1 GeoFroggy

Background

Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getúlio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. VARGAS governed over various versions of democratic and authoritarian regimes from 1930 to 1945. Democratic rule returned (including a democratically elected VARGAS administration from 1951 to 1955) and lasted until 1964, when the military overthrew President João GOULART. The military regime censored journalists and repressed and tortured dissidents in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The dictatorship lasted until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers, and the Brazilian Congress passed its current constitution in 1989. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, under President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (2003-2010) Brazil was seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth. The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the first ever to be held in South America, was symbolic of the country's rise. However, from about 2013 to 2016, Brazil was plagued by a sagging economy, high unemployment, and high inflation, only emerging from recession in 2017. Former President Dilma ROUSSEFF (2011-2016) was removed from office in 2016 by Congress for having committed impeachable acts against Brazil's budgetary laws, and her vice president, Michel TEMER, served the remainder of her second term. A money-laundering investigation, Operation Lava Jato, uncovered a vast corruption scheme and prosecutors charged several high-profile Brazilian politicians with crimes. Former-President LULA was convicted of accepting bribes and served jail time (2018-19), although his conviction was overturned in early 2021. LULA's revival became complete in October 2022 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Jair BOLSONARO (2019-2022) in the presidential election.

Location

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Area Comparative

Slightly smaller than the US

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Climate
Mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Population Distribution

The vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro

Natural Hazards

Recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Geography Note

Note 1: largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador; most of the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, extends through the west central part of the country; shares Iguaçu Falls (Iguazú Falls), the world's largest waterfalls system, with Argentina

Note 2: cassava (manioc) the sixth most important food crop in the world - after maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, and soybeans - seems to have originated in the west-central part of Brazil; pineapples are probably indigenous to the southern Brazil-Paraguay region

Note 3: Rocas Atoll, located off the northeast coast of Brazil, is the only atoll in the South Atlantic

Year

Map Reference

  • South America

Irrigated Land 2017

  • 69,029 sq km

Area 2023

  • Total
    8,515,770 sq km
  • Land
    8,358,140 sq km
  • Water
    157,630 sq km

Coastline

  • 7,491 km

Geographical Coordinates

  • 10 00 S, 55 00 W

Land use 2023

  • Agricultural Land
    32.9%
  • Arable Land
    8.6%
  • Permanent Crops
    0.8%
  • Permanent Pasture
    23.5%
  • Forest
    61.9%
  • Other
    5.2%

Terrain

  • Mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains
  • Hills
  • Mountains
  • And narrow coastal belt

Elevation

  • Highest Point: Pico da Neblina 2,994 m
  • Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  • Mean Elevation: 320 m

Land Boundaries

  • Total
    16,145 km
  • Argentina
    1,263 km
  • ; Bolivia
    3,403 km
  • ; Colombia
    1,790 km
  • ; French Guiana
    649 km
  • ; Guyana
    1,308 km
  • ; Paraguay
    1,371 km
  • ; Peru
    2,659 km
  • ; Suriname
    515 km
  • ; Uruguay
    1,050 km
  • ; Venezuela
    2,137 km

Natural Resources

  • Alumina
  • Bauxite
  • Beryllium
  • Gold
  • Iron ore
  • Manganese
  • Nickel
  • Niobium
  • Phosphates
  • Platinum
  • Tantalum
  • Tin
  • Rare earth elements
  • Uranium
  • Petroleum
  • Hydropower
  • Timber
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