BRAZIL: BIG, BOLD, AND DIVERSE
September 3, 2022 | John J. Pasquini
The Federative Republic of Brazil is a 3.3-million-square-mile country with a population of over 214 million. It is composed of 26 states and the Federal District. Its capital is Brasilia.
Population
Brazil is a racially and ethnically diverse nation. Regarding race, 47.7% of the people are white, 43.1% are multiracial, 7.6% are Black, 1.1% are East Asian, and 0.4% are Indigenous. In terms of ethnicity, 60 nationalities are represented.
Brazil is predominantly Christian (86.8%), with the world’s largest Catholic population (123 million).
Portuguese is the official language spoken by the vast majority of Brazilians. Due to the massive number of European migrants, many pockets of European languages still exist in Brazil. In the more remote areas, Indigenous people speak one or more of the 180 Amerindian dialects.
Geography and Climate
The Federative Republic of Brazil is a large area along the eastern coast of South America, sharing borders with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Brazil is the fifth largest country (3.3-million-square-miles) and the longest country (2,731 miles) in the world. It spans four time zones and embraces the equator and Tropic of Capricorn.
Its terrain is distinct. It is a country of hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. It has dense and complex river systems that drain into the Atlantic (including the Amazon, the world’s second longest river and largest in terms of volume) and over 29,000 lakes.
The Brazilian climate is primarily tropical, with some areas displaying subtropical, oceanic, semiarid, equatorial, and even desert climates.
Brazil has the most extraordinary biodiversity on earth. Home of 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil has one-tenth of all the world’s species. It has approximately 55,000 species of plants, 3,000 species of freshwater fish, 1,832 species of birds, 744 species of reptiles, and 689 species of mammals.
Government
The government of Brazil is a democratic federative republic with a presidential system. Like the United States, it has a system of “checks and balances” with three independent branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial). The president is simultaneously the head of state and head of government. The legislature or National Congress is bicameral, composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. The judiciary is separate and strictly jurisdictional. The spheres of government are the Union, the states, the Federal District, and the municipalities.
Economy
The Federative Republic of Brazil’s economy is multifaceted and filled with potential. Agriculture (allied with the forestry and logging sector), mining, industry, and commodities make it the ninth largest economy in the world and the fourth largest exporter of goods.
Brazil is the largest provider of chicken meat, the second largest producer of beef, the third largest producer of milk, the fourth largest producer of pork, and the seventh largest producer of eggs. It is the second largest exporter of processed foods.
Besides being an exporter of copper, gold, and nickel, Brazil is the highest exporter of niobium, the second highest exporter of iron ore, the fifth largest producer of bauxite and manganese, and one of the largest producers of tin in the world.
Brazil is the second largest producer of pulp, the fourth largest producer of footwear, the fifth largest producer of textiles, the eighth largest producer of vehicles, chemicals, and paper, and the ninth largest steel producer.
Regarding precious stones, Brazil is the world’s largest producer of amethyst, topaz, and agate and is one of the leading producers of tourmaline, emerald, aquamarine, and garnet.
With over six million tourists annually, Brazil is an ideal eco or leisure destination.
In Conclusion
Brazil is a country of seemingly unending potential and growth. It has everything from tourism, hospitality, commerce, and financial services to health and social services industries. It is the ideal home for expats, entrepreneurs, investors, and digital nomads.
Source: Schneider, R. Milton, Burns, E. Bradford, Momsen, Richard P., James, Preston E., and Martins, Luciano (2022, August 30). Brazil. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil.