Brazil
| Country summary | |
|---|---|
|
Capital |
Brasilia |
|
Borders |
Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km |
|
Government type |
federal republic |
|
Population |
198,739,269[1] |
|
Population growth |
1.199% (2010 est.)[1] |
|
Life expectancy |
71.99 years[1] |
|
Unemployment |
8.1% (2009 est.)[1] |
|
113[2] | |
|
75[3] | |
|
129[4] | |
Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader, one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems. In January 2010, Brazil assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.[1]
Economical characteristics
- Currency: Real (ISO code: BRL)
- Central bank discount rate: 8.75% (31 December 2009)[1]
- Commercial banks lending rate: 47.25% (31 December 2008)[1]
- Stock of money (M1): $125 billion (30 November 2009)[1]
- Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $645 billion (30 November 2009)[1]
Notable events:
- Banking crisis: 1890-1892, 1897-1898, 1900-1901, 1914, 1923, 1963, November 1985, 1990, 1994-1996[5]
- Hyperinflation: 1988-1990, 1992-1994 (of single episode 1988-1994)
- Years in inflation: 26.1% (share of years 1822-2009 with annual inflation above 20 per cent per annum)
- Public default: 1828-1834, 1898-1901, 1902-1910, 1914-1919, 1931-1933, 1937-1943, 1961, 1964, 1983-1990 (external), 1986-1987, 1990(domestic)[6]
Statistics
| Statistic / Year | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (million USD)[7] | 586 863 | 644 702 | 553 582 | 504 221 | 552 469 | 663 760 | 882 185 | 1 089 060 | 1 333 270 | 1 575 150 |
| Govt. debt (% of GDP)[8] | 12.303 | 66.486 | 66.809 | 60.880 | ||||||
| Govt. revenue (% of GDP)[9] | 5.520 | 22.855 | 23.762 | 24.726 | ||||||
| Govt. expenses (% of GDP)[10] | 5.556 | 25.016 | 24.839 | 25.023 | ||||||
| Debt to revenue (years) | 2.229 | 2.909 | 2.812 | 2.462 |
References
Note: statistical data was rounded. Different sources may use different methodologies for their estimates. Debt to revenue is calculated by dividing the two variables from their original ('unrounded') values. It represents how long it would a government take to repay its entire debt if it used its whole revenue for this purpose.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 CIA - The World Factbook. "Brazil", from The World Factbook. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ Heritage Foundation. "Brazil", Economic Freedom Score. A lower ranking is better; but please be careful when comparing between different countries or years. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ Transparency International. "Brazil", Corruption Perceptions Index 2009. A lower ranking is better; but please note that the numbers cannot be compared between countries or years due to different methodology. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ Doing Business. "Brazil", Doing Business 2010 (part of The World Bank Group). A lower ranking is better; but please be careful when comparing between different countries or years. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. "This Time is Different", Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-14216-6, p. 353-354. (The list does not claim to be complete.) Referenced 2011-07-19.
- ↑ Carmen M. Reinhart. "This Time is Different Chartbook: Country Histories on Debt, Default, and Financial Crises" (pdf), March 3, 2010, p. 25. (The list does not claim to be complete.) Referenced 2011-07-19.
- ↑ World Bank. "Brazil: GDP", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ World Bank. "Brazil: government debt", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ World Bank. "Brazil: government revenue", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-09-28.
- ↑ World Bank. "Brazil: government expenses", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-09-28.
Links
- Brazil on Wikipedia
- Central bank of Brazil
- Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
- Studies from the Library of Congress (1986-1998)
- BBC country profile
- Brazil Amazon forest to be privately managed by Raymond Colitt, Oct 2010
- The Brazilian Fisca Responsibility Law (pdf), May, 2000
- From Soccer to Fiscal Responsibility Laws, Brazil’s Impact on the Maldives by Ian Lienert, April 2010
- Brazil slams brakes to curb inflation, risking hot money tsunami by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, January 2011
- Brazil and the Spirit of Liberty by Jeffrey Tucker, May 2012
- Brazil’s Slow Default by David Howden, March 2014
