Official Name Federative Republic of Brazil

Area 8.51 million sq. kms. (about 2.6 times that of India)

Capital Brasilia (Since 1960)

Major cities Sao Paulo (17.14 m), Rio de Janeiro (10.39 m),
Belo Horizonte (3.98 m), Salvador (2.8 m),
Fortaleza (2.7 m), Brasilia (2.0 m).

Population 188,078,227

Language Portuguese (unilingual country)

Administrative Divisions 26 States and the Federal District of Brasilia

Life Expectancy 71.9 years (2006)

Infant Mortality 28.6 per 1000 births (2006)

Literacy 86.7 per cent (2006)

G.D.P. US$ 459.4 billion approx – 2002
US$506.8 billion – 2003
US$ 605 billion – 2004
US$ 789.3 billion – 2005
US$ 1.06 trillion - 2006
US $ 1.5 trillion- 2007

Per Capita Income US$ $ 6704.9 (2007)

G.D.P. GROWTH 0.82 % (1999)
4.02 % (2000)
1.42 % (2001)
1.90 % (2002)
0.50 % (2003)
5.20 % (2004)
2.30 % (2005)
3.70 % (2006)

Major Natural Resources:
Iron Ore, Gold, Bauxite, Aluminium, Silver, Oil, Precious and Semi-precious Stones.

Principal Crops:
Coffee, Cocoa, Corn, Cotton, Oranges, Soyabean, Sugar, Tobacco and Wheat.

Foreign Trade: 2004 2005 2006 2007
Total Global Exports US $ 96.475 billion 118.308 billion 137.471 billion 160.6 billion
Exports to India : US $ 651.510 million 1136.81 million 936.59 million 958million

Total Global Imports : US $ 62.782 billion 73.551 billion 91.394 billion 120.6 billion
Imports from India : US$ 555.930 million 1202.73 million 1,473.94 million 2.2 billion
Major trading partners: US, China, EU, Japan and Argentina

Constitution:

Brazil's present Constitution was promulgated in October 1988 following the restoration of civilian rule three years earlier. The Constitution established a Republic with a presidential form of government. A referendum in 1993 overwhelmingly supported this in favour of a monarchy and a parliamentary system. One significant amendment came in 1997 when the President and State Governors were allowed to seek a second consecutive term.

Brazil is a Federation comprising 26 States and the Federal District of Brasilia. Each state has its own administration, legislature and judiciary. The State Administration is headed by the Governor, who is directly elected by the people for a four-year term. The judiciary comprises the Federal Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and various subordinate bodies.

Executive: Presidential form of Government. President directly elected for 4 years.

Legislature: Bicameral : Senate - - 81 Members
(Elected for 8 year term)
Chamber of Deputies - 513 Members
-Head of State: Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
-Vice-President Mr. Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva
-Foreign Minister Mr. Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim
-Finance Minister Mr. Guido Mantega

Membership of international organizations:

1. UN and its Specialised Agencies
2. WTO, IMF and World Bank
3. Rio Group, MERCOSUR, ALADI
4. G-15, Cairns Group
5. Observer Status - NAM

Indian Community:

About 375 families living in various cities with the largest number in Sao Paulo. Most Indians in Brazil are professionals: scientists, engineers and professors. There is a small business community in Sao Paulo, Manaus and Foz de Iguacau.

Climate:

The climate varies considerably from the equatorial north to the tropical and sub-tropical south. In the states of Amazon, Para, Maranhao, parts of Mato Grosso, the climate is equatorial. In the central region and the southeast of Brazil, the climate is mainly tropical. In Brasilia as well the climate is tropical. The seasons could mainly be defined as dry (May-September) with humidity level reaching 12 per cent and wet (October-April). In southern Brazil the climate is mainly sub-tropical. The rains are distributed with average rainfall of 100 cms per annum. The inland parts of northeast Brazil are semi-arid and are drought prone.

Air Links:

Though there are many international airports, direct flights to the US and Europe are mainly through Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Most major airlines of the US and Europe fly to Brazil though not to Brasilia. There is an excellent internal airline network serviced by private airlines. There are no direct air links with India.

Currency:

The "Real", a new currency, was introduced on July 1, 1994. The current rate of exchange is US$1 = Real 1.71 (November, 2009)

Government
federal republic

Ethnic Groups
white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, and Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Languages
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil with the colorful addition of many Indian and African words with a wide variety of accents and dialects.

Literacy
83.3%

Religion
Roman Catholic

Imports
Machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity, autos and auto parts.

