BRAZILGovernment, Economy, &

Culture

Global Studies

Fast Facts

• Population: 202,656,788 (July 2014 est.)-6th most populous nation in the world-

• Capital: Brasília• Largest City: São Paulo• Monetary Unit: Real (1 real = 100 centavos)

Major Cities: Brasília• Chief city of the Central West• Brazil’s national capital• Considered an outstanding example of

modern large-scale city planning• Shaped roughly like a giant airplane• Buildings of its central area are bordered by a

V-shaped artificial lake.

São Paulo

• Chief industrial city of Latin America• Largest city in Brazil• Bustling, modern city• Center of the Brazil's textile industry

Rio de Janeiro

One of the world's most beautiful cities• Incredible harbor• Picturesque steep mountains• Magnificent modern apartment houses• Wide, tree-lined avenues• One of the most visited and most often

photographed cities in the world.

BRIC Affiliation

• Emerging Middle Class• Leading producer of raw materials in Latin

America• Drastic economic gains from 2005-2008

Government

• Federal republic, consisting of 26 states and the Federal District of Brasília

• States have legislatures and governors (like us!).• Direct elections of president and vice president to 6-year terms. • The president is head of both state and government.• National Congress: legislative body with the Chamber of

Deputies and the Federal Senate. • From 1964 to 1985, the military controlled the government who

suspended constitutional guarantees of rights. • Civilian government was restored in 1985, and a new democratic

constitution took effect in 1988.

Madam President of Brazil

• Dilma Vana Rousseff• President of Brazil

since 1 January 2011• First woman to hold

the office.

Economy

• Mixed: both government and private sector are involved

• Based on: – Manufacturing: employs the most; food products

and textiles– Agriculture. Agricultural products are Brazil's chief

export. Among the world's leading producers of soybeans, coffee, cacao, sugar, corn, oranges, bananas, pineapples, tobacco, and cotton.

Economy continued

-Mining and Forestry: Iron ore is Brazil's leading single export.

-Trade: Imports come mainly from western Europe, Japan, the United States, and Venezuela.

*Brazil is a partner with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in Mercosur: 1991; eliminated tariff barriers and made it easier for member nations to trade with one another.

Culture

• Portuguese-inspired from being a colony of Portugal for so long

• Language: Portuguese• Religion: Roman Catholic• Known for: sculpture, holidays (carnival),

painting, and literature, and architecture, music, and dance (samba!)http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/people-places-kids/brazil-dest-kids/

Hot Topic: Environment

• Selva: rain forest–Deforestation–Economic gains–Ethanol substitution for gasoline

Trivia Extra: “Fordlandia”http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=105068620&m=105069680

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AehpGgCA0hQ