BRAZIL
(Federative Republic of Brazil)

Capital: Brasilia
Motto: "Order and progress".
Currency: the Brazilian real (the BRL code, 986), is accepted also by US dollars.

GEOGRAPHY

Area: 8 511 965 sq.km. (3,290,000 quarter. Miles); it is a little less, than at the USA. It is located in South America.

Cities: Capital Brasilia (2,3 million). Other cities - Sao Paulo (10,8 million), Rio de Janeiro (6,1 million People), Belo Horizonte (2,4 million), El Salvador (2,6 million People), Fortaleza (2,3 million), Recife (1,5 million), Porto Alegre (1,4 million), Curitiba (1,7 million People).

Landscape: the dense woods in northern areas, including the basin of Amazon; semi-droughty along the northeast coast; mountains, hills and stony plains in the southwest, including Mato Grosso; and coastal lowland.

Climate: mainly tropical or semitropical with a moderate zone in the south.

NATIONALITY: Brazilian.

Population: (assessment of 2007) 188 million.
Annual growth rate: 1,1%.
Ethnic groups: Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Arab, African and indigenous people.
Religions: Catholics (74%).

LANGUAGE: Portuguese.
Education: literacy - 86% of adult population.
Health: Coefficient of infantile mortality - 27,5/1000. The expected life expectancy - 71,3 years.

Labor: 96,3 million People.
Type: Federal republic.
Independence: September 7, 1822.
Constitution: it is published on October 5, 1988.

Government branches: the executive president (the head of state and the head of the government, selectively chosen no more than for two 4 years). The legislative senate (81 memberships in the people are chosen for 8-year terms), the Chamber of Deputies (513 members who are selectively elected for 4 years). The judicial and Supreme federal tribunal (11 purposes appointed by the president for the rest of life).

Political parties: Labour Party (PT), Party of the Brazilian democratic movement (PMDB), Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), Party of the liberal front (PFL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Democratic Labour Party (PDT), Brazilian Labour Party (PTB), Liberal party (PL), Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), Communist Party of Brazil (Do B personal computer), Brazilian Progressive Party (PP). People's socialist party (PPS), Green Party (PV), Social and liberal party (PSL), National mobile Party (PMN), National Labour Party (PTN), Party of humanistic solidarity (PHS) and Party of re-education National order (PRONA).