Brazil

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Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil) listen (help·info), is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). 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.

Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822. 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. Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.

Brazil is the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates and the ninth largest by purchasing power parity. Economic reforms have given the country new international projection. 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, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.

For more information about Brazil, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with brazil

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Brazil: Deforestation sees biggest drop in 20 yrs

Space & Earth / Environment

Nov 12, 2009 | 5 / 5 (7) | 1

(AP) -- Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped nearly 46 percent from August 2008 to July 2009 - the biggest annual decline in two decades, the government said Thursday.

New monkey discovered in Brazil

Biology / Plants & Animals

Jul 07, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (4) | 1

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced today the discovery of a new monkey in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil.

Will dams on Amazon tributary wreak global havoc?

Space & Earth / Environment

Apr 05, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 4

The Xingu River, the largest tributary of the Amazon, runs wide and swift this time of year. Its turquoise waters are home to some 600 species of fish, including several not found anywhere else on the planet. A thick emerald ...

Google ordered to pay 500,000 dlrs to F1 racer Barrichello

Technology / Business

Nov 09, 2009 | 2.3 / 5 (4) | 2

Internet giant Google has been ordered to pay 500,000 dollars in damages to Formula 1 racer Rubens Barrichello for hosting fake online profiles of him on its social network Orkut.

Free Exercise and Nutrition Program in Brazil Could Serve as Model in United States

Medicine & Health / Health

Jan 13, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

What if free exercise classes were offered in public spaces such as parks, beaches and recreation centers? When a city government in Brazil tried such a program, it greatly increased physical activity among ...

Spain is the second country in the world where divorce is better accepted socially

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

Oct 13, 2009 | 2.5 / 5 (2) | 1

Spain is the second country in the world where divorce is better accepted socially, only exceeded by Brazil. Likewise, 79 per cent of the Spanish people think that, when a couple is not able to solve their marital problems, ...