Brazil

Brazil

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Federative Republic of Brazil
República Federativa do Brasil (Portuguese)

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Ordem e Progresso"
(Portuguese)
"Order and Progress"
Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileiro
(Portuguese)
"Brazilian National Anthem"
National seal
Selo Nacional do Brasil National Seal of Brazil (color).svg
(Portuguese)
"National Seal of Brazil"
Capital Brasília
15°45′S 47°57′W / 15.75°S 47.95°W / -15.75; -47.95
Largest city São Paulo
Official languages Portuguese
(see Languages of Brazil)
Ethnic groups 49.4% White
42.3% Pardo (Brown)
7.4% Black
0.5% Asian
0.4% Amerindian
Demonym Brazilian
Government Presidential Federal republic
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT)
- Vice-President José Alencar (PRB)
- President of the Chamber of Deputies Michel Temer (PMDB)
- President of the Senate José Sarney (PMDB)
- Chief Justice Gilmar Mendes
Independence from Portugal
- Declared September 7, 1822
- Recognized August 29, 1825
- Republic November 15, 1889
- Current constitution October 5, 1988
Area
- Total 8,514,877 km2 (5th)
3,287,597 sq mi
- Water (%) 0.65
Population
- 2009 estimate 191,241,714[1] (5th)
- 2007 census 189,987,291
- Density 22/km2 (182nd)
57/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
- Total $1.984 trillion[2] (9th)
- Per capita $10,465[2] (77th)
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
- Total $1.665 trillion [3] (8th)
- Per capita $8,295[2] (63rd)
Gini (2009) 49.3[4]
HDI (2007) 0.813[5] (high) (75th)
Currency Real (R$) (BRL)
Time zone BRT [6] (UTC-2 to -4[7])
- Summer (DST) BRST [8] (UTC-2 to -4)
Date formats dd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .br
Calling code +55

Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil) Pt-br-República Federativa do Brasil.ogg listen (help·info), is the largest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking country on that continent.[9] It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America[10] and the fifth most populous country in the world.[9][11]

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi).[9] It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz.[9]

Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822.[12] Initially independent as the Brazilian Empire, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified.[12] Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic.[13] The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.[13][14]

Brazil is the world's eighth largest economy at market exchange rates[3] and the ninth largest by purchasing power parity.[15] Economic reforms have given the country new international recognition.[16] It is a founding member of the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society,[11] Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.[9]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Etymology
* 2 History
o 2.1 Native Brazilians and early Portuguese settlers
o 2.2 Territorial expansion
o 2.3 Independence and Empire
o 2.4 Emperor Pedro II reign
o 2.5 Old Republic and Vargas Era
o 2.6 Military regime and Contemporary era
* 3 Government and politics
o 3.1 Law
o 3.2 Foreign relations
o 3.3 Military
* 4 Subdivisions
o 4.1 States
o 4.2 Municipalities
o 4.3 The Federal District
o 4.4 Former territories
o 4.5 Regions
* 5 Geography
o 5.1 Climate
o 5.2 Wildlife
* 6 Economy
o 6.1 Components and energy
o 6.2 Science and technology
* 7 Demographics
o 7.1 Language
o 7.2 Religion
o 7.3 Education and health
* 8 Society
o 8.1 People and festivals
o 8.2 Leisure in Brazil
o 8.3 Brazilian women
* 9 Culture
o 9.1 Cuisine
o 9.2 Arts
o 9.3 Literature and poetry
o 9.4 Popular media
o 9.5 Sports
* 10 See also
* 11 Bibliography
o 11.1 References
o 11.2 Further reading
o 11.3 Footnotes
* 12 External links

Etymology

The etymology of the name Brazil is not well established. The most accepted is that it was named after the tree brazilwood[17] which in Portuguese is pau-brasil, with the Portuguese word brasil being commonly given the etymology 'red like an ember,' formed from Latin brasa ('ember') plus the suffix -il* (from -iculum or -ilium).[18][19][20] Another possibility is the Irish legendary island of Hy-Brazil, known to Western European sailors in the 1500s[21] and popularized in its current spelling by Italian cartographer Angelinus Alorto's 1325 map "L'Isola Brazil."[22] Its origin comes from the celtic word bress, which means 'to bless,' thereby giving the island Hy Brazil the name 'Blessed land.' The "scholars from the 16th century did not doubt that the name Brazil came from the legendary island", but wrongly held the belief that it had been named after the wood came from the sailors who trafficked it.[23]
History
Main article: History of Brazil
Native Brazilians and early Portuguese settlers
Main articles: Indigenous peoples in Brazil and Colonial Brazil
The first Christian mass celebrated in what would later be called Brazil and also the beginning of the Portuguese colonization.

When arriving in April 1500 in the coast of what would later be known as Brazil, the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral found the primitive people who inhabited it.[24][25] They were divided in several distinct tribes, that fought among themselves[26] and that shared the same Tupi-Guarani linguistic family.[24] The “men were hunters, fishers and food collectors and the women were encharged of the reduced agricultural activity that was practiced.”[24] Some of the tribes were nomads and other sedentary; they knew the fire but not metal casting and a few were cannibals.[24] The settling was effectively initiated in 1534, when King Dom João III divided the Brazilian territory in twelve hereditary captaincies that would be governed by members of the lesser nobility or proceeding from educated families.[27][28] The experience revealed itself to be an utter disaster, and in 1549 the king assigned a governor-general to administrate the entire colony.[28][29]

Around 1530, the Tupiniquim (the same tribe that Cabral met)[30] and their bitter enemies the Tupinambá, the largest and most important tribes in Brazil, allied themselves with the Portuguese and the French, respectively.[26] Between the Portuguese and the Tupiniquim “occurred a certain intermittently pacific inter-racial assimilation.”[31] While the Tupinambás, however, were mostly exterminated in long wars and mainly by European diseases to which they had no immunities.[32][33] The ones that survived were enslaved by other tribes or by the Portuguese or fled toward the countryside.[32][34] By the middle of the 16th century, sugar had become the most important item of the Brazilian exportations.[26][35] Thus, the Portuguese turned to other forms of man power to handle with the increasing international demand.[32][36] Enslaved Africans were imported and became the “basic pillar of the economy” in the most populous areas of the colony.[37][38]
Territorial expansion
The Portuguese and their Amerindian and African allies expanded the Brazilian territory through endless wars of conquest.
See also: Bandeirantes

Through wars against the French, the Portuguese slowly expanded their territory to the Southeast, taking Rio de Janeiro in 1567, and to the northwest, São Luís in 1615.[39] They suffered a setback with the Dutch invasions that began in 1630 and that managed to conquer large portions of the Brazilian northeastern coastline. The Dutch domain did not last long and they were expelled definitively in 1649.[40] The Portuguese sent military expeditions to the Amazon rainforest that defeated and conquered British and Dutch strongholds. The Portuguese settlement in the region initiated in 1669, with the foundation of villages and forts.[41] In 1680 they reached the far south and founded Sacramento at the side of the Rio de la Plata, in the Eastern Strip region (current Uruguay).[42] At the end of the 17th century sugar exports entered in decline due to competition with the British and Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and also due to high taxes.[43] The discovery of gold by explorers in the region that would later be called Minas Gerais (General Mines) between 1693 and 1695 saved the colony from its imminent collapse.[44] From all over Brazil, as well from Portugal, thousands of immigrants, from all ethnicities, departed toward the mines.[45] In the following decades other gold mines were found in current Mato Grosso and Goiás, in the Brazilian Central-West.[46]

