000. Army officers governed half of Brazil's twenty states at the time. Cabinet members, however, were primarily civilians (exceptions included Colonel Constant, minister of war; and Vice Admiral Eduardo Wandenkolk, minister of navy).
Deodoro promulgated a new constitution on February 24, 1891, and a day later was elected president by Congress under that charter's provisions. Indicating their displeasure with what they perceived to be a fraudulent and manipulated constitution, Congress elected Deodoro's rival, Floriano Peixoto, to the vice presidency. On November 23, 1891, Deodoro resigned from the presidency because of strong resistance to his policies from Congress, some states, the navy, and a faction of the army led by Peixoto. Peixoto assumed the presidency on the same day, and ruled until November 15, 1894. Because of his strong personality, he was known as the Iron Marshal (Marechal de Ferro).
Peixoto was succeeded by Prudente José de Morais e Barros, also known as Prudente de Morais, the first civilian president of Brazil (1894-98), and the first elected by popular vote. Prudente de Morais was succeeded by Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales (president, 1898-1902). Prudente de Morais and Campos Sales were the first of various presidents in what has been termed the Republic of the Oligarchies (República das Oligarquias), in which coffee growers in the Southeast (Sudeste) effectively controlled the presidency.
As presidents, Deodoro and Peixoto provided for the transition from empire to republic. In a matter of five years, the Brazilian presidency was turned over to a directly elected civilian. The governments between 1894 and 1930 were inherently conservative, but this was Brazil's first experiment with democracy.
Data as of April 1997
Early History
Throughout the colonial era, the Portuguese used military forces to defend their vast claims in South America. The typical practice was to depend on local fighters and on expeditionary forces sent to deal with particular crises. Such forces usually were led by nobles and large landowners who recruited, often forcibly, unemployed men for the ranks. In addition, the Portuguese long made use of mercenaries from various nationalities, a practice that would continue into the early nineteenth century. Colonial warfare against the French, and especially the Dutch (1624-54), the continuous wars and slave-raiding expeditions against the native peoples, and the famous bandeirante
(see Glossary) expeditions produced a vibrant body of military traditions. However, the colonial era did not produce an institutionalized standing military force.
Thanks to the reforms of Marquês de Pombal, Portugal's emperor, in the mid-eighteenth century, more Brazilian-born men were drawn into colonial administration--more so than was the case in either the Spanish or the British colonies--including military affairs. Portugal did not have a navy or a large permanent army, so it had to depend on Brazilians to defend their lands. It was only after 1764 that regular royal troops were posted in Brazil, and even their ranks had to be filled out with local recruits. By the late eighteenth century, the officers of the regiments in Bahia were 60 percent Brazilian-born, but their attitudes, interests, and values were identical with the rest of the colonial elites; they were part of the Portuguese empire, not officers in a budding Brazilian army. Their identification was more with their local region or the greater Portuguese empire than with what is now Brazil.
The colonial units were segregated by color. Militia units called Henriques
(see Glossary) were composed of free blacks, while those of mixed African-European ancestry, called pardos
, had their own organizations and officers. Local bosses, then called mestres de campo
(country masters), and later known as coronéis
(colonels--see Glossary), organized the white elite and their hangers-on into urban and rural militia units. In the countryside, such units were really private armies that reinforced the power of the local elites. With royal authority behind them, the mestres
and coronéis
chased criminals and runaway slaves, kept track of who passed through their territories and how much their neighbors produced, and meted out justice as they saw fit. The viceroy was too far away to interfere with abuses.
Lieutenant Colonel Henrique Oscar Wiederspahn, in his study of Brazil's war with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (1825-28) over what is now Uruguay, observed that "the Brazilian Armed Forces have their origins in those [forces] that Dom João VI left us on returning with his Court to Lisbon. . . ." Dom Pedro I (emperor, 1822-31) used the army and navy to expel the Portuguese forces that remained loyal to the government in Lisbon after September 1822. In the campaigns of the 1820s to expel the Portuguese from Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Maranhão, the role played by foreign mercenaries, such as British Admiral Thomas Alexander Cochrane (Lord Dundonald) and Frenchman General Pierre Labatut, was pivotal in achieving victory. However, the political disputes of that decade placed the new emperor at odds with the regional elites. Their suspicion of the new imperial army (in 1828 it included a few thousand Irish and Germans recruited abroad) and of the Portuguese-born emperor and his Portuguese generals led to his abdication in 1831 and to the formation of the National Guard as a counterpoise to the army.
