Facts About Brazil

Research and Facts about Brazil

(from CIA World Factbook)

Information Required When Travelling to Brazil:

Country Name:	Brazil
Location:	Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Area:	8,511,965 sq km
land:	8,456,510 sq km
water:	55,455 sq km
Land Boundaries:	14,691 km
Border Countries:	Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,513 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline:	7,491 km
Climate:	mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Terrain:	mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Geography:	largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

Population:	188,078,227
Age Structure:
0-14 Years:	25.8% (male 24,687,656/female 23,742,998)
15-64 Years:	68.1% (male 63,548,331/female 64,617,539)
65 Years and Over:	6.1% (male 4,712,675/female 6,769,028) (2006 est.)
Average Age:
Total:	28.2 years
Male:	27.5 years
Female:	29 years (2006 est.)

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)
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)

General
Languages:	Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Government
Type:	federative republic
Capital:	Brasilia
Provincial:	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
Independence:	7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Economy
Currency:	Real R$

GDP Growth Rate:	2.4% (2005 est.)
Labour Occupations:	agriculture: 20% industry: 14% services: 66% (2003 est.)
Unemployment Rate:	9.9% (2005 est.
Inflation Rate:	5.7% (2005 est.)
Agriculture Produce:	coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Transportation
Railways:	total: 29,412 km (1,567 km electrified)
Roads:	total: 1,724,929 km paved: 94,871 km unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000)
Airports:	total: 709 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 24 1,524 to 2,437 m: 162 914 to 1,523 m: 463 under 914 m: 52 (2005)
Ports & Harbours:	Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos, Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria

Communications
Mains Telephones:	42,382,200 (2004)
Mobile Telephones:	65.605 million (2004)
Television Stations:	138 (1997)
Internet Users:	25.9 million (2005)
Country Internet Code:	.br