The Spanish tried to prevent the Portuguese expansion on the territory belonged to them according to the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 and succeeded on conquering the Eastern Strip in 1777. All in vain as the Treaty of San Ildefonso signed in the same year confirmed Portuguese domain over all lands proceeding from its territorial expansion, thus creating most of current Brazilian borders.[47] In 1808, the Portuguese Royal family, fleeing from the troops of the French Emperor Napoleon I that were invading Portugal and most of Central Europe, established themselves in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which thus became the seat of the entire Portuguese Empire[48] In 1815 King Dom João VI, then regent on behalf of his incapacitated mother, elevated Brazil from colony to sovereign Kingdom united with Portugal.[48] The Portuguese invaded French Guiana in 1809 (that was returned to France in 1817)[49] and the Eastern Strip in 1816 that was subsequently renamed Cisplatina.[50]
Independence and Empire
Main articles: Brazilian War of Independence and Empire of Brazil
Declaration of the Brazilian independence by Emperor Dom Pedro I in September 7, 1822.

King Dom João VI returned to Europe in 26 April, 1821, leaving his elder son Dom Pedro as regent to rule Brazil.[51] The Portuguese government attempted to turn Brazil into a colony once again, thus depriving it of its achievements since 1808.[52] The Brazilians refused to yield and Prince Pedro stood by their side declaring the country's independence from Portugal in September 7, 1822.[53] On October 12, 1822, Pedro was acclaimed first Emperor of Brazil as Dom Pedro I and crowned on 1 December 1822.[54] In 1822 almost all Brazilians were in favor of a monarchical form of government. Republicanism was an ideal supported by few individuals at that moment of the Brazilian history.[55][56] The subsequent Brazilian War of Independence expanded through almost its entire territory, with battles that were fought in the northern[57], northeastern[58] and southern[59] regions of Brazil. The last Portuguese army surrendered in March 8, 1824[60] and Brazilian independence was recognized by Portugal in November 25, 1825.[61]

The first Brazilian constitution was promulgated in March 25 1824, after its acceptance by the municipal councils across the country.[62][63][64][65] However, the Brazilian defeat in the Argentina-Brazil War resulting in the loss of Cisplatine (nowadays Uruguay),[66] Pedro I incapacity in dealing with a representative system where he would have to take in account the opinion of the parliamentary opposition[67] and the provincial desire for a higher decentralization[68] all contributed for lowering his prestige among the Brazilians. But the main reason for his abdication was due to his continuous interest in the succession crisis in Portugal.[69] The emperor refused the Portuguese crown in favor of his eldest daughter in 1826,[70] but his brother Dom Miguel usurped the throne.[71] For the surprise, and against the will, of the Brazilians,[72][73][74] Pedro I abdicated in 7 April 1831 and departed to Europe to reclaim his daughter’s crown leaving behind his son and heir who became Dom Pedro II.[75]
Emperor Pedro II reign
Main article: Pedro II of Brazil
See also: Slavery in Brazil
Emperor Dom Pedro II at age 27, 1853. For "the longevity of his government and the transformations that occurred in its course, no other Head of State has marked more deeply the history of the country."[76]

As the new emperor, who ascended the crown as a child, could not exert his constitutional prerogatives as emperor until he reached maturity, a regency was created.[77] Disputes between political factions that led to rebellions resulted in an unstable, almost anarchical, regency.[78][79] The rebellious factions, however, were not in revolt against the monarchy,[80][81] even though some declared the secession of the provinces as independent republics (but only so long as Pedro II was a minor).[82] Thus, he was prematurely declared of age and “Brazil was to enjoy nearly half a century of internal peace and rapid material progress.”[83] Brazil also won three international wars during his long reign of 58 years (Platine War,[84] Uruguayan War[85] and War of the Triple Alliance.[86])