Exports
Iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts.

Trading Partners
US, Argentina, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Netherlands.

Industries
Agriculture, textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Useful Numbers
Country dialing Code: 54

Brasilia area code: 61, Sao Paulo area code: 11, Rio de Janeiro area code: 21
Police: 147
Ambulance: 192
Fire: 193
Directory Assistance: 102
Time: 130 Wakeup Calls: 134
Weather: 132
Tipping
"Tips are not included in the bill and 10-15% is usually expected.
Airports: porters may charge as much as $1 per bag
Taxis: Tipping is not expected, yet many people choose to round up the fare. Drivers in some cities charge for help with baggage
Hotels: a $1 tip is a sufficient for chambermaids and bellboys
Restaurants: a 10% gratuity will often be included in the bill
Sales Taxes: advertised prices on store windows and bills will always include sales taxes”

Major cities in Brazil

Brasília
Brasília is the capital of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 2,383,784 as of the 2006 census estimate, and is the seat of the main federal government: the president (residing in the Palácio do Planalto), the Brazilian supreme court, and the Brazilian parliament. Brasília is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Building of the city began in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's capital. When seen from above, the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly.
Brasília is located in the Federal District, which has the same borders as the city. The federal district is surrounded by the Brazilian state of Goiás. The city is no Brasília is the capital of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 2,383,784 as of the 2006 census estimate, and is the seat of the main federal government: the president (residing in the Palácio do Planalto), the Brazilian supreme court, and the Brazilian parliament. Brasília is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Building of the city began in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's capital. When seen from above, the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly.
Brasília is located in the Federal District, which has the same borders as the city. The federal district is surrounded by the Brazilian state of Goiás. The city is not a traditional municipality by Brazilian law.

• Electricity
  110/120 volts, 60 cycles
• Business Hours
  Most stores open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Mon-Fri) and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Sat)
  Shopping centers (malls) open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. or from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Mon-Sat). Some of them also open on Sundays.
• Climate
  Climate between "tropical savannas" and "temperate rainy climate with a dry winter season". Hottest month is September, with an average high of 29°C (85 F). Coolest month is July, with an average low of 13°C (55 F). Sunrise: between approximately 5:00 and 6:30 a.m. (daylight saving time during some months); Sunset: between approximately 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.
• Geography
  Location: the Federal District is situated in the central part of Brazil, between 15°30' and 16°03' South latitude, limited by the Preto River on the East and by the Descoberto River on the West.
• Population
  Brazil: 182 million
  Brasilia : 3,199,451

São Paulo

São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo in the South East of Brazil. The city has an area of 1,523.0 square kilometers (588 sq mi) and a population of 11,016,703 (2006 IBGE estimate), which makes it the most populous in the southern hemisphere (metro area: about 19 million).
People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulista designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos. The city's Latin motto is Non ducor, duco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead". A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa".
São Paulo is also known for its smog, the sheer size of its helicopter fleet, unreliable weather, and multitude of skyscrapers, holding the 7th position in the skyline ranking and with the 3rd biggest skyline, first and second which are New York and Hong Kong.

Climate
São Paulo has a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures seldom reach 30 °C (86 °F) during summer, while frost is rare during winter. All-time record temperatures are 35.3 °C (96.6 °F) in November 15, 1985 and -2.1 °C (28 °F) in August 2, 1955 (both at the Mirante de Santana National Weather Station, in the north region). In the mountains around the city (Horto Florestal), -3.9 °C (25 °F) were registered also in August 2, 1955 (unofficially). Snow flurries were reported officially just on one occasion in June 25, 1918. Rainfall is abundant, especially in the warmer months, but rare between June and August. Neither São Paulo nor the nearby coast has ever been hit by a tropical cyclone, and tornadic activity is uncommon. August is a month which, in the last years, despite of belonging to the winter, is mostly dry and hot, sometimes reaching temperatures of 28°C. This is a phenomenon called "veranico" (in portuguese, "little summer").
São Paulo is officially inserted in a larger metropolitan region named "Grande São Paulo" ("Greater São Paulo"). The region holds 39 towns in total, and a population of more than 19 million inhabitants (as of 2005, according to IBGE).
Because São Paulo is sprawling like Los Angeles, it has two definitions for its metropolitan area. By its CSA (Combined Statistical Area) type definition of metropolitan area, it is the second largest city in the world with 29 million inhabitants (Complexo Metropolitano Expandido).. The more narrowly defined Greater São Paulo metropolitan area, which doesn't include Campinas, Baixada Santista and many other nearby areas (Região Metropolitana de São Paulo) has around 19.7 million inhabitants (2006), making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the world.

Economy
São Paulo is the most important financial center in Latin America. São Paulo's stock exchange is the Bovespa, while its futures exchange is the BM&F. Its financial districts are located on the surroundings of Avenida Paulista and in the Centro Velho (Old Centre). Other important business districts are located in the boroughs of Pinheiros and Santo Amaro, including the large road Faria Lima.
There are a number of highly specialized regions, such as Bom Retiro and Brás (wholesale garment districts), Consolação (lighting equipment), Rua Santa Ifigênia (electrical and electronic parts), Rua Teodoro Sampaio (furniture and musical equipment), the posh Rua Oscar Freire (designer and label stores), Avenida Europa (luxurious automobiles) and the crowded Rua Vinte Cinco de Março.
In the last few years, São Paulo has become a major host to various international events and fairs, visited by the most varied audiences, ranging from scientists and artists to merchants and entrepreneurs, coming from Brazil and also from abroad. Some of the most important events that usually take place in the city are:

• Leather Goods Fair - Couromoda
• International Textile Fair - Fenit
• International Construction Fair
• Shoes, Fashion Accessories and Machines Fair - Francal
• Cosmetics and Beauty International Fair - Cosmetica
• Lodging-related products, services and equipment Fair - Equipotel
• International Automobile Fair - Salão do Automóvel
• Book Fair Biennale - Bienal Internacional do Livro
• There has been a gradual change in the city economic profil

e since a decade ago - from a strongly industrialized base to service and technology-oriented industries. Intensive manpower-consuming firms have been replaced by a great number of high-technology companies and service providers of a vast range, namely law services, investment banking, IT, consultancy firms, advertising and radio and TV broadcasting companies.

Sites of interest
São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Arab and Japanese influences.
The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. There are approximately 52 different types of cuisines in São Paulo, and more than 12,000 restaurants[9]. Other venues such as bars, pubs, lounges and discos cater to a variety of music tastes.

São Paulo is home to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and "Pinacoteca do Estado" art museums, a symphonic orchestra (São Paulo State Symphony (OSESP), and a Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).

Praça da Sé (Large square next to the São Paulo Cathedral. Official center of the city)

Edifício Itália (skyscraper with observation deck)

Banespa Building (skyscraper with observation deck and museum)

Pátio do Colégio (founding site of the city)

Catedral da Sé (the metropolitan cathedral, a symbol of the city)

Museu do Ipiranga (a museum built in honor of the proclamation of the independence of Brazil)

Solar da Marquesa (a rare example of 18th century architectural style)

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1897) ]

Avenida Paulista (one of the most important thoroughfares of the city and the site of many cultural centers and museums, such as the MASP and Centro Cultural Itaú)

Ibirapuera Park (the second largest park of the city (Parque do Carmo is the biggest), is also home to several museums. It is known for its buildings designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, such as the Oca and the new Ibirapuera Auditorium)

Museum of the Portuguese Language, in the train station of Luz.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a major city in southeastern Brazil and the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city was once the capital of Brazil (1763–1960) and of the Portuguese Empire (1808–1821). Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa - "The Marvelous City".
It is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics, and also for its huge social disparities, shanty towns, violence and drug traffic. Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio also boasts the world's largest forest inside an urban area, called Floresta da Tijuca, or 'Tijuca Forest'.
The population of the City of Rio de Janeiro is about 6,136,652[2], occupying an area of 1,182.3 square kilometres (456.5 sq mi).The population of the larger metropolitan area is estimated at 11-12 million. It was Brazil's capital until 1960, when Brasília took its place. Residents of the city are known as Cariocas. The city's current mayor (2006) is Cesar Maia. The official song of Rio is "Cidade Maravilhosa" (translated as "Marvelous City").

Pictures of the Redeemer of Christ, recently elected one of the new seven wonder in the world.
Corcovado, meaning "hunchback" in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The 710-meter (2,330 ft) granite peak is located in the Tijuca Forest, a national park. Corcovado hill lies just west of the city center but is wholly within the city limits and visible from great distances. It is known worldwide for the 38-meter (125 ft) statue of Jesus atop its peak, entitled Cristo Redentor' or "Christ the Redeemer".

Climate
Rio has a Tropical climate. The average monthly temperatures are shown below, though it is not unusual to reach 40°C in the Summer in inland areas of the city, but in the main tourist areas (south zone, where the beaches are located), the temperature is moderated by the cool sea breezes from the ocean, even during the warmest months. The average minimum temperature is 21°C, and the average maximum temperature is 27°C. The average yearly precipitation is 1173 mm.

Social conditions
Rio is a city of contrast: there are enormous disparities between rich and poor. Although the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, a significant proportion of the city's 6.5 million inhabitants lives in utmost poverty. The worst of the poorer areas are the slums and shanty towns known as 'favelas'; often crowded onto the hillsides, where sturdy buildings are difficult to build, and accidents, mainly from heavy rainfall, are frequent, killing hundreds of people.
Entrenched between some of the richer areas of Rio de Janeiro, the Vidigal favela is testimony to high economic inequality within Brazil.
A unique aspect of Rio's favelas is their very close proximity to the city's wealthiest districts. Upper-class neighborhoods such as Ipanema and Copacabana are squeezed in between the beach and the hills, the latter of which are covered with poor neighborhoods. Bad public education, a poor health system combined with the saturation of the penitentiary system contribute to the overall poverty and social injustice of the favelas. But then North Zone, the poorest area of Rio that tourists rarely see, gathers the vast majority of Rio's famished and impoverished masses. This social contrast creates a clash between rich and poor, making the South Zone (the wealthy neighborhoods where tourists stay) a very dangerous place where security and violence issues abound.

Violence
Rio is one of the most violent cities of the world. Around 80 victims are killed every week in homicides, assaults, stray bullets and narcoterrorism. The numbers are comparables with war conflict zones like Bagdad and Kabul. The "War" involves drug-traffic warfare with police fighting against outlaws.

Carnaval
Carnival in Rio is considered one of the best carnivals of the world.
The carnaval is an annual celebration in Brazil held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Rio de Janeiro has many Carnaval choices, including the famous Escolas de Samba (Samba schools) parades in the sambódromo exhibition centre and the popular 'blocos de carnaval', which parade in almost every corner of the city. The most famous ones are the following:
Cordão do Bola Preta: Parades in the centre of the city. It is one of the most traditional carnavals. In 2006, it gathered 200,000 people in one day.
Suvaco do Cristo: Band that parades in the Botanic Garden, directly below the Redeemer statue's arm. The name, in English, translates as 'Christ's armpit', and was chosen for that reason.
Carmelitas: Band that was supposedly created by nuns, but in fact it is just a theme chosen by the band. It parades in the hills of Santa Teresa, which have very nice views.
Simpatia é Quase Amor: One of the most popular parades in Ipanema. Translates as 'Friendliness is almost love'.
Banda de Ipanema: The most traditional in Ipanema. It attracts a wide range of revellers, including families and a wide spectrum of the gay population (notably spectacular drag queens).

Miscellaneous
In 1992 the city hosted the UNCED Earth Summit on sustainable development.
Rio has also been used as a backdrop for many films, such as Notorious (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), L'Homme de Rio (1964), 007 Moonraker (1979), Blame It on Rio (1984), Wild Orchid (1990), Bossa Nova (2000), The Girl from Rio (2002), City of God (2002) and Doom 2 (2006). The film The Brazilian Job, a sequel for The Italian Job (2004) as well as the sequel to Hulk (2003), The Incredible Hulk are being filmed in the city.
In The Simpsons episode "Blame it on Lisa", the family visited Rio de Janeiro, only to encounter a myriad of ludicrously exaggerated problems. The episode infuriated Brazilian tourist officials who threatened to sue the producers of the show.
Featured/recreated in the video games Driver 2, for the PlayStation and Forza Motorsport, for the Xbox. Stage of the SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs for PlayStation 2. It is also a level in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC as well as one of it's later sequels, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for the PlayStation 2, Wii and Nintendo DS.
The popular Half-life game mod, Counter-strike featured a level (cs_rio) that pictured a favela in Rio de Janeiro. [13]
The Harbour of Rio de Janeiro was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World by CNN.
Rio de Janeiro was also mentioned in the both versions of The Producers as being the place the Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom would escape to after their sure-fire-flop musical. In the 2005 version, they sing a song about Rio entitled "You'll Find Your Happiness in Rio".
In the popular Ender's Shadow series, Rio de Janeiro is the location of Peter Wiggin's Hegemon Headquarters.

There are at least 25 other important cities in Brazil including Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Salvador, Recife, Manuas, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Natal, Belem, Cuiaba, Campo Grande, Foz de Iguacu.