About Brazil
Brazil is the biggest nation in South America both in terms of physical size and total population. Recent government reforms and a reduction in import tariffs have allowed Brazil to become one of the leaders of South America and this in turn has attracted large amounts of foreign investment. More and more foreign nationals are moving to Brazil every year in an effort to capitalize on the country's new growth. To help you understand the nation better we have provided some general information below.
Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil or the Republica Federativa do Brasil, more commonly known as Brazil .
Capital: The capital city of Brazil is Brasilia (not Rio de Janeiro as is commonly thought). Brasilia is roughly located in the central part of the country and is the capital only in name. The real powerhouse city in Brazil is Rio de Janeiro .
Location : Brazil is located on the South American continent and shares land borders with Uruguay , Argentina , Paraguay , Bolivia , Peru , Colombia , Venezuela , Guyana , Suriname , and French Guiana . The country also has extremely easy access to the South Atlantic Ocean and its close proximity to Cape Horn means that it is a major player in the international shipping market.
Size: Brazil occupies a total area of approximately 8.51 million sq km. In comparative terms this makes Brazil only slightly smaller than the USA and means that it is one of the biggest countries in the world.
Climate: As Brazil is such a large country it is only to be expected that the weather will change depending on where you go. Typically Brazil experiences a tropical climate with lots of rain (thus the prevalence of rain forests throughout the country), however there can be a more temperate climate in the southern part of the country. Generally Brazil is hot and humid year round, however there can be very rapid changes in weather conditions and it is advisable to prepare for all foreseeable situations.
Population: The current approximate population of Brazil is 169.7 million people. This figure is much disputed however as AIDS is playing a major role in the country's total population. Brazil is, however, South America 's most populous nation (even when using conservative population numbers) and is ranked 5 th in the world for most populated country.
Life expectancy at birth: Brazilians have an average life expectancy of 72.24 years at birth. This number is liable to fluctuate with the nations economy and any disease outbreaks, and may not actually reflect the “actual” life expectancy accurately.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: There are approximately 660,000 people living with HIV/Aids in Brazil . This is equal to approximately 0.7% of the country's total population, meaning that there is a growing Aids crisis in the nation. On Average over 15,000 people die because of the HIV/Aids virus every year, although because of the country's large size and dispersed communities this number may actually be higher than reported.
Major illnesses: There are a number of serious health risks present throughout Brazil . The most serious of these are; Dengue fever, Malaria, Cholera, Yellow Fever. Bubonic Plague, Hepatitis A, B and C, Rabies, Hantavirus, Chagas' Disease, and HIV/Aids. Make sure that you have adequate access to quality medical facilities when you are traveling through Brazil .
Ethnic Groups: Brazil is a country that is richly steeped in history and culture and as would be expected from a nation this size there are a number of ethnic groups represented there. The main ethnic groups in Brazil are; White (of Latin and Anglo Saxon descent) – 53.7%, Mulatto – 38.5%, Black – 6.2%, Miscellaneous (includes individuals of Japanese, Arab, and Armenian descent) – 0.9%, Multi Ethnic or Unspecified – 0.7%.
Languages: The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. This is directly attributed to the fact that the country was a Portuguese colony for three centuries. Other languages that are spoken widely throughout the country are English, Spanish and French. In some isolated parts of the Amazon residents will only be able to converse in their traditional indigenous tongue and may not be proficient in any other language.
Religion: Brazil is a predominantly Christian country, with Catholicism being the most practices form of Christianity. Other major religions in Brazil include Protestantism (Anglican, Methodist, Evangelical), Spiritualism (or Animism is practiced by much of the indigenous population), Bantu/Voodoo, Islam, and Hinduism.
Government: Brazil is a Federal Republic . This means that while there is a central federal government each of the individual states and regions is able to govern itself autonomously underneath the central governments guidelines. This has lead to an unnecessary amount of government intervention in many parts of the Brazilian social system; however it has proven to be the easiest way to govern such a large nation.
Head of State: The Brazilian head of state is President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva. In Brazil the head of state is also the head of the government and is able to have large influence over any potential legislation or reforms.
Military: There is a compulsory military obligation in Brazil for individuals aged 21 – 45 years of age which is roughly 9 – 12 months in duration. Individuals who are 17 can enlist in the Brazilian military. The Brazilian government spends approximately 2.6% of the country's GDP on the Military. It is interesting to note that Brazil was the first nation to accept women into the military as career ranks.
Economy : Brazil is a large nation that has an abundance of natural resources, including mining and refining facilities for bauxite, iron, nickel, tin, gold, manganese, uranium, oil, manganese, platinum, Hydro electricity, and most importantly, Timber. A number of progressive economic reforms and increased legislations that target the removal of the Brazilian government from economic situations mean that a free market is finally emerging in a nation that has a typically socialist history. In recent years there have been a number of trade surpluses recorded (especially in the agricultural and mining industries) that have helped the country to reach an all time economic high. The strong development potential of Brazil coupled with the nations many abundant natural resources mean that there is still room for growth and this is one of the major factors leading to record levels of foreign and international development.
GDP: Brazil has an official GDP of US$ 967 billion and a purchasing power parity of US$ 1.655 trillion. These two figures combined give Brazil the 10 th largest GDP in the world, and point to the fact that there is still room for development.For more information about the quality international health insurance plans that we can provide in Brazil or elsewhere in the world, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.
For more information about Brazil, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.
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