At a glance

Official Name:
Federative Republic of Brazil

Capital: Brasilia

Population: 188,078,261 (2006 est.)

Languages: Portuguese

Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 15.4%, Agnostic/Atheist 7.4%, Other 3.2%

Life Expectancy:
Male: 68 Female: 75

Currency: Real (BRL)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$1.594 billion

National Holidays:
Carnival (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Independence day (7 September).

Industries: Automobile production, Petrochemicals, Cement and construction, Aircraft, Textiles, Food and Beverages, Mining, Consumer Durables, Tourism.

Brazil

Originally a Portuguese colony, Brazil achieved its independence in 1822. After several monarchs, a military coup in 1889 overthrew the king and turned the country into a democracy. However, several military dictatorships followed, until democracy was finally re-established in 1988. Since then the country has been very stable politically.

Brazil is the largest country in Central and South America, and has an incredible amount of national resources. It is home to one of the largest rainforests and has the most diverse ecosystem in the world. Brazil is considered both a political and economic leader, because of its geographical size, large population and economic strength.