The emperor, who never owned slaves,[87] also led the abolitionist campaign[88] that eventually extinguished slavery after a slow but steady process that went from the end of international traffic in 1850[89] up to the complete abolition in 1888.[90] However, he took longer than expected "to trespass the political obstacles”[91] making Brazil the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery.[92] Slavery had been in decline since the country's independence: in 1823, 29% of the Brazilian population were slaves; it fell to 24% in 1854; then to 15,2% in 1872;[93] and finally to less than 5% in 1887.[94] When the monarchy was overthrown in November 15, 1889.[95] there was no desire in Brazil (at least among the majority of its population) to change the form of government[96] and Pedro II was on the height of his popularity among his subjects.[97][98] Pedro II, however, “bore prime, perhaps sole, responsibility for his own overthrown.”[99] After the death of his two male sons, he believed that “the imperial regime was destined to end with him.”[100] The emperor did not care about its fate[101][102] and did nothing (nor allowed anyone) to prevent the military coup[103] that was backed by former slave owners that resented the abolition of slavery.[104] The monarchist reaction after the fall of the empire “was not small and even less was its repression”.[105]
Old Republic and Vargas Era
Main articles: República Velha, Estado Novo (Brazil), and Brazilian Second Republic
The Brazilian coup d'état of 1930 raised Getúlio Vargas (on center with military uniform but no hat) to power. He would rule the country for fifteen years.

The early republican government “was little more than a military dictatorship. The army dominated affairs both at Rio de Janeiro and in the states. Freedom of the press disappeared and elections were controlled by those in power”.[95] In 1894 the republican civilians rose to power, opening a “prolonged cycle of civil war, financial disaster, and government incompetence.”[106] By 1902, the government "began a return to the policies pursued during the Empire, policies that promised peace and order at home and a restoration of Brazil’s prestige abroad.”[106] and was successful in negotiating several treaties that expanded (with the purchase of Acre) and secured the Brazilian boundaries.[107] In the 1920s the country was plagued by several rebellions caused by young military officers.[108][109] By 1930, the regime was weakened and demoralized, which allowed the defeated presidential candidate Getúlio Vargas to lead a coup d’état and assume the presidency.[110] Vargas was supposed to assume the presidency temporarily, but instead closed the National Congress, extinguished the Constitution, ruled with emergency powers and deposed the states governors and nominated substitutes loyal to him in their places.[111][112]

In 1935 the Communists rebelled all over the country and tried to take power, but were defeated.[113] The communist threat served as an excuse for him to launch another coup d’Etat in 1937, making Brazil a full dictatorship.[114][115] The repression against the opposition was brutal, with more than 20,000 people imprisoned, interment camps for political prisoners were created in distant regions of the country, censorship of the press was established and torture by the government's agents of repression became common.[116][117] Brazil remained neutral at the early years of World War II until the government declared war against the Axis powers in 1942.[118] After that Vargas forced Germans, Japanese and Italians immigrants into concentration camps,[119] and sent troops to the battlefields in Italy in 1944.[120][121] With the end of the Nazi-fascist regimes in Europe after the allied victory in 1945, Vargas position became unsustainable and he was overthrown by a military coup in the same year.[122] Democracy was reinstated and General Eurico Gaspar Dutra was elected president and took office in 1946.[123] Vargas returned to power in 1951, this time democratically elected, but he was incapable of both governing under a democracy and of dealing with an active opposition and ended up committing suicide in 1953.[124][125]
Military regime and Contemporary era
Main articles: Military dictatorship (Brazil) and History of Brazil since 1985
The Brazilian military regime that lasted from 1964 until 1985 was marked by alternated moments of freedom and implacable repression.