The army barely survived the 1830s and had to contend with the National Guard as a potential rival until early in the next century. What institutionalized the army were the fierce campaigns under the leadership of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva (later the famous Duke of Caxias (Duque de Caxias)) that crushed regional revolts (see The Regency Era, 1831-40, ch. 1) in the 1830s and 1840s. Army organization was improved in the campaign against Argentine president Juan Manuel de Rosas in the upper Río de la Plata in 1852 and institutionalized as a result of the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) against Paraguay. That war provided the army's principal battle experience and heroes and fixed its main locus of operations on the South (Sul) for decades to come.
Brazil's involvement in the Paraguayan War proved to be a watershed for the army and navy. Brazil joined Argentina and the Uruguayan Colorados (members of the Colorado Party) and successfully resisted the expansionism of Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López. In March 1870, Solano López was defeated decisively. Although the number of Paraguayan casualties remains a topic of debate among historians, a majority of the Paraguayan adult male population supposedly was killed. The Paraguayan War rapidly expanded the size of Brazil's army. In 1864, prior to the war, Brazil had 17,000 soldiers in the army; by the end of the war, there were 100,000.
On returning to Brazil, many of the officers were restless with the deficiencies in their economy, such as the lack of an industry to supply the army adequately. Their leader, the Duque de Caxias, was loyal to Pedro II (emperor, 1840-89) and kept anti-imperialist sentiments under control, but after he died in 1880 officers became more active in the political arena. Although they were barred legally from debating government policies publicly, some military officers expressed dissatisfaction openly. For example, they resented their role in capturing runaway slaves. In 1879 officers reacted strongly to a bill that would reduce the size of the military. In 1883 they vehemently opposed compulsory payments to an insurance fund. In 1887 they founded Rio de Janeiro's Military Club (Clube Militar) to express their grievances. The Military Club provided a forum for open debate and criticism of government policies.
Field Marshal Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca, the first president of the Military Club, emerged as a vocal proponent of military interests. On November 9, 1889, Benjamin Constant, a leading advocate of positivism (see Glossary), spoke at the Military Club and called for "full powers to free the military from a state of affairs incompatible with its honor and its dignity." Less than a week later, on November 15, Deodoro led a bloodless coup, which ended the empire of Dom Pedro II, and ushered in the Old Republic (1889-1930). On November 16, he declared Brazil a federal republic.
Deodoro was the provisional leader of Brazil until February 25, 1891, when Congress elected him president. He served as president until November 23, 1891. Under Deodoro the army, which had decreased to 13,000 members in the aftermath of the Paraguayan War, increased its size to 20,000. Army officers governed half of Brazil's twenty states at the time. Cabinet members, however, were primarily civilians (exceptions included Colonel Constant, minister of war; and Vice Admiral Eduardo Wandenkolk, minister of navy).
Deodoro promulgated a new constitution on February 24, 1891, and a day later was elected president by Congress under that charter's provisions. Indicating their displeasure with what they perceived to be a fraudulent and manipulated constitution, Congress elected Deodoro's rival, Floriano Peixoto, to the vice presidency. On November 23, 1891, Deodoro resigned from the presidency because of strong resistance to his policies from Congress, some states, the navy, and a faction of the army led by Peixoto. Peixoto assumed the presidency on the same day, and ruled until November 15, 1894. Because of his strong personality, he was known as the Iron Marshal (Marechal de Ferro).
Peixoto was succeeded by Prudente José de Morais e Barros, also known as Prudente de Morais, the first civilian president of Brazil (1894-98), and the first elected by popular vote. Prudente de Morais was succeeded by Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales (president, 1898-1902). Prudente de Morais and Campos Sales were the first of various presidents in what has been termed the Republic of the Oligarchies (República das Oligarquias), in which coffee growers in the Southeast (Sudeste) effectively controlled the presidency.
As presidents, Deodoro and Peixoto provided for the transition from empire to republic. In a matter of five years, the Brazilian presidency was turned over to a directly elected civilian. The governments between 1894 and 1930 were inherently conservative, but this was Brazil's first experiment with democracy.
