Federative Republic of Brazil

COUNTRY NAME

• Conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
• Conventional short form: Brazil
• Local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
• Local short form: Brasil

BRAZIL CAPITAL CITY

• Brasília is the capital city of Brazil.

BRAZIL CURRENCY

•  Real is the official currency of Brazil.

ETYMOLOGY OF BRAZIL

• Brazil derives its name from “pau-brasil”, a red dye discovered by Portuguese explorers.
• The dye was produced from the wood of a native plant.

HISTORY OF BRAZIL

• The nomadic Tupí-Guaraní Indians were the original inhabitants of the region.
• Adm. Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed the territory on the behalf of Portugal in 1500.
• Portuguese colonization began in 1532.
• The region became a royal colony in 1549.
• During the Napoleonic Wars, King João VI set up his court in Rio de Janeiro.
• His son, King Pedro I, declared Brazil as an independent nation on Sept. 7, 1822.
• Pedro I abdicated in 1831 and his five-year-old son, Pedro II, became emperor in 1840.
• Pedro II was abdicated in 1889 following a military revolt.
• Brazil was under military dictatorship until a revolt permitted civilian presidents to take over.
• Brazil sided up with the Allies and declared war on Germany during the World War I.
• Brazil again cooperated with the Allies during the World War II.
• Brazil participated in the invasion of Italy after declaring war on the Axis powers.
• Brazil had a series of military governments after a military coup in 1964.
• Gen. João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo took over as president in 1979.
• He pledged a return to democracy in 1985.
• Tancredo Neves became the first civilian president since 1964 on Jan. 15, 1985.
• In Jan. 1999, Brazil was drastically affected by the Asian economic crisis.
• In Jan. 2003, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became Brazil's first working-class president.
• On November 8, 2008, a new oil field called “Tupi” was discovered.
• The country was hit by a dengue epidemic in January 2008.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF BRAZIL

• Brazil's population is a mixture of several racial and ethnic groups.
• The ethnic distribution of the population is as follows:
• Whites: 49.7%
• Pardo (brown): 42.6%
• Black: 6.9%
• Asian: 0.5%
• Amerindian: 0.4%
• Most Brazilians are descendants of Indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonists, and African slaves.
• Large numbers of European and Asian people migrated to Brazil in the 19th century.
• In the early 20th century, people from Japan and the Middle-East also arrived.
• Brazil has the largest population of Italian origin outside of Italy.
• Brazil also has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
• Genetically, most Brazilians have European, African, and Amerindian ancestry.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AT BRAZIL

• Brazil is ruled by a federal republic government.
• Administrative divisions comprise of twenty six states and one federal district.
• Independence Day (7 September 1822) is observed as a national holiday.
• The Constitution was founded on 5 October, 1988.
• The legal system is based on Roman codes.
• Brazil has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
• The president is the chief of state and head of government.
• The Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president.
• The president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term.
• The Legislative branch is represented by a bicameral National Congress consisting of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
• The Judicial branch is represented by the Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF, the Higher Tribunal of Justice and Regional Federal Tribunals.

BRAZIL CULTURE

• Brazil is the only Latin American country that has Portuguese influence on its language and culture.
• The Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Catholic religion, and the colonial architectural styles in Brazil.
• Brazilian society is a blend of various ethnicities and cultures.
• Brazilian culture has elements of European, African, and Indigenous cultures and traditions.
• Italian, German, and other European immigrants have also contributed to the culture and society of Brazil.
• Amerindian peoples also influenced Brazil's language and cuisine.
• Some African influences can also be seen in the language, cuisine, music, dance, and religion.
• Brazilian literature dates back to the 16th century.
• Brazilian cuisine is diverse and varied across different regions and communities.
• Traditional music styles are samba, bossa nova, forró, frevo, pagode, and many others.
• Classical music is an important part of Brazilian culture.
• Brazil has also contributed significantly to international art and cinema.
• The festival of Carnival is marked by spectacular street parades and vibrant music.
• The Carnival is an annual celebration held forty days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent.
• The Carnival is celebrated throughout Brazil with distinct regional characteristics.
• The most spectacular celebrations take place in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, and Olinda.
• Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festival).
• Religion is much diversified in Brazil.
• The Roman Catholic Church is the dominant religion.
• Brazil is the largest Catholic nation in the world.
• Protestants, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists are also gradually rising in number.
• Traditional African beliefs have combined with Catholicism to create Afro-Brazilian religions such as Macumba, Candomblé, and Umbanda.
• Amerindians practice a wide variety of indigenous religions and traditions.
• The Muslim population in Brazil consists of mostly Arab immigrants.
• Buddhism, Judaism and Islam are also followed by a few people.

