references: South America
Area:
total area: 8,511,965 sq km
land area: 8,456,510 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas,
Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao
Paulo
Land boundaries:
total: 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 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: short section of the boundary with
Paraguay, just west of Salto das Sete Quedas (Guaira Falls) on the
Rio Parana, is in dispute; two short sections of boundary with
Uruguay are in dispute - Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada)
area of the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the islands at the
confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay River
Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 19%
forest and woodland: 67%
other: 6%
Irrigated land: 27,000 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat
and endangers the existence of a multitude of plant and animal
species indigenous to the area; 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
natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and
occasional frost in south
international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: largest country in South America; shares common
boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
People———
Population: 162,661,214 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 31% (male 25,286,278; female 24,422,897)
15–64 years: 65% (male 52,232,435; female 53,094,724)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,072,720; female 4,552,160) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.16% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 20.8 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 9.19 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
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: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.62 years male: 56.67 years female: 66.81 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian
Ethnic divisions: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian,
Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and African 38%, African 6%, other
(includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%
Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 83.3%
male: 83.3%
female: 83.2%
Government—————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil
Data code: BR
Type of government: federal republic