Data as of April 1997
- Brazil-Brazil and International Conflicts, 1917-95
- Brazil-Women in Politics
- Brazil-State and Local Governments
- Brazil-The Political Party System
- Brazil-The Second Empire, 1840-89 The Regency Era, 1831-40
- Brazil-The Presidential Election of 1989 Elections
- Brazil-Growth of Social and Environmental Movements Conflict and Nonviolence
- Brazil-Chapter 2 - The Society and Its Environment
- Brazil-The Physical Setting
- Brazil-The Services Sector Nuclear Power
- Brazil-Brazil's Real Plan
- Brazil-Civil-Military Relations, 1985-94
- Brazil-The Military Republic, 1964-85
- Brazil-Trade Patterns and Regional Economic Integration
- Brazil-Defense Expenditures
- Brazil-Organization of the Armed Forces
- Brazil-The 1981-84 Period
- Brazil-Transportation and Communications
- Brazil-Cardoso's Presidency, 1995
- Brazil-Multilateral Relations Foreign Policy Decision Making
- Brazil-Cultural Unity and Diversity
- Brazil-Rural Groups
- Brazil-Missile Programs
- Brazil-Mass Communications Language
- Brazil-The Elderly Youth
- Brazil-Social Security Public Health and Welfare
- Brazil-Economic Outlook
- Brazil-Emperor Pedro I, 1822-31 The Empire, 1822-89
- Brazil-Fiscal Trends in the 1980s Fiscal and Monetary Policy, the Public Sector, and Inflation
- Brazil-Table A - Selected Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Brazil-The Post-Vargas Republic, 1954-64
- Brazil-Science and Technology as Modernization, 1945-64 The Search for Alternatives
- Brazil-Brazil
- Brazil-Ranks, Uniforms, and Insignia Conscription
- Brazil-Democratic Labor Party
- Brazil-Literacy Education
- Brazil-The Legislature
- Brazil-National Security
- Brazil-Family and Kinship
- Brazil-Religion
- Brazil-Federal Police Security Forces
- Brazil-Migration and Urbanization
- Brazil-Social Structure
- Brazil-Country
- Brazil-Geography
- Brazil-Employment and Earnings
- Brazil-Penal Institutions
- Brazil-Toward the Future
- Brazil-Minor Parties in Congress
- Brazil-The Environment Center-West
- Brazil-Nuclear Programs
- Brazil-Society
- Brazil-Airports
- Brazil-The 1990-94 Period
- Brazil-The Labor Force and Income Levels
- Brazil-The Judiciary
- Brazil-The Era of Getúlio Vargas, 1930-54
- Brazil-Preface
- Brazil-Fishing Livestock
- Brazil-Housing Sanitation and Public Utilities
- Brazil-Energy
- Brazil-The Colonial Era, 1500-1815
- Brazil-The Indigenous Population
- Brazil-Amerindians Race and Ethnicity
- Brazil-Principal Research Libraries
- Brazil-Social Conflict and Participation
- Brazil-Population Size and Distribution Population
- Brazil-Mining Industry
- Brazil-Science for Industrial Competitiveness
- Brazil-The Computer Industry Policy
- Brazil-Africa The Middle East
- Brazil-Chapter 1 - Historical Setting
- Brazil-Party of National Reconstruction
- Brazil-General Elections, 1994
- Brazil-University Research and Graduate Education Research and Development
- Brazil-Chapter 5 - National Security
- Brazil-Inland Waterways
- Brazil-Women in the Armed Forces Officer Recruitment
- Brazil-Indicators of Health Health Status and Health Care
- Brazil-Stagnation, Inflation, and Crisis, 1981-94 Growth with Debt, 1974-80
- Brazil-Applied Science in Agriculture and Health Imperial Science
- Brazil-Telecommunications
- Brazil-Other Activities by the Federal Government The Coordination of High-Level Personnel Training
- Brazil-Air Force
- Brazil-Personnel and Training
- Brazil-Agriculture Structure of Production
- Brazil-Colleges and Universities Primary and Secondary Schools
- Brazil-The Foreign Service Foreign Relations
- Brazil-Railroads
- Brazil-The Brazilian Way