ECONOMY OF BRAZIL

• Brazil has large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors.
• Brazil is the richest among all South American countries.
• Wages and the rate of employment have increased steadily since 2004.
• Commodity-driven current account surpluses and sound macroeconomic policies have favor economic growth.
• It has also caused a reduction in public debts and real interest rates.
• A floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and a tight fiscal policy are the key components of the economic program.
• Productivity gains and high commodity prices contributed to an increase in exports.
• In 2006, Brazil shifted its debt burden towards real denominated and domestically held instruments.
• The GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 was $1.836 trillion.
• 9.3% of the population is unemployed.
• 31% of the population is below poverty line.
• Agricultural produce consists of coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus and beef.
• The main industries are textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts and other machinery and equipment.
• Export commodities include transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee and autos.
• Import commodities include machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts and electronics.

INFRASTRUCTURE OF BRAZIL

• Telecommunication system is well established and widespread.
• Mobile cellular subscription is rapidly gaining popularity.
• Brazil has 1365 AM, 296 FM and 161 shortwave radio broadcast stations.
• There are 138 television broadcast stations in all.
• Internet facilities are well developed and readily available.
• Brazil has 4,263 airports of which 718 have paved runways.
• The country also has 16 heliports.
• Railways span over a distance of 29,295 km.
• Roadways cover an area of 1,751,868 km.
• Waterways are 50,000 km long and are located in remote areas.
• The merchant marine is equipped with 135 ships.
• The major ports and terminals are located at Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao and Tubarao.

EDUCATION IN BRAZIL

• The Federal Constitution and the 1996 General Law of Education in Brazil (LDB) are responsible for the education system.
• The new Constitution reserves 25% of state and municipal taxes and 18% of federal taxes for education.
• Both public and private school programs are available in Brazil.
• The overall literacy rate was estimated to be 88% in 2003.
• The youth literacy rate was 93.2% in 2003.
• Higher education starts with undergraduate or sequential courses.
• These courses may offer different specialist choices in academic or vocational subjects.
• Students also have an option to pursue Stricto Sensu or Lato Sensu postgraduate courses.

BRAZIL NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES

Brazil is surrounded by:

• Atlantic Ocean (east)
• Venezuela (north)
• Suriname (north)
• Guyana (north)
• French Guiana (north)
• Colombia (northwest)
• Bolivia (west)
• Peru (west)
• Argentina (southwest)
• Paraguay (southwest)
• Uruguay (south)

BRAZIL GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS

• Brazil is located in Eastern South America.
• Its east coast borders the Atlantic Ocean.
• Brazil’s geographical coordinates are 10 00 S, 55 00 W.
• The country covers a total area of 8,511,965 sq km.
• The coastline is 7,491 km.
• The climate is tropical across most regions of the country.
• The Southern region has temperate climate.
• The terrain comprises mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north along with some plains, hills and mountains.
• The coastal belt is narrow.
• The highest point is Pico da Neblina standing at 3,014 m.
• Natural resources include bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower and timber.
• 6.93% of the land is arable.
• Natural hazards include recurring droughts in northeast.
• Floods and occasional frost are common in the south.
• Deforestation in the Amazon Basin and endangered indigenous species are the major environmental concerns.

BRAZIL FREEDOM

• Brazil gained complete independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822.

NOTABLE PEOPLE FROM THE BRAZIL COUNTRY

Film Industry:

• Ana Paula Arósio
• Antônio Fagundes
• Bruna Lombardi
• Cacilda Becker
• Daniel Benzali
• Daniele Suzuki
• Débora Nascimento
• Denise Fraga
• Giovanna Antonelli
• Jéssica Sodré
• José Lewgoy
• José Wilker
• Juliana Didone
• Juliana Silveira
• Lucélia Santos
• Malu Mader
• Carmen Miranda
• Marco Nanini
• Maria Fernanda
• Maria Fernanda Cândido
• Maria Flor
• Marilia Gabriela
• Marilia Pera
• Matheus Nachtergaele
• Miguel Falabela
• Murilo Benicio
• Oscarito, actor
• Paola Oliveira
• Paulo Autran
• Paulo Satinho
• Procópio Ferreira
• Ranieri Gonzalez
• Regina Duarte
• Renato Aragão
• Reynaldo Gianecchini
• Rodrigo Hilbert
• Rodrigo Santoro
• Ronald Golias
• Selton Melo
• Seu Jorge
• Silvia Pfeifer
• Sônia Braga
• Tarcisio Meira
• Taís Araújo
• Teresa Seiblitz
• Vanessa de Oliveira
• Vera Fischer
• Viétia Zangrandi
• Xuxa
• Cleyde Yaconis
• Leonardo Villar
• Natalia Timber
• Gloria Menezes
• Beatrice Segal
• Noel Silva
• Gianfrancesco Guarnieri
• Raul Cortez

Architects and urbanists:

• Roberto Burle Marx
• Lúcio Costa
• Oscar Niemeyer
• Ruy Ohtake
• Affonso Eduardo Reidy
• Paulo Mendes da Rocha
• João Batista Vilanova Artigas

Artists, painters and sculptors:

• Anita Malfatti
• Alfredo Volpi
• Almeida Junior
• Antonio Francisco Lisboa "O Aleijadinho"
• Arnaldo Angeli Filho
• Cândido Portinari
• Carlos Gomes Lacerda
• Celso Rodrigues (born 1980), art director
• Cybèle Varela
• Frans Krajcberg
• Glauco
• Guto Lacaz, painter
• Hélio Oiticica
• Iberê Camargo
• Laerte Coutinho
• Lasar Segall
• Leonardo Mereu
• Lina Bo Bardi
• Lygia Clark
• Lygia Pape
• Manabu Mabe
• Mario Gruber
• Mauricio de Sousa
• Victor Meirelles

 Film directors:

• Alberto Cavalcanti
• Annibal Requião
• Anselmo Duarte
• Bruno Barreto
• Fernando Meirelles
• Glauber Rocha
• Guel Arraes
• Hector Babenco
• Humberto Mauro
• José Mojica Marins
• Walter Salles

Explorers and discoverers:

• Cândido Rondon
• Orlando Villas Boas
• Amyr Klink
• Sydney Possuelo

Musicians and Singers:

• Adoniran Barbosa
• Airto Moreira
• Almir Sater
• André Matos
• Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Arnaldo Antunes
• Arnaldo Baptista (born 1948)
• Ary Barroso (1903–1964)
• Baden Powell (1937–2000)
• Bebel Gilberto
• Bidu Sayão (1902–1999)
• Caetano Veloso (born 1942)
• Carla Maffioletti
• Carlinhos Brown
• Carmen Monarcha
• Cartola
• Cazuza (1958–1990)
• Chico Buarque (born 1944)
• Chico César (born 1964)
• Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847–1935)
• Cláudia Leitte (born 1980)
• Djavan
• Dudu Nobre
• Ed Motta
• Eleazar de Carvalho
• Eliana Pittman (born 1945)
• Elis Regina (1945–1982)
• Eloy Fritsch
• Eloy Sforcin
• Elza Soares
• Erasmo Carlos
• Ernesto Nazareth
• Fabrizio Moretti (born 1980)
• Fernando Cutait
• Flavio Barollo
• Flora Purim
• Flávio Venturini
• Frank Solari
• Frejat
• Gal Costa (born 1945)
• Geraldo Vandré
• Gilberto Gil (born 1942)
• Guilherme Arantes
• Gustavo Assis-Brasil
• Helena Meireles (1924–2005)
• Hermeto Pascoal
• Igor Cavalera
• Ivan Lins
• Jacob do Bandolim
• Jair Oliveira
• Jair Rodrigues
• Jorge Ben Jor (born 1942)
• João Gilberto
• João Gordo
• Joao MacDowell
• Kelly Key
• Lenine
• Luciana Mello
• Luiz Gonzaga
• Marcelo D2
• Maria Rita
• Marina Lima
• Marisa Monte
• Max Cavalera
• Milton Nascimento
• Nelson Gonçalves (1919–1998)
• Noel Rosa (1910–1937)
• Oswaldo Vecchione
• Paula Lima
• Pitty
• Pixinguinha (1893–1973)
• Porfirio Martins (~1880-~1940)
• Rafael Rabello (1962–1995)
• Raul Seixas (1945–1989)
• Renato Monterisi de Almeida
• Renato Russo
• Renato Teixeira
• Rita Lee (born 1947)
• Roberto Carlos
• Rogério Duprat
• Sergio Mendes (born 1941)
• Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (born 1949)
• Sérgio Dias
• Taiguara (1945–1996)
• Tim Maia
• Tom Zé (born 1936)
• Toquinho
• Vinicius de Moraes
• Waldir Azevedo
• Wanessa Camargo
• Zeca Pagodinho
• Zé Keti

