Country Information on Brazil

Terrain Brazil can be divided into three major geographic regions: the Guyanese highlands, the Amazon Basin, and the Brazilian highlands. The Amazon Basin, which occupies more than one third of the country's surface, is the world's largest coherent tropical lowland area. Owing to the dense rain forests, which are impenetrable in places, the area is hardly developed at all. To the north the Guyanese highlands rise steeply, which are also scarcely developed. In these highlands the country's highest mountain is located, the Pico da Neblina (3,014 m). The Brazilian highlands (the country's second major geographic region) have a total area of approx. 5 million km² and occupy more than half of the state territory. In the east this plateau reaches altitudes of up to 2,890 m. In the west it falls gently away, forming terraces, and hardly ever rises to more than 150 m. In the south-east it drops away steeply and merges into the coastal plain which stretches parallel to the shoreline. Climate The climate of Brazil is mainly tropical in the northern parts of the country. To the south it gets increasingly subtropical. In the Amazon Basin annual average temperatures range between 27 and 32°C and are hardly subject to any fluctuation in the course of a day or of a year. On a large part of the coastal plain (which is situated north of 25° south) a tropical climate prevails as well, but the winds coming from the ocean have a moderate influence on temperatures. Fauna/Flora The richness and diversity of Brazil's flora is astounding, especially in the Amazon Basin. Thousands of different plant species grow here, among many others begonias, laurel, myrtle, orchids, and palms abound. Of major economic importance are plantations for the large-scale production of Indian rubber. In the coastal region above all mangroves, cocoa trees, palms, and Brazil nut trees grow. In the barren areas of the highlands cacti and other thorny plants are found. The puma, jaguar, ocelot, fox, and the near-extinct bush dog are among the larger animals. Among the animals one might encounter quite frequently there are the tapir, the anteater, the sloth, the opossum, and the armadillo. These have their habitats mainly in the south. Various primate species live in the jungle. The country is also home to numerous rare bird species and various species of alligator and snake, e.g. the jararaca and diverse boa species. History/Politics In 1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral set sail from Lisbon, bound for India. However, it was on the Brazilian coast that he arrived. King João III of Portugal sent the first settlers to Brazil. Slave trade became Brazil's major source of income. During the 17th century, African slaves replaced Indians on the plantations. In 1807 the Portuguese Prince Regent made Rio de Janeiro the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve. Thus, Brazil became the only New World colony to serve as the seat of a European monarch. In 1822 Brazil became an independent empire. During the 19th century, coffee replaced sugar as Brazil's major export. In 1889 a military coup toppled the Brazilian Empire, and for the next 40 years, Brazil was governed by a series of military and civilian presidents supervised by the armed forces. In 1930 the military again seized power and installed Getúlio Vargas as president. Vargas was relieved from his duties by Juscelino Kubitschek in 1954. During his term the new capital Brasilia was built. By the early 1960s, the economy was badly affected by inflation. In the mid-1980s, Brazil experienced an economic miracle, supported largely by loans from international banks. The miracle, however, gradually came to an end, and the military handed over power to a civilian government. In November 1989, Brazilians had their first chance to elect a president by a popular vote in almost 30 years and elected Fernando Collor de Mello. In 1992, the man who had promised to fight corruption was indicted on charges of corruption himself. In 1994 Fernando Cardoso was elected president. Cardoso has reduced inflation significantly since taking office, but this has been offset by the loss of two million jobs between 1989-1996 and ongoing problems with agrarian reform. Still, Cardoso was re-elected in 1998. Economy Brazil is the world's biggest producer of coffee and oranges. Internationally, it holds second position in the production of soy beans and fruits of the cocoa tree. It holds third position in cattle raising and fourth position in pig-breeding. Brazil counts among the world's biggest producers of sugar, from which ethyl alcohol is made on a large scale, to be used as fuel for more than 1.5 million Brazilian vehicles. Brazil's various branches of industry produce motor vehicles and vehicle parts, textiles, steel and other metals, cement, and chemicals. Among the country's raw materials there are crude oil, timber, gold, nickel, tin, iron ore, and other minerals. Culture Of all popular music styles the samba has become a symbol of national identity. It is commonly associated with the Brazilian carnival, which begins at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and lasts for five days. Among the numerous regional styles the superb percussion ensembles of Rio de Janeiro's samba schools are best-known. Samba music is also the basis for several fashionable dances which have become popular worldwide, e.g. the bossa nova. The last few years saw the lambada craze, which had its origins in Brazil and Bolivia, spreading to Europe and North America. The music of Brazil's indigenous population is based upon wind instruments, such as reed pipes and panpipes.