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For hundreds of years, Brazil has symbolized
the great escape into a primordial, tropical paradise, igniting
the Western imagination like no other South American country.
From the mad passion of Carnaval to the immensity of the dark
Amazon, Brazil is a country of mythic proportions.
Full country name: Federative Republic
of Brazil
Area: 8,547,403 sq km (3,300,155
sq mi)
Population: 172 million
Capital city: Brasilia
People: 55% European descent, 38%
mulato, 6% African descent (according to the 1980 census). In
reality, these figures are skewed by whiteness being equated
with social stature in Brazil.
Language: Portuguese
Religion: 70% Roman Catholic
Government: Federal republic
President: Fernando Henrique Cardoso
GDP: US$1.0352 trillion
GDP per head: US$6100
Inflation: 8% (1999)
Major industries: Textiles, shoes,
chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor
vehicles and parts, soya beans, orange juice, beef, coffee, sugar
Major trading partners: EU, Central
and South America, Asia, USA
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