- Brazil-Constitutional Framework
- Brazil-Brazilian Communist Party
- Brazil-Franco's Presidency, 1992-94 Collor de Mello's Presidency, 1990-92
- Brazil-The Internal Security Mission, 1964-85 From Moderator to Director, 1930-85
- Brazil-Liberal Front Party
- Brazil-The Lobbying Process Interest Groups
- Brazil-Acknowledgments
- Brazil-Soils and Vegetation
- Brazil-Government and Politics
- Brazil-Chapter 6 - Science and Technology
- Brazil-Colonial Science Historical Evolution
- Brazil-Exchange-Rate and Balance of Payments Policies
- Brazil-Privatization
- Brazil-Interest Group Politics
- Brazil-Municipal Elections, 1996
- Brazil-Foreword
- Brazil-Europe Latin America
- Brazil-Education and Training
- Brazil-Early Colonization
- Brazil-Stagnation and Spectacular Growth, 1962-80 Import-Substitution Industrialization, 1945-64
- Brazil-Inequality and Poverty Earnings
- Brazil-Army Command and Control
- Brazil-Defense Industries
- Brazil-Mission of the Armed Forces
- Brazil-Table B - Chronology of Important Events
- Brazil-Stagnation, 1962-67
- Brazil-Civic Action The Military Role in Counter-Drug Actions
- Brazil
- Brazil-Trade Policies
- Brazil-Gold Mining Displaces Cane Farming French and Dutch Incursions
- Brazil-The Ministry of Science and Technology Administration of Science and Technology
- Brazil-Early History The Military Role in Society and Government
- Brazil-The Electoral System
- Brazil-Crime and Punishment
- Brazil-State Police
- Brazil
- Brazil-United States Asia
- Brazil-Foreign Military Influence
- Brazil-The Military Role in the Intelligence Services
- Brazil-Technological Research in the Private Sector Research in State-Owned Corporations
- Brazil-Chapter 3 - The Economy
- Brazil-Historical Background and Economic Growth
- Brazil-Capital Flows and the External Debt Exchange Rates and Foreign Trade
- Brazil
- Brazil-The Strategic Affairs Secretariat, 1990-94 The National Intelligence Service, 1964-90
- Brazil-The Military in the Amazon The Military Mission since 1988
- Brazil
- Brazil
- Brazil-Sociology of the Officer Corps
- Brazil
- Brazil-The São Paulo Science and Technology System Science and Technology in the States
- Brazil-Major Parties in Congress Historical Origins and Evolution
- Brazil
- Brazil-Fertility Mortality
- Brazil
- Brazil-The Funding Authority for Studies and Projects National Council for Scientific and Technological Development
- Brazil
- Brazil-Party Legislation Regional Strength of the Parties
- Brazil-Country Profile
- Brazil-Gender Social Classes
- Brazil-The Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil, 1815-21
- Brazil-The Transition to Kingdom Status
- Brazil-North
- Brazil-Brazilian Social Democracy Party
- Brazil-Chapter 4 - Government and Politics
- Brazil
- Brazil-Political Culture
- Brazil
- Brazil-The Economy at Independence, 1822 The Eighteenth-Century Gold Rush
- Brazil-Navy
- Brazil-Other Religions Roman Catholicism
- Brazil-The Colonial Period
- Brazil-The Executive Structure of Government
- Brazil-Geographic Regions Climate
- Brazil-A Period of Sweeping Change, 1930-45 The Coffee Economy, 1840-1930
- Brazil-The Space Program
- Brazil-Progressive Renewal Party
- Brazil-Inclusion and Exclusion
- Brazil-Municipal Elections, 1992 Congressional and State Elections, 1990
- Brazil-Southeast
- Brazil-Frontier Expansion That Shaped Brazil
- Brazil-The Media
- Brazil-Policy Perspectives Centers of Excellence
- Brazil
- Brazil-Petroleum
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Background | | Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil peacefully gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems.