Sports

• Acelino Freitas (Popó) - Boxer
• Álvaro Alfonso Miranda Neto - Olympic show jumping bronze medalist
• Amyr Klink - Sailor
• Anderson Varejao - Basketball player
• Ayrton Senna - Formula 1 driver
• Bob Burnquist - skateboarder
• Cafu (born 1970) - Football player
• Daniele Hypolito - Gymnast
• Deco - Football player.
• Diego Hypolito - Gymnast
• Daiane dos Santos - Gymnast
• Eder Jofre - Boxer
• Emerson Fittipaldi - Formula 1 and Indy Car driver
• Falcão - Football player
• Falcão - Futsal player
• Felipe Massa - Formula 1 driver
• Garrincha - Football player
• Giba - Volleyball player
• Giant Silva - Wrestler and MMA fighter
• Gustavo Endres - Volleyball player
• Gustavo Kuerten - Tennis player
• Henrique Mecking - Chess player
• Hélio Castroneves - Indy Car driver
• Hortência - Basketball player
• Jade Barbosa - Gymnast
• Jaime Sunye Neto - Chess player.
• Jairzinho - Football player
• Kaká - Football player
• Lars Grael - Olympic sailing champions
• Leandro Barbosa - Basketball player
• Maria Bueno - Tennis player
• Mauricio Gugelmin - Formula One and Champ Car driver
• Marcus Vinicius de Souza - Basketball Player
• Natália Falavigna - Taekwondo athlete
• Nenê - Basketball player
• Nelson Piquet - Formula 1 driver
• Nílton Santos - Football player
• Oscar Schmidt - Basketball player
• Pelé - Football player
• Robert Scheidt - Olympic sailing champion
• Romário - Football player
• Ronaldo - Football player
• Ronaldinho - Football player
• Royce Gracie - MMA fighter
• Renzo Gracie - MMA fighter
• Hélio Gracie - Co-founder of Gracie jiu-jitsu /MMA fighter
• Rickson Gracie - MMA fighter
• Carlson Gracie - MMA fighter
• Carlos Gracie - Father of Gracie Jiu Jitsu
• Crosley Gracie - MMA fighter
• Relson Gracie - MMA fighter
• Rubens Barrichello - Formula 1 driver
• Torben Grael - Olympic sailing champion
• Vanderlei de Lima - marathon runner
• Wanderlei Silva - MMA fighter
• Zico - Football player

Writers and poets

• Álvares de Azevedo (1831–1852)
• Alfredo D'Escragnolle Taunay (1843–1871)
• Alfredo Dias Gomes (1922–1999)
• Augusto dos Anjos (1884–1914)
• Antônio Gonçalves Dias (1823–1864)
• Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–1987)
• Cecília Meireles (1901–1964)
• Clarice Lispector (1925–1977)
• Eduardo de Paula Barreto (born 1963)
• Érico Verissimo (1905–1975)
• Fernando Sabino (1923–2004)
• Ferreira Gullar
• Haroldo de Campos (1929–2003)
• Holdemar Menezes (1921–1996)
• João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920–1999)
• João Guimarães Rosa (1908–1967)
• João Pedro Jorge
• Jorge Amado (1912–2001)
• José de Alencar (1829–1877)
• Julio Ribeiro
• Luis Fernando Veríssimo (born 1936)
• Lya Luft (born 1938)
• Machado de Assis (1839–1908)
• Manuel Bandeira (1886–1968)
• Maria Clara Machado (1921–2001)
• Mário de Andrade (1893–1945)
• Márcio Souza (born 1946)
• Menotti del Picchia
• Monteiro Lobato (1882–1948)
• Nelson Rodrigues (1912–1980)
• Regina Herkenhoff
• Oduvaldo Vianna Filho (1936–1974)
• Olavo Bilac (1865–1918)
• Otto Maria Carpeaux (1900–1978)
• Otto Lara Rezende
• Oscar Araripe
• Oswald de Andrade (1890–1954)
• Paulo Coelho (born 1947)
• Patrícia Galvão ("Pagu")
• Plínio Marcos (1935–1999)
• Raquel de Queiroz
• Vinícius de Morais (1913–1980)
• Luiz Duarte (born 1956)
• Nayahra Resende (born 1990)

BRAZIL COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR

• Brazil is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
• The Amazon Basin is home to several indigenous species of plants and animals.
• The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro attracts thousand of tourists from all across the world.
• “Christ the Redeemer” is the symbol of Brazilian Christianity and is included among the Seven Wonders of the World.

BRAZIL TOTAL POPULATION

• According to a 2008 census, the total population was estimated to be 191,908,598.
• Mortality rates are high due to the prevalence of AIDS.
• The annual population growth rate is 0.98% (2008 est.).
• Birth rate: 16.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
• Death rate: 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)  

PREVIOUS RECORDS MEDALS FOR BRAZIL

• Brazil has been competing at the Summer Olympic Games since 1920.
• The country has participated every year except for the 1928 Games.
• Brazil has participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1992.
• Brazilian athletes have won a total of 76 medals.
• Sailing and volleyball are the main medal-producing sports.

Medals by Summer Games

Medals by summer sport