Map
Source: CIA World Factbook
Summary Data
| summary data |
|
| Total Area (km2) |
8,511,965 |
| Land (km2) |
8,456,510 |
| Water (km2) |
55,455 |
| Population |
191,908,598 |
| Population Density (/km2) |
23 |
| Capital |
Brasilia |
| Religion (%) |
Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%,
Protestant 15.4%,
Spiritualist 1.3%,
Bantu/voodoo 0.3%,
Other 1.8%,
Unspecified 0.2%,
None 7.4% |
| Time |
GMT-3 |
| Climate |
Although 90% of the country is within the tropical zone,
the climate of Brazil varies considerably from the
predominantly tropical North to temperate zones
below the Tropic of Capricorn, which crosses the
country at the latitude of the city of São Paulo. Brazil
has five climatic regions: equatorial, tropical,
semiarid, highland tropical, and subtropical. |
Source: CIA World Factbook
Geography
As the fifth largest country in the world, Brazil borders every
South American country with the exception of Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil has an extensive river system and a large part of the
country is characterized by the extensive low-lying Amazon
Rainforest in the north. The south displays a more open terrain of
hills and low mountains and is home to most of the Brazilian
population and its agricultural base.
Government
Brazil's government system is based on a Presidential
Federal republic. The chief of state is President Luiz Inacio
Lula Da Silva who simultaneously acts as head of government and has
been in power since 2003. The Brazillian legal system is based on
the Federal Constitution promulgated in 1988 with the highest court
being the Supreme Federal Tribunal.
Language
Portuguese is the only official language in Brazil, making it
the only Portuguese speaking country in the Americas. English is
taught in schools, but most of the population is not fluent.
Spanish and French are understood to varying degrees along the
borders of Columbia and French Guiana.
Electricity
127/240 volts, 60hz. There is no standard voltage in Brazil
however, northeastern states usually have the higher
voltages. Plugs are of both two-pin and three-pin types.
Passports/Visa
Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of
entry into the country and are required by all British,
Australian, Canadian and USA nationals.
All non-Brazilian nationals under 18, when not accompanied by
both parents, must have a birth certificate (original or
authenticated photocopy). When with only one parent, a declaration
of absence must be presented authorising the journey and giving a
name and address for the person who will be responsible for the
minor whilst in Brazil. In the case of divorced or deceased
parents, full custody papers must be shown.
Visas
Required by all nationals referred to previously except the
following:
(a) 1. nationals of EU countries (except nationals
of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and
Romania who do require a visa) for tourist and business stays
of up to 90 days;
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country
by the same or first connecting flight, provided holding onward
documentation and not leaving the airport.
Passport/Visa Information
Brazilian Consulate General,
3 Vere Street,
London,
W1G 0DH, UK
Tel: +44(0)20 7659 1550
Fax : +44(0)20 7659 1554
Website: www.brazil.org.uk/consulate
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9.30-16.30.
Airports and Airlines
Congonhas Internacional Airport or Congonhas Airport and São
Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport are the two major airports in
Brazil.
However, despite the 'international' in its title, Congonhas
Airport only deals with regional flights. Guarulhos deals with
transatlantic flights.
São Paulo-Guarulhos International
Airport (GRU)
- Location: 25km North-east of Sao Paolo
- Time: GMT -3 (GMT- 2 from the third Sunday in
October to the third Sunday in February)
- Contacts: Infraero, PO Box 3061, Guarulhos,
São Paulo 07141-970, Brazil
Tel: (0)11 6445 2945
Fax: (0)11 6445 3173 or 6412 3335
Web: http://www.infraero.gov.br
- Terminals: 2
- Transfer between terminals: Access on
foot
- Car Rental: Avis, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty
services are available
- Facilities: Banks, bureau de change, internet
access, post office, restaurants, shops, duty free, first aid,
pharmacy and disabled access
Standard of Living
With the widely diverse and large population, Brazil has the
highest level of inequality in Latin America and in the world. This
is very visible in the favelas on the hilly outskirts of Rio de
Janeiro and other cities. Favelas are squatter settlements named
after the first such settlement on the slopes of the hill Morro da
Favela near the centre of Rio de Janeiro where the affluent and
elite live. It is estimated that about one-third of Rio's
population lives in favelas.
The situation is the same in other major cities such as Brasilia
and Sao Paolo and some estimates show that 40% of the cities'
population lives in these squatter settlements.
Principal commercial centres and towns
Cities in Brazil, except for the state of São Paulo, are usually
not arranged in a single network, but rather on various export
paths to seaside ports. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are far larger
than any other Brazilian city. São Paulo's influence in most
economic aspects can be noted on a national (and even
international) scale.
| population by city/town 2007 |
|
| Sao Paulo |
11,016,703 |
| Rio de Janeiro |
6,136,652 |
| Salvador |
2,714,119 |
| Fortaleza |
2,416,920 |
| Belo Horizonte |
2,399,920 |
| Brasilia |
2,383,784 |
| Curitiba |
1,788,559 |
Source: Wikipedia
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