Some brief interim governments succeeded after Vargas‘s suicide.[126] Juscelino Kubitscheck became president in 1956 and assumed a conciliating posture that allowed him to govern without major crises.[127] His economical and industrial policy was highly successful.[128] But his greatest achievement was the construction of Brasília, the new Brazilian capital inaugurated in 1960.[129] His successor was Jânio Quadros who resigned in 1961, less than a year after taking office.[130] His vice-president, João Goulart, assumed the presidency, but suffered large opposition[131] and was deposed in April 1964 by a coup that resulted in a military regime[132] intended to be transitory,[133] but that gradually closed itself until it became a full dictatorship with the promulgation of the Fifth Institutional Act in 1968.[134] The repression against the dictatorship's opponents and also against the communist terrorists (who did not struggle over the return of democracy, but instead over the implantation of a communist dictatorship)[135] was the most severe, but not nearly as brutal as in other Latin American countries.[136] Due to the extraordinary economic growth, that was known as “economic miracle”, the regime reached its highest level of popularity in those years of repression.[137]

General Ernesto Geisel became president in 1974 and began his project of re-democratization through a process that would have to be “slow, gradual and safe”.[138][139] Geisel ended with the military indiscipline that plagued the country since 1889,[140] as well as with the torture of political prisoners and censorship of the press,[141] and finally, with the dictatorship itself after he extinguished the Fifth Institutional Act.[142] However, the military regime continued under his chosen successor to accomplish the transition to full democracy, General João Figueiredo.[143] The civilians fully returned to power in 1985 when José Sarney assumed the presidency[144] but he ended his term extremely unpopular due to the uncontrollable economic crisis and unusually high inflation.[145] That allowed the election in 1989 of the almost unknown nationwide Fernando Collor,[146] who was impeached by the National Congress in 1992.[147] He was succeeded by his Vice-President Itamar Franco, who called Fernando Henrique Cardoso to assume the Ministry of Finance portfolio. Cardoso was highly successful with his Plano Real (Royal Plan)[148] that granted stability to the Brazilian economy[149] and his efforts were recognized by the Brazilians who elected him president in 1994 and again in 1998.[150] The peaceful and warmly transition from power to Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, who was elected in 2002 (and re-elected in 2006), revealed that Brazil had finally succeeded in achieving its long sought political stability.[151]
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Brazil
The National Congress in Brasília, the capital of Brazil.

The Brazilian Federation is based on the union of three autonomous political entities: the States, the Municipalities and the Federal District.[13] A fourth entity originated in the aforementioned association: the Union.[13] There is no hierarchy among the political entities. The Federation is set on six fundamental principles:[13] sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of the people, social value of labor, freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism. The classic tripartite branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial under the checks and balances system), is formally established by the Constitution.[13] The executive and legislative are organized independently in all four political entities, while the judiciary is organized only in the federal and state levels.

All members of the executive and legislative branches are directly elected.[152][153][154] Judges and other judicial officials are appointed after passing entry exams.[152] Voting is compulsory for those between 18 and 65 years old.[13] Four political parties stand out among several small ones: Workers' Party (PT), Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), and Democrats (formerly Liberal Front Party – PFL). Almost all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive.

The form of government is that of a democratic republic, with a presidential system.[13] The president is both head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a four-year term,[13] with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. The current president is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He was elected on October 27, 2002,[155] and re-elected on October 29, 2006.[156] The President appoints the Ministers of State, who assist in governing.[13] Legislative houses in each political entity are the main source of laws in Brazil. The National Congress is the Federation's bicameral legislature, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively.
Law
Main articles: Law of Brazil and Crime in Brazil
The eleven members of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil and the attorney general.
Interior of the Brazilian Supreme Court.

Brazilian law is based on Roman-Germanic traditions.[157] Thus, civil law concepts prevail over common law practices. Most of Brazilian law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part of the system, playing a complementary role. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are not binding on other specific cases except in a few situations. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influence in law creation and in law cases. The legal system is based on the Federal Constitution, which was promulgated on 5 October 1988, and is the fundamental law of Brazil. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules.[158] As of April 2007, there have been 53 amendments. States have their own constitutions, which must not contradict the Federal Constitution.[159] Municipalities and the Federal District do not have their own constitutions; instead, they have "organic laws" (leis orgânicas).[13][160] Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms.[13]

Jurisdiction is administered by the judiciary entities, although in rare situations the Federal Constitution allows the Federal Senate to pass on legal judgments.[13] There are also specialized military, labor, and electoral courts.[13] The highest court is the Supreme Federal Tribunal. This system has been criticised over the last decades due to the slow pace at which final decisions are issued. Lawsuits on appeal may take several years to resolve, and in some cases more than a decade elapses before definitive rulings are made.[161] Nevertheless, Supreme Federal Tribunal is the first court in the world to transmit its sessions on television, and more recently also in Youtube.[162][163]
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Brazil
States hosting a diplomatic mission of Brazil.

