GTSA – Brazil

Brazil is home to both extensive agricultural farmland and rainforests. With vast natural resources and a large labour pool, it is South America’s leading economic power and a regional leader. Because it was a colony of Portugal, Portuguese is Brazil’s official language. Brazil has the world’s second-largest Christian population and the world’s largest Roman Catholic-majority nation regarding the number of adherents and land mass, a strong cultural legacy left behind by the Roman Catholic Portuguese colonists.

The state’s administrative structure is a federation; however, Brazil has included the municipalities as autonomous political entities, making the federation tripartite, encompassing the Union, the States, and the municipalities. The legal system is based on Roman Law.

Mainland Brazil is commonly geographically divided into five distinct regions:

North, Northeast, Centre-West, Southeast and South.

The North constitutes 45.27% of Brazil’s surface and has the lowest population. It is relatively unindustrialized and underdeveloped (except Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone). However, it accommodates most of the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, and many Indigenous tribes.

The Northeast has one-third of Brazil’s population. The region is culturally diverse, with roots from the Portuguese colonial period, Afro-Brazilian culture, and some Brazilian Indian influence. It is also the poorest region of Brazil and has long periods of dry climate. However, it is known for its beautiful coasts.

The Brazilian capital, Brasilia, is located in the Central West. Despite that, it has a low demographic density compared to the other regions, mainly because it is occupied by the Pantanal, the world’s largest marshland area, and a small part of the Amazon rainforest in its northwestern area. However, much of the region is overgrown by Cerrado, the largest savanna in the world, which has two distinct seasons: a rainy season (from October to April) and a dry one (from May to September). It is also the most important area for agriculture in the country. The most important cities are Brasilia, Goiia, Campo Grande and Cuiabai.

The Southeast is the wealthiest and most densely populated region. It has more inhabitants than any other South American country. It hosts one of the largest megalopolis in the world, where the country’s two biggest cities are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The region is very diverse, including the major business centre of Sao Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais, the world-famous beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the acclaimed coast of Espirito Santo.

The South is the wealthiest region in Brazil, with the best standard of living. However, it is also the coldest region, with occasional frosts and snow in some higher-altitude areas. The region has been heavily settled by European immigrants, mainly of German, Italian, and Slavic genealogy.

Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, as well as a large labour pool, Brazil’s GDP (PPP) outweighs that of any other Latin American country, being the core economy of Mercosur. The government has been expanding its presence in world markets. Major export products include aircraft, coffee, vehicles, soybeans, iron ore, orange juice, steel, textiles, footwear and electrical equipment.

According to the IMF and the World Bank, Sao Paulo, the third largest city in the world and Brazil’s economic centre, Brazil has the ninth largest economy at Purchasing Power Parity and eleventh largest at market exchange rates. Brazil has a diversified middle-income economy with wide variations in development levels. Most large industries are related in the South and South-East. The northeast is the poorest region in Brazil, but it is beginning to attract new investment. Brazil has the most advanced industrial sector in Latin America. Amounting to one-third of GDP, Brazil’s diverse industries range from automobiles, steel and petrochemicals to computers, aircraft, and consumer durables. With the increased economic stability the Plano Real provides, Brazilian and multinational businesses have invested heavily in new equipment and technology, a large proportion of which has been purchased from North American enterprises. Brazil has a diverse and sophisticated services industry as well.