The largest state in South America is Brazil. The characteristics of the country include a description of nature, population, government, economy and major development problems. Read our article and you will learn a lot of new and interesting things about this distant country.
Brazil: State Profile (General)
The Republic of Brazil is in the top five countries in the world by area. It occupies the entire east and center of the South American continent.
The city of Brasilia (an amazing consonance with the name of the country!) Is the capital of the state of Brazil. The characteristic of this settlement may be as follows: the capital, built from scratch. The city really was founded only in 1960 and was built just for the capital's needs.
The configuration of Brazil is surprisingly compact: from north to south, the country extends for 4320 km, from west to east - for 4330 km. The total length of all borders is simply amazing: almost 16,000 kilometers. With ten countries, Brazil borders.
The characterization of the state is impossible without deepening in its history. Initially, Brazil was a Portuguese colony (it was the Portuguese Pedro Cabral who was the first European to land on its shores in 1500). In 1822, the country declared its independence, and at the end of the same 19th century it became a full-fledged republic with a bicameral parliament. Nevertheless, Portugal had a significant impact on the development of the South American state: the population of Brazil speaks Portuguese and professes (for the most part) Catholicism.
Brazil: characterization of natural conditions and resources
The relief of the country is very diverse: in the north - the lowland valley of the Amazon River, in the south and in the center - the Brazilian plateau, steeply breaking off to the sea with rocky ledges. Mount Bandeira (2890 meters) is the highest point of the state of Brazil.
Characterization of the country is impossible without a description of climatic conditions. Brazil's climate is generally hot. Average temperatures, depending on the region, range from +15 to +29 degrees. Frosts occur only in certain territories. Rainfall ranges from 1200 mm in the center of the country to 2500-3000 mm in the Amazon.
The hydrographic network of the country is very high in density. Most of the territory is occupied by the largest Amazon river system in the world. Summer floods, rapids, and waterfalls are common in Brazilian rivers. Many of them also have significant hydropower reserves.
The bowels of Brazil are very rich in various minerals. Here, iron, manganese and uranium ores, bauxite, graphite and precious stones (in particular diamonds) are mined.
Brazil population
202 million people live in the republic (this is the fifth place in the world in terms of population). Brazil is characterized by a small but still positive annual natural growth. About 85% of the country's inhabitants live in cities.
The official and most common language in Brazil is Portuguese. Besides him, others are also used by the population: English, Spanish, French, Italian. Literacy is almost 90%.
Most Brazilians (65%) consider themselves Catholics, another 22% - Protestants. Spiritualism, Buddhism, Islam, and various Afro-Brazilian cults are also widespread in the country.
The economic potential of the country
A full description of Brazil is impossible without a description of its national economy. The country has tremendous economic potential. In terms of GDP, this is the first economy in Latin America.
Brazil's industry is well developed in both the mining and manufacturing sectors. The country produces almost the entire range of products - from simple consumer goods to computers and aircraft. Very developed and agriculture.
Brazil's main export commodities are iron ore, automobiles, coffee, soybeans, steel, shoes and textiles. Recently, the country's government has made every effort to expand its presence in world markets.
The main problems of the country's development
To understand the main problems of the country will help the comparative characteristics of Brazil and its basic statistical indicators with other states. The republic is among the top ten world economies in terms of nominal GDP (7th place). In the ranking of the HDI (human development index), Brazil is on the 79th line. The country ranks 69th in the ranking of countries in terms of corruption, which also indicates the presence of serious problems in this area.
Brazil's comprehensive profile shows that this country has a number of chronic problems. Among them - high inflation, a large external debt of the state, unemployment, corruption and poverty.
Another serious problem in Brazil is the uneven development of different regions of the country. Almost all industry is concentrated in its southern and southeastern parts (the state of São Paulo alone produces up to 65% of the country's GDP). But the northeastern regions of Brazil - this is complete poverty, illiteracy and lack of infrastructure.
Finally
This article presents a comprehensive description of Brazil as a state. The country is the largest in Latin America, and is also among the top ten global economies (by nominal GDP). The main sectors of the economy: electric power, mechanical engineering (including aircraft) and agriculture.
The economy and social sphere of Brazil still have a number of serious problems, but the government is trying to solve them through reforms.