Brazil is a political and economic leader in Latin America.[164][165] However, social and economic problems prevent it from becoming an effective global power.[166] Between World War II and 1990, both democratic and military governments sought to expand Brazil's influence in the world by pursuing a state-led industrial policy and an independent foreign policy. More recently, the country has aimed to strengthen ties with other South American countries, engage in multilateral diplomacy through the United Nations and the Organization of American States.[167] Brazil's current foreign policy is based on the country's position as a regional power in Latin America, a leader among developing countries, and an emerging world power.[168] In general current Brazilian foreign policy reflects multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, and nonintervention in the affairs of other countries.[169] The Brazilian Constitution also determines the country shall seek the economic, political, social and cultural integration of the nations of Latin America.[13][170][171][172]
Military
Main article: Brazilian Armed Forces
AMX ground attack aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force.
Special Forces of the Brazilian Army.
Aircraft carrier NAE São Paulo
of the Brazilian Navy.

The Armed forces of Brazil consist of the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy, and the Brazilian Air Force. The Brazilian military numbers about 300,000 men and women and has a budget of 2.6 percent of the national economy in 2009 or about $52 billion US dollars.[13] The Military Police (States' Military Police) is described as an ancillary force of the Army by the constitution, but is under the control of each state's governor.[13] The Brazilian armed forces are the largest in Latin America. The Brazilian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Brazilian armed forces, the largest air force in Latin America, with about 700 manned aircraft in service.[173] The Brazilian Navy is responsible for naval operations and for guarding Brazilian territorial waters. It is the oldest of the Brazilian Armed forces and the only navy in Latin America to operate an aircraft carrier, the NAe São Paulo (formerly FS Foch of the French Navy).[174] The Brazilian Army is responsible for land-based military operations, with a strength of approximately 190,000 soldiers. In 2008 the Brazilian minister of defense has formulated the “Estratégia Nacional de Defesa” (National defense Strategy), that claims to build a strong national industry and make strategic partnerships with allied nations to develop technology together.[175]

Recently, Brazil has began to emerge as a major world power and a potential superpower; thus Brazil has begun to develop as a major military power. In 2008, Brazil has signed a strategic partnership with France and Russia to trade military technology. Brazil has also begun negotiations with France to have Brazil build 120 Rafale aircraft locally by Embraer.[176] Also in 2008 the Brazilian company Embraer showcased the Brazilian transport aircraft, Embraer KC-390, and some countries already have shown interest in the aircraft, with France even placing orders.[177][178] In 2009 Brazil purchased 4 Scorpène submarines for US $9.9 billion with a massive technology transfer agreement. In a second agreement, France will provide technical assistance to Brazil so that Brazil can design and produce indigenous nuclear powered submarines, to be completely built in Brazil.[179] The Brazilian government has announced that a Helibras factory in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, will initially produce 50 units of the EC 725 and up to 1,300 new helicopters for the Brazilian military. Helibras will now also produce Eurocopter's full line of products, with the first units to be operational in 2010.[180]