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Location | | Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
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Area(sq km) | | total: 8,514,877 sq km
land: 8,459,417 sq km
water: 55,460 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
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Geographic coordinates | | 10 00 S, 55 00 W
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 16,885 km
border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
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Coastline(km) | | 7,491 km
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Climate | | mostly tropical, but temperate in south
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
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Natural resources | | bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 6.93%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.18% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 29,200 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 8,233 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 59.3 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
per capita: 318 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
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Environment - current 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 cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
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Population | | 198,739,269
note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,872,855; that figure was about 3.8% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 27,092,880/female 26,062,244)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 65,804,108/female 67,047,725)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,374,230/female 7,358,082) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 28.6 years
male: 27.8 years
female: 29.3 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 1.199% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 18.43 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 86% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 22.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 71.99 years
male: 68.43 years
female: 75.73 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian
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Ethnic groups(%) | | white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census)
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Religions(%) | | Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census)
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Languages(%) | | Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages
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Country name | | conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil
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Government type | | federal republic
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Capital | | name: Brasilia
geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February
note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands
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Administrative divisions | | 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
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Constitution | | 5-Oct-88
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Legal system | | based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote
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Executive branch | | chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR Gomes da Silva (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR Gomes da Silva (since 1 January 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
election results: Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%
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Legislative branch | | bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17; note - as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 21, DEM (formerly PFL) 12, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 7, PDT 5, PR 4, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PRB 1, PP 1, PSC 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 95, PT 79, PSDB 59, DEM (formerly PFL) 53, PR 44, PP 40, PSB 29, PDT 25, PTB 19, PPS 14, PV 14, PCdoB 13, PSC 11, PMN 5, PRB 4, PHS 3, PSOL 3, PTC 1, PTdoB 1
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Judicial branch | | Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | Landless Workers' Movement or MST
other: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church
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International organization participation | | AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Flag description | | green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
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Economy - overview | | Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2003 to 2007, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains coupled with high commodity prices contributed to the surge in exports. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA da Silva restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration in October of that year, LULA da Silva announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. Brazil's debt achieved investment grade status early in 2008, but the government's attempt to achieve strong growth while reducing the debt burden created inflationary pressures. For most of 2008, the Central Bank embarked on a restrictive monetary policy to stem these pressures. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in September, Brazil's currency and its stock market - Bovespa - have significantly lost value, -41% for Bovespa for the year ending 30 December 2008. Brazil incurred another current account deficit in 2008, as world demand and prices for commodities dropped in the second-half of the year.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $1.998 trillion (2008 est.)
$1.901 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.798 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $1.573 trillion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 5.1% (2008 est.)
5.7% (2007 est.)
4% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $10,200 (2008 est.)
$9,800 (2007 est.)
$9,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 6.7%
industry: 28%
services: 65.3% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 93.65 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 20%
industry: 14%
services: 66% (2003 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 7.9% (2008 est.)
9.3% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 31% (2005)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 43% (2007)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 56.7 (2005)
60.7 (1998)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 19% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 5.7% (2008 est.)
3.6% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $95.03 billion (31 December 2008)
$131.1 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $724.5 billion (31 December 2008)
$792.8 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $1.249 trillion (31 December 2008)
$1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $589.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$1.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
$711.1 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $191.9 million (2005)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 38.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
52% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
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Industries | | textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 4.3% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | -$28.19 billion (2008 est.)
$1.551 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $197.9 billion (2008 est.)
$160.6 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
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Exports - partners(%) | | US 14.4%, China 12.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 4.5% (2008)
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Imports | | $173.1 billion (2008 est.)
$120.6 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
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Imports - partners(%) | | US 14.9%, China 11.6%, Argentina 7.9%, Germany 7% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $193.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$180.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $262.9 billion (31 December 2008)
$240.5 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $294 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$248.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $127.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$107.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.8644 (2008 est.), 1.85 (2007 est.), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | real (BRL)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 41.141 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 150.641 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone density reaching 80 per 100 persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years
international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Atlantis 2, that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2008)
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Internet country code | | .br
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Internet users | | 64.948 million (2008)
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Airports | | 4,000 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,892 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 1,751,868 km
paved: 96,353 km
unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)
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Ports and terminals | | Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao
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Military branches | | Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 52,523,552
females age 16-49: 52,628,945 (2009 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 38,043,555
females age 16-49: 44,267,520 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 1,690,031
female: 1,630,851 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
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Disputes - international | | unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested boundary dispute with Uruguay over Isla Brasilera at the confluence of the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada rivers, that form a tripoint with Argentina; the Itaipu Dam reservoir covers over a once contested section of Brazil-Paraguay boundary west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 8.3%
hydro: 82.7%
nuclear: 4.4%
other: 4.6% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 2.422 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 2.52 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 570,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 632,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 12.62 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 12.62 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 23.65 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 365 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.6% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 730,000 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | 15,000 (2007 est.)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.6%
male: 88.4%
female: 88.8% (2004 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2005)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 4% of GDP (2004)
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