Brazil is the largest country in South America. The characteristic of the country includes a description of the nature, population, state structure, economy and the main problems of development. Read our article and you will learn a lot of new and interesting things about this distant country.
Brazil: characteristics of the state (general information)
The Republic of Brazil is in the top five countries in the world in terms of area. It occupies the entire east and center of the South American continent.
The city of Brasilia (an amazing consonance with the name of the country!) is the capital of the State of Brazil. The characteristic of this settlement may be as follows: the capital, built from scratch. The city was really founded only in 1960 and was built just for the needs of the capital.
The configuration of Brazil is surprisingly compact: from north to south, the country stretches for 4320 km, from west to east - for 4330 km. The total length of all borders is simply amazing: almost 16,000 kilometers. With tenBrazil borders countries.
Characterization of the state is impossible without deepening into its history. Initially, Brazil was a Portuguese colony (it was the Portuguese Pedro Cabral who was the first European who landed on its shores in 1500). In 1822, the country declared its independence, and at the end of the same 19th century, it became a full-fledged republic with a bicameral parliament. However, Portugal had a significant impact on the development of the South American state: the Brazilian population speaks Portuguese and professes (mostly) Catholicism.
Brazil: characteristics of natural conditions and resources
The country's relief is very diverse: in the north - a low-lying valley of the Amazon River, in the south and in the center - the Brazilian Plateau, steeply ending to the sea with rocky ledges. Mount Bandeira (2890 meters) is the highest point in Brazil.
Characterization of the country is impossible without a description of climatic conditions. The climate of Brazil is generally hot. Average temperatures, depending on the region, range from +15 to +29 degrees. Frosts occur only in certain areas. Rainfall ranges from 1200 mm in the center of the country to 2500-3000 mm in the Amazon.
The country's hydrographic network is very dense. Most of the territory is occupied by the world's largest river system, the Amazon. Summer floods, rapids and waterfalls are common in Brazilian rivers. Many of them also have significant reserveshydropower.
The subsoil of Brazil is very rich in various minerals. Iron, manganese and uranium ores, bauxite, graphite and precious stones (diamonds in particular) are mined here.
Population of Brazil
202 million people live in the republic (this is the fifth largest population in the world). Brazil is characterized by a small, but still positive annual natural increase. About 85% of the country's population lives in cities.
The official and most spoken language in Brazil is Portuguese. In addition to it, others are also used by the population: English, Spanish, French, Italian. The literacy rate is almost 90%.
Most Brazilians (65%) consider themselves Catholics, another 22% - Protestants. Spiritism, Buddhism, Islam, various Afro-Brazilian cults are also widespread in the country.
Economic potential of the country
A full description of Brazil is impossible without a description of its national economy. The country has enormous economic potential. In terms of GDP, it is the first economy in Latin America.
In Brazil's industry, both the mining and manufacturing sectors are well developed. The country produces almost the entire range of products - from simple consumer goods to computers and aircraft. Agriculture is also very developed.
Brazil's top exports are iron ore, automobiles, coffee, soybeans, steel, footwear andtextile. Recently, the country's government has been making every effort to expand its presence in world markets.
The main problems of the country's development
Comparative characteristics of Brazil and its main statistical indicators with other states will help to understand the main problems of the country. The republic is among the top ten world economies in terms of nominal GDP (7th place). Brazil is ranked 79th in the HDI (Human Development Index) ranking. In the ranking of countries by the level of corruption, the country occupies the 69th position, which also indicates the presence of serious problems in this area.
Complex characteristics of Brazil show that this country is characterized by a number of chronic problems. Among them are high inflation rates, a large external debt of the state, unemployment, corruption and poverty.
Another serious problem in Brazil is the uneven development of different regions of the country. Almost all industry is concentrated in its southern and southeastern parts (the state of São Paulo alone produces up to 65% of the country's total GDP). But the northeastern regions of Brazil are full of poverty, illiteracy and lack of infrastructure.
In closing
This article presents a comprehensive description of Brazil as a state. The country is the largest in Latin America, and is also among the top ten world economies (in terms of nominal GDP). The main sectors of the economy: electric power, engineering (including aviation) andagriculture.
The Brazilian economy and social sector still has a number of serious problems, but the government is trying to solve them through reforms.