The Department of Defense of Brazil, in 2009 also asked the Brazilian Navy to develop a plan for the next 30 years. To carry out the plans of power projection that Brazil wants to run, the expenditure will cost more than $138 billion US dollars, within the Navy alone. The program is called PEAMB.[181] The strategy is to buy or build 2 aircraft carriers (40 000 tonnes), 4 Amphibious assault ships (20 000 tonnes), 30 escort ships, 15 submarines, 5 nuclear submarines and 62 (patrol ships).[182] In July 2009, the minister of defense, Nelson Jobim, said that Brazil will expend about 0.7% ($13 billion USD) of the GDP per year to modernize the forces in addition to the 2.6% yearly defense budget. He stated, "We are raising a study to make the financial schedule of the entire project. It will be a 20 year plan, including modernization and expansion of the elements for defense of the Brazilian territory.[183]
Subdivisions

According to the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, Brazil is a federation of 26 states, one federal district and also the municipalities. None of these units has the right to secede from the Federation.[13]
States
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
North Region
Northeast Region
Central-West Region
Southeast Region
South Region
Acre
Amazonas
Pará
Roraima
Amapá
Rondônia
Tocantins
Maranhão
Bahia
Piauí
Ceará
Rio Grande
do Norte
Paraíba
Pernambuco
Alagoas
Sergipe
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
do Sul
Federal
District
Goiás
Minas Gerais
São Paulo
Rio de Janeiro
Espírito Santo
Paraná
Santa Catarina
Rio Grande
do Sul
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Main article: States of Brazil

States (estados) are based on historical, conventional borders and have developed throughout the centuries, though some boundaries are arbitrary. The states can be split or joined together in new states if their people express a desire to do so in a plebiscite. States have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes and receive a share of taxes collected by the Federal government. They have a governor and a unicameral legislative body (Assembleia Legislativa) elected directly by their voters. They also have independent Courts of Law for common justice. Despite that, in Brazil states have much less autonomy to create their own laws than in the United States. For example, criminal and civil laws can only be voted by the federal bicameral Congress and are uniform throughout the country.[13]

In 1977, Mato Grosso state was split into two. The northern new state retained the name Mato Grosso and the old capital, Cuiabá, while the southern area became the new state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with Campo Grande as its capital. In 1988, the northern portion of Goiás state became the new state of Tocantins. Initially, the capital of Tocantins was the small city of Miracema do Norte (now called Miracema do Tocantins), but it was later moved to the new city of Palmas.

The equator cuts through the states of Amapá, Pará, Roraima and Amazonas in the North, and the Tropic of Capricorn cuts through the states of São Paulo, northern Paraná and southern Mato Grosso do Sul.[184] Acre is in the far west side of the country, covered by the Amazonian forest. Paraíba is the easternmost state of Brazil; Ponta do Seixas, in the city of João Pessoa, is the easternmost point of continental Brazil and of the Americas. In contrast to the tropical climate of most of Brazil, the southern states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina all have a temperate subtropical climate.

The state of Amazonas is the largest in area, comparable in size to Alaska. The state of São Paulo has the largest population and is the economic center of Brazil. Its agriculture, industry, commerce, and services are the most diversified in the nation. Although a large part of its production is exported to other states and other countries, the consumer market of the state is also the biggest in Brazil. In contrast to most of the Brazilian states, the economy of São Paulo is strong even in noncoastal cities.

Today the city of Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the homonymous state, but it has not always been so. Until 1960, the city was the national capital, and its territory was Brazil's Federal District. This led to the strange and confusing situation that the city of Rio de Janeiro was not located in the surrounding state with the same name (whose capital was then Niterói). In 1960, Brasília became the new national capital, and a new Federal District was carved out of Goiás state to contain it. Then the city of Rio de Janeiro became a new state, named Guanabara (after the large bay on which the city sits), as one can still find in old books. Comprising only one city, Guanabara was the only Brazilian state that had no municipalities: the city was directly administered by the state government. All these anomalies disappeared in 1975, when the states of Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro merged, retaining the name of Rio de Janeiro. The city of Rio de Janeiro then became a new municipality and the capital of the new combined state.
Municipalities
Main article: Municipalities of Brazil

Municipalities (municípios) can be split or joined together in new municipalities if their people express a desire to do so in a plebiscite, following some rules of the Federal Constitution and keeping their borders within the former state; forming exclaves is also expressly forbidden. Municipalities have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes and receive a share of taxes collected by the Union and state government.[13] They have a mayor and a legislative body elected directly by their people, but they have no separate Courts of Law. Indeed, a Court of Law organized by the state can encompass many municipalities in a single justice administrative division called comarca.
The Federal District
Brasília, capital of Brazil.

