O Brazil is a country organized in the form of a Federative Republic and is located in South America, being the largest country in this continental region, with an area of 8,515,767.049 km². Politically, the Brazilian territory is subdivided into 26 states and the Federal District, whose capital is the city of Brasília.
THE territorial area of Brazil makes this country the fifth largest in the world, behind only Russia, Canada, China and the United States. For this reason, it is characterized as a continental country or country with continental dimensions, since the size of its area is very close to that of one of the continents, in this case Oceania.
In total, Brazil occupies 47% of South America – almost half, therefore – and does not just share borders with two South American countries: Ecuador and Chile. To the east, Brazil is washed over a vast expanse by the Atlantic Ocean, with a coastline that covers a total of 7,367km², which places the country as 16th in the world ranking of largest areas coastal areas.
THE Brazilian population, according to recent estimates released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), has 202,033,270 inhabitants, the fifth largest on the planet, behind China, India, the United States and Indonesia. Of this total, most is concentrated in coastal areas, mainly in the Southeast region. As population growth rates are currently low, it is possible that in the coming decades Brazil will be overtaken by Pakistan and Nigeria.
You physical aspects of Brazilindicate the presence of three main forms of relief: plains, plateaus and relative depressions, with no absolute depressions (below sea level) or mountains, only mountain ranges. In one of these mountains, the Imeri, is the highest point in the country, Pico da Neblina, which has an altitude of 2,994 m above sea level.
In general, these characteristics result from the fact that the brazilian relief being geologically old and also because it is not found in the areas where two tectonic plates meet, which explains the non-occurrence of volcanoes and large and frequent earthquakes. For the same reason, the territory of Brazil is home to only two types of geological provinces: the basins sedimentary and cratons (continental platforms and crystalline shields), with no folding modern.
A striking feature of Brazil in natural terms is the great diversity in terms of fauna and flora. In the country, there is a wide variety of forests, classified into six main groups (Amazon, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Araucárias and Pampa) and three residuals (Pantanal, Mata de Cocais and the Mangroves). In terms of the number of animal species, Brazil also stands out, which classifies it as the territory with the greatest biodiversity on the planet.
As for the economic aspects of Brazil, the fact that the country has one of the largest GDPs (Gross Domestic Product) in the world stands out, with US$ 2.2 trillion. However, its GDP per capita, which is the value divided by population, is still smaller than a lot of countries. In general terms, the Brazilian economy is characterized as an emerging underdeveloped profile, making up the group of countries that may eventually present a greater degree of development. The country is also part of the group of highly industrialized developing economies, although most of these industries belong to foreign companies.
In cultural terms, Brazil has an immense diversity in customs, folklore, religions and traditions. This cultural complexity also represents the great ethnic miscegenation that exists in the country, even though there are, on a large scale, problems concerning intolerance and prejudice.
Below is a summary of the data and information about Brazil:
Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil
Current President: Dilma Rousseff
Currency: Real
Location: South America
Capital: Brasilia
Total population (2014): 202,033,270 inhabitants
Population distribution in the geographic environment: 85% urban and 15% rural
Demographic density: 24 inhab/km²
Annual population growth rate: 0,839%
HDI (2013): 0,744
Life expectancy: 73.9 years
undernourished population: 6,9%
Population with access to water: 98%
Population with health network: 79%
Literacy rate (over 15 years): 90,4%
GDP: US$ 2,243,854,000,000.00
GDP per capita: US$ 11,199
Economically active population: 69,88%
Public spending on education: 5.7% of GDP (increase to 10% by 2024).
Public spending on health: 4.2% of GDP
Religious Diversity (2010 Census): 73.89% Catholics; 16.22% Protestant Evangelicals; 7.35% without religion; 1.32% Kardecists; 1.22% with other religions (Candomblé, Umbanda, Judaism, etc.).
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
