| Area Total | 8,515,770 sq km |
| Climate | mostly tropical, but temperate in south |
| Natural Resources | bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber |
| Imports | $153.2 billion (2017 est.) partners: China 18.1%, US 16.7%, Argentina 6.3%, Germany 6.1% (2017) |
| Exports | $217.2 billion (2017 est.) partners: China 21.8%, US 12.5%, Argentina 8.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017) |
| Government | federal presidential republic |
| Capital | Brasilia |
| Population | 208.8 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.) |
| Language | Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note: less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages |
News about Brazil
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China makes remote video inspections of sanctioned Brazilian slaughterhouses
on October 23, 2020
Chinese officials carried out a remote inspection of Brazilian slaughterhouses whose exports to the Asian country have been suspended due to Covid-19 cases among employees.
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Death of Brazilian volunteer in clinical trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine triggers controversy
on October 22, 2020
A volunteer taking part in clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University has died in Brazil, officials announced on Wednesday, though media reports said he had received a placebo, not the test vaccine.
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Bolsonaro in political controversy rejects purchase of the Chinese vaccine
on October 22, 2020
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday rejected the announced purchase of 46 million doses of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus being developed by a Chinese company and tested in a state governed by a political rival, prompting some to question if he was allowing politics to steer public health decisions.
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Bolsonaro's conservative candidate to the Supreme Court receives Senate approval
on October 22, 2020
The Brazilian Senate approved, by 57 votes in favor and 10 against, the appointment of conservative Judge Kassio Nunes Marques, 48, to become minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court). He will take over for Dean Celso de Mello, who retired this month.
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US Export-Import bank signs deal to finance US$ 1 billion in trade with Brazil
on October 22, 2020
Brazil and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to forge closer trade links, a step that could see U.S. Export-Import Bank finance up to US$1 billion of exports to and projects in the Latin American nation.
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'Lack of shame': Robinho scandal highlights Brazil's rape crisis
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro on October 22, 2020
Top club Santos signed a contract – now suspended – with the former Brazil striker who was convicted of rape in Italy in 2017A public debate over sexual violence and rape culture has erupted in Brazil after one of its leading football clubs tried to recruit a convicted rapist to lead its attack.Santos Futebol Clube – which has produced sporting […]
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Brazilian health minister ill with a suspected case of Covid-19
on October 21, 2020
Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello has fallen ill with a suspected case of COVID-19, the ministry's press office said on Tuesday, as the country battles with the third-worst coronavirus outbreak globally, with nearly 5.3 million cases.
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Global Covid report: 300,000 excess US deaths recorded as Cathay Pacific cuts 5,900 jobs
by Helen Sullivan on October 21, 2020
Brazil’s health minister falls ill in suspected coronavirus case; state-owned drugmaker in China prepares to supply a billion vaccine dosesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe US Centers for Disease Control and Protection has found that 300,000 excess deaths were recorded in the US this year – 66% of which are accounted for […]
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EU seeks Amazon protections pledge from Bolsonaro in push to ratify trade deal
by Daniel Boffey in Brussels on October 20, 2020
Brazilian president’s stance on deforestation remains stumbling block for South America agreementBrussels is in talks with Brazil’s far-right nationalist president, Jair Bolsonaro, over commitments on the future of the Amazon as it seeks to persuade Emmanuel Macron and other EU leaders and parliaments to ratify the trade deal the bloc has negotiated […]
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Populism in Brazil: how liberalisation and austerity led to the rise of Lula and Bolsonaro
on October 20, 2020
By Patricia Justino and Bruno Martorano (*) – While the rise of populist politicians in Europe and the US gets a lot of attention from the media and researchers alike, the drivers of the populism taking hold in emerging and developing economies still receives relatively little scrutiny.
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US/Brazil plan to increase cooperation in bilateral trade, to cut “the enormous risk” of dependence on China
on October 20, 2020
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Monday the United States and Brazil need to reduce their dependence on imports from China for their own security as the two countries reinforced their business partnership.
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US/Brazil bilateral trade in 2020, the lowest in eleven years
on October 19, 2020
The American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, (AmCham Brasil) released the ‘Brazil-United States Trade Monitor’, which pointed out that bilateral trade in 2020 between Brazil and the United States until September registered the worst result of the last 11 years.
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Brazil expects a 2020/21 record harvest with an estimated 268,7 million tons
on October 19, 2020
Brazil expects its 2020-2021 grain harvest to beat the record set by the newly completed season by 4.2%, according to an initial forecast released by the state-owned National Supply Company (Conab).
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Rightwing populists place their bets on four more years of Trump
by Shaun Walker and Tom Phillips on October 18, 2020
Leaders from Viktor Orbán to Jair Bolsonaro are wary of a return to geopolitics as usualIn Budapest, Hungary’s far-right prime minister, Viktor Orbán, says he is “rooting for another victory for Donald Trump”. In Brasília, Jair Bolsonaro has been pictured in a Trump 2020 campaign hat.Rightwing nationalist politicians around the globe are abandoning […]
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Samba makes tentative return in Rio de Janeiro laid low by Covid
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro on October 18, 2020
Legendary sambista Moacyr Luz spent much of the pandemic confined to his beachside home but is resuming his weekly jam sessions as lockdown curbs easeIt has been seven months since Moacyr Luz, one of Brazil’s most celebrated sambistas, sat down before a live audience in the city his songs serenade.As Covid-19 shook Luz’s homeland, killing more than […]