The Federal District (Distrito Federal) contains the national capital city, Brasília. The Federal District is not a state in its own right, but shares some characteristics of a state and some of a municipality, while also having some special provisions of its own, intended for the local administration not to conflict with the federal government seat that it hosts. It cannot be divided into municipalities, and its Courts of Law are part of the Federal Judiciary System.[13]
Former territories

The Brazilian Constitution allows for the existence of incorporated territories (territórios), ruled directly by the federal government and with less autonomy than states, but no territory currently exists. The first territory to be created was Acre, in 1904, when that former Bolivian region became Brazilian. In 1943, when Brazil went to the Second World War, for strategic reasons the Getúlio Vargas regime detached six further territories from border and outlying areas of the country, in order to administer them directly: Amapá, Rio Branco, Guaporé, Ponta Porã, Iguaçu, and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

In 1946, two of the seven territories became extinct, reverting to the original states they had been split from: Mato Grosso state incorporated the territory of Ponta Porã and the northern part of Iguaçu, while central Iguaçu went to the state of Paraná, and southern Iguaçu went to the state of Santa Catarina.

As for the other territories (Acre, Amapá, Guaporé, Rio Branco, and Fernando de Noronha), they remained as such for many years more. In 1956, the name of Guaporé territory was changed to Rondônia, and in 1962 Rio Branco territory was renamed Roraima. Also in 1962, Acre became a state.

In 1988, with the new Constitution, Amapá, Rondônia and Roraima became states as well, while Fernando de Noronha became part of the state of Pernambuco, thus leaving no more territories remaining in Brazil.
Regions
Main article: Regions of Brazil
Brazilian regions.

The Brazilian regions are merely geographical, not political or administrative divisions, and do not have any specific form of government. Although defined by law, Brazilian regions are useful mainly for statistical purposes, and sometimes to define the application of federal funds in development projects.

The national territory was divided in 1969 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), for demographic and statistical purposes, into five main regions: North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South.

The North region covers 45.27% of the land area of Brazil, but has the lowest number of inhabitants. With the exception of Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone, and Belém, the biggest metropolitan area of the region, it is fairly unindustrialized and undeveloped. It accommodates most of the Amazon rainforest and many indigenous tribes.

The Northeast region is inhabited by about 30% of Brazil's population.[185] It is culturally diverse, with roots set in the Portuguese colonial period and in Amerindian and Afro-Brazilian elements. It is also the poorest region of Brazil,[186] and suffers from long periods of drought.[187] The largest cities are Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza.

The Central-West region has low demographic density when compared to the other regions, being only more densely populated than the North region.[188] Part of its territory is covered by the world's largest wetland area, the Pantanal[189] as well as a small part of the Amazon Rainforest in the northwest. However, most of the region is covered by the Cerrado, the world's largest savanna. The Central-West region contributes significantly towards the nation's agricultural output.[190]

The Southeast region is by far the richest in terms of total economic output, and also the most densely populated region.[188] It has a larger population than any South American country except Brazil itself, and hosts one of the largest megalopolises of the world, extending between the country's two largest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The region is very diverse, including the major business center of São Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais and its capital Belo Horizonte, the third-largest metropolitan area in Brazil, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the coast of Espírito Santo.

The South region is the wealthiest by GDP per capita[186] and has the highest standard of living among the country's regions. It is also the coldest region of Brazil,[191] with occasional frost and snow in some of the higher-altitude areas.[192] It has been settled mainly by European immigrants, mostly of Italian, German and Portuguese ancestry, being clearly influenced by these cultures.