Country Profile

Capital City: Brasilia (pop. 2.1 million)

Other Cities: Sao Paulo (17.9 million), Rio de Janeiro (10.7 million), Belo Horizonte (2.6 million), Salvador (2.6 million), Fortaleza (2.1 million), Recife (2.9 million), Porto Alegre (3 million), Curitiba (1.6 million).

Border countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
related countries: Portugal

Local Time: Brazil lies within 4 different time zones.

Geography:
Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Area: 8.5 million sq. km. (3 290 000 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than the USA
Terrain: Dense forests in northern regions including Amazon Basin; semiarid along northeast coast; mountains, hills, and rolling plains in the southwest, including Mato Grosso; and coastal lowland.

Climate: Mostly tropical or semitropical with temperate zone in the south.

Government:
Type: Federative Republic.
Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal).

People:
Nationality: Brazilian.
Population: 180 million.
GNI per capita PPP: $ 8 745 (year)
Ethnic groups: Brazil's population is derived from three main ethnic sources. To the original inhabitants (Indians) were added successive waves of Europeans (mainly Portuguese) and Africans (mostly from the sub-Saharan west coast, belonging to the Bantu and to the Sudanic (Yoruba) ethnic groups).
Religion: Roman Catholic (80%).
Language: Brazilian Portuguese.
Literacy: 81% of adult population.

Business

Currency: Brazilian Real (BRL)

Natural resources: Iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium, gemstones, oil, wood, and aluminum. Brazil has 12% of the world's fresh water.

Agriculture products: Coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef.

Industries: Textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment.

Exports partners: USA 23%, Argentina 6.1%, China 6%, Netherlands 5.8%, Germany 4.2% (2003)

Imports partners: USA 20%, Argentina 9.8%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.2%, China 4.4% (2003)

Internet Links

Official Sites of Brazil
República Federativa do Brasil
Federal Republic of Brazil, the official Brazil Government Page.

Presidência da República
The President of the Federal Republic of Brazil - Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Office. (in Portuguese)

Ministério das Relações Exteriores
The Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Diplomatic Missions
Missão do Brasil junto às Nações Unidas
Brazilian Mission to the UN
Embassy of Brazil in the USA
Washington D.C.
Embassy of Brazil in the United Kingdom
London
Brazilian Missions Abroad
Brazilian Missions around the World.
Foreign Missions in Brazil
Diplomatic Missions in Brazil.

Statistics
Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
Up-to-date statistics and geographical data. (in Portuguese and English)

Maps
Map of Brazil
Political Map of Brazil.
Map of South America
Reference map of South America.

Online News from Brazil
Agência Nacional de Notícias
National News (in Portuguese)
Correio Braziliense
News from Brazil. (in Portuguese)
O Estado de S. Paulo
Brazilian news. (in Portuguese)
Folha de São Paulo
Brazil's largest daily. (in Portuguese)
InfoBrazil
Analysis and opinion on Brazilian current affairs.
Jornal do Brasil
Rio's daily newspaper, with Brazilian and international news. (in Portuguese)
Globo Online
Brazilian and international news. (in Portuguese)

International News sources
Brazil Post
Daily news on Brazil from WorldNews Network.
Yahoo! Full Coverage: Brazil

Arts & Culture
Art & culture of Brazil
A guide to Brazil's culture from the cultural heritage to popular art.
Cinemabrasil
Brazilian movies.
Fundação Biblioteca Nacional
The National Library.
LIESA
Official site of the Independent League of Rio de Janeiro's Samba Schools.
Olodum
Official site of the Afro-Brazilian creators of samba-reggae from Bahia.
Sepultura
Brazil's heavy metal band.

Business & Economy
Banco Central do Brasil
The Central Bank of Brazil.
The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES)
The most important state-owned development bank in Brazil.

Rio De Janeiro Stock Exchange
São Paulo Stock Exchange

Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior
The Ministry of Development and Foreign Trade offers foreign trade statistics and economic data. (in Portuguese)

BrazilTradeNet
Offers a wide range of business opportunities, useful addresses, news, links and other information, aimed at the needs of Brazilian exporters and Non-Brazilian importers and investors.

Business Guide

Transportation
Airlines
Major airlines in Brazil
GOL
TAM
Varig Brasil
Latin America's largest carrier serves 79 destinations within Brazil as well as 20 countries throughout the Americas.
VARIG LOG
the former VARIG CARGO - transportation and distribution services.
VASP - Viação Aérea São Paulo
A regional carrier.

Destination Brazil - Travel and Tour Guides
Discover Brazil: Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Porto Alegre, Bahia.
Accommodation, attractions, festivals, events, tours and much more.

The Brazilian Tourist Board
Brazil information on travel and tourism with news and photos.

Brazil in Brief
Comprehensive information about Brazil by the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Brazil
General country information.
Brazilink
An educational and informative portal on Brazilian development issues.
brazilmax.com
The hip gringo's guide to Brazil, a travel website with a focus on roots tourism--eco, cultural, historical, rural, adventure, mature and business.
Meu Brasil
A travellers guide to to the various regions of Brazil by Sergio Koreisha.
Vivabrazil
A comprehensive travel and tourism guide to Brazil.

Education
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio De Janeiro, founded in 1941.
UCAM - Universidade Candido Mendes
Candido Mendes University, since 1902.
Universidade de São Paulo
Sao Paulo University.

History
The cradle of Brazil's history
Brazil's history in the São Paulo region.
Museu Histórico Nacional
The National Museum of History. (in Portuguese)

Native 
FUNAI Fundação Nacional do IÍndio
National Indio Foundation.
Map of Indian Tribes of Brazil
Museo do Índio
The Indian museum with information about Brazilian's indigenous people.
Instituto Socioambiental
Socio-Environmental Institute, a private non-profit institution, established to propose integrated solutions to social and environmental issues.
OPAN
Operação Amazônia Nativa promotes supports projects of the aboriginal communities in the regions Center-West and North of Brazil. (in Portuguese)

Sports
Abadá-Capoeira
The Afro-Brazilian dance and martial art.

Soccer - Futebol
Confederação Brasileira de Futebol
Football Federation of Brazil.
Federação Metropolitana de Futebol - FMF

Search
Cadê
Brazilian search engine. (in Portuguese)
Exploora
Brazilian internet directory and search engine. (in Portuguese)
Universo Online
The largest on line service in Brazil. (in Portuguese)
 
Newsgroup of Brazil
rec.music.brazilian
Newsgroup about Brazilian music.
soc.culture.brazil

 

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