Brazil

Brazil is the 10th largest economic power in the world with a 600 billion dollars GDP. The restrictive monetary and budgetary policies set up by the Lula da Silva government, have restored markets confidence but have restrained growth : GDP growth rate was 0.5% in 2003, 5.2% in 2004 and 3.3 in 2005. The growth was especially due to the depreciation of the Real which stimulates Brazilian exports. The FMI forecasts a 3.5% growth in 2006. Nevertheless, Brazil remains heavily in debt to the extend of putting a brake on the country's development. The inflation rate was 5.3% in 2004 and should be 4.7% in 2004.

Brazil welcomes numerous direct foreign investments. The average rate of customs duty, according to MERCOSUR's Common External Tariff (between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay), is 11% but imports often face numerous restrictions and surcharges. Brazil's main trade partners are the United States, Argentina, China and Germany. The country mainly imports electrical and electronic equipment, machines, hydrocarbons and vehicles.

Population

Main Cities Population Sao Paulo   16,800,000   Rio de Janeiro   10,300,000   Belo Horizonte   3,900,000   Porto Alegre   3,000,000   Recife   3,000,000   Salvador   2,900,000   Fortaleza   2,700,000   Brasilia   1,600,000   Total population (millions): 178.7 Source: World Bank 2004   Urban population: 84% Source: World Bank 2004   Average annual population growth: 1.2% Source: World Bank 2004   Surface area (km²) : 8,547,400   Population origin Origin of the population % Of the population Native European 54 % African origin and half-caste 44 % Other 2 % Languages Official language: "Brazilian" Portuguese , a bit different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal. Business language: Portuguese and English.   Free translation tools in Brazil : Systran Free English-Portuguese-English translator of texts and web pages Tranexp Free English-Brazilian Portuguese-English translator of texts and web pages Ectaco Free Portuguese-English-Portuguese dictionary Religion Religious practises : Catholics 75.8% Protestants 11.3% Others 12.9%. Political system Brazil is a presidential federal republic. The president is elected by universal suffrage every 4 years. The current president is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Worker's Party, socialist), since January the 1st of 2003 and the vice-president Jos?Alencar (Liberal Party, liberal) .The ruling parties are the Worker's Party (PT) and the Liberal Party (PL). The opposition parties are PSDB, PFL, PMDB, PPB and PPS. The National Congress (Congresso Nacional) has two chambers : - the Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados) composed of 513 members elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. - the Federal Senate (Senado Federal) has 81 members, elected for an eight-year term with elections every four years for alternately one-third and two-thirds of the seats. Climate   Tourism Number of visitors in Brazil 2002 2003 2004 World rank Number of visitors (1000) 3783   4091   4725   n.a. Source : World Tourisme Organization, data available in November 2005   Tourist sites - For the Brazilians, Rio is the cidade maravilhosa (magnificent city). More than seven million Cariocas live in between the ocean and the mountain, turning Rio into one of the most populated places in the world. However, its reputation of being the world capital of pleasure should not overlook a less brilliant reality: a third of the population lives in favelas at the bottom of the mountains. - P?o de Acucar - Lapa : popular old district with its famous arches - Beautiful beaches in Rio and its region (Ilha Grande, Paraty, Buzios...) - Corcovado with the famous and impressive Cristo Redentor (Redeemer Christ) - Santa Teresa, pretty old district where artists settled down. - Rio's former city centre, between the Teatro Municipal and the port, will allow you to get an idea of the carioca architecture in colonial times. - Salvadore de Bahia: The superb churches, the houses dating from the XVIth and XVIIth centuries as well as an important colonial district are pleasant to visit in the morning. The Cathedral Basilica is the most beautiful of the town. Igeja S?o Francisco is a baroque church, which has been built by slaves. The Igreja NS do Bonfim is renowned for its miraculous curings: the room of the miracles is full of ex-voto. For the candomblistas, it is the most important church. One of the biggest bank holidays of the country takes place over there in January. Less famous than the carnival of Rio, the Salvador carnival is more authentic. - Amazonia is a huge ecosystem with its rivers and forests, it covers half of Brazil and sticks out the borders. The State of Amazonas, the vastest of Brazil, covers almost the totality of the Occidental amazonian basin. Manaus, the capital, located at the edge of Rio Negro, counts 1,160,000 inhabitants. - Ouro Preto is the real architectural jewel of the golden age of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is located in faraway mountains of the Serra do Espinhaco. This beautiful city enables walks along its paved streets. Numerous churches and museums are worth visiting. The city is 1,000 m beyond the sea level and the temperature may vary between 2?C and 28?C over there. - Iguacu's falls: the source is in the coastal mountains of Parana and Santa Catarina, the Rio Iguacu covers 600 km westward. It widens majestically and goes around a magnificent forest before diving into space. They are wider than the Victoria falls in Zimbabwe, higher than the Niagara's (up to 80 m). One counts 275 falls over 3 km. The good period to go there is from August to November. Indeed, from May to July, the level of the water is too high. For more information about tourism in Brazil , check out the following web site(s) : Brazilian Tourism Board Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau Food Traditional dishes Arroz, white rice, feij?o, preto, black beans and farofa, the manioc flour, are the main ingredients of the Brazilian food. 3 other ingredients are added: carne (meat), peixe (fish) and frango (chicken). The feijoada, the traditional dish, is a meat and black beans stew. Up North, where the Indian influence is strong, a lot of fruits and tubers are eaten. On the Northeast coast, the food has a more African flavour: hot pepper, spices and the delicious dend?oils (oil of palm). The moqueca, which is a sort of sauce or stew, is the speciality of the Bahia. The acaraj? which is prepared with peeled kidney-beans, fried in palm oil and stuffed with vatapa (dried shrimps, hot pepper and tomato). It is sold, by the inhabitants of Bahia, in the streets. In Minas Gerais, the comida mineira (food) is prepared: it is a pork and vegetable-based dish with kuiabo (sort of bean) and tutu (fried bean dough). In the South, the comida gaucha is a meat-based dish.