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Compare Lesotho (2006) - Brazil (2002)

Compare Lesotho (2006) z Brazil (2002)

 Lesotho (2006)Brazil (2002)
 LesothoBrazil
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
Age structure 0-14 years: 36.8% (male 374,102/female 369,527)


15-64 years: 58.3% (male 572,957/female 606,846)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 39,461/female 59,438) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 28% (male 25,140,954; female 24,199,276)


15-64 years: 66.4% (male 57,424,151; female 59,409,928)


65 years and over: 5.6% (male 3,992,017; female 5,863,234) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Airports 28 (2006) 3,365 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
total: 665


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 155


914 to 1,523 m: 435


under 914 m: 45 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2006)
total: 2,925 2,738


1,524 to 2,437 m: 72


914 to 1,523 m: 1,316


under 914 m: 70 1,350 (2002)
Area total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 8,511,965 sq km


land: 8,456,510 sq km


water: 55,455 sq km


note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than the US
Background Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 7 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002. Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
Birth rate 24.75 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 18.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $738.5 million


expenditures: $792.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $100.6 billion


expenditures: $91.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) (2000)
Capital name: Maseru


geographic coordinates: 29 28 S, 27 30 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Brasilia
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 7,491 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 5 October 1988
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


local short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil


conventional short form: Brazil


local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil


local short form: Brasil
Currency - real (BRL)
Death rate 28.71 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $735 million (2002) $251 billion (2001) (2001)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho


telephone: [266] 22 312666


FAX: [266] 22 310116
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna J. HRINAK


embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia


mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030


telephone: [55] (61) 312-7000


FAX: [55] (61) 225-9136


consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo


consulate(s): Recife
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI


chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536


FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA


chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700


FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
Disputes - international none uncontested dispute with Uruguay over islands in the Rio Quarai (Rio Cuareim) and the Arroio Invernada (Arroyo de la Invernada)
Economic aid - donor ODA, $4.4 million -
Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) NA
Economy - overview Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. The maintenance of large current account deficits via capital account surpluses became problematic as investors became more risk averse to emerging market exposure as a consequence of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the Russian bond default in August 1998. After crafting a fiscal adjustment program and pledging progress on structural reform, Brazil received a $41.5 billion IMF-led international support program in November 1998. In January 1999, the Brazilian Central Bank announced that the real would no longer be pegged to the US dollar. This devaluation helped moderate the downturn in economic growth in 1999 that investors had expressed concerns about over the summer of 1998, and the country posted moderate GDP growth. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001 - to less than 2% - because of a slowdown in major markets and the hiking of interest rates by the Central Bank to combat inflationary pressures. Investor confidence was strong at yearend 2001, in part because of the strong recovery in the trade balance.
Electricity - consumption 363.5 million kWh (2003) 360.64 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 38 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2003) 42.3 billion kWh


note: supplied by Paraguay (2000)
Electricity - production 350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2003) 342.3 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 6%


hydro: 89%


nuclear: 1%


other: 4% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Environment - current issues population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001) reals per US dollar - 2.378 (January 2002), 2.358 (2001), 1.830 (2000), 1.815 (1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997)


note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar
Executive branch chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile


head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)


cabinet: Cabinet


elections: none - according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
chief of state: President Luiz Ignacio Lula DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Luiz Ignacio Lula DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); runoff election held 27 October 2002


election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Ignacio Lula DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA (PSDB) 38.7%
Exports NA bbl/day $57.8 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) manufactures, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners Hong Kong 43.6%, China 35.4%, Germany 8.4% (2005) US 24.4%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9%, Netherlands (2001)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.34 trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 16.3%


industry: 44.3%


services: 39.4% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 9%


industry: 32%


services: 59% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.2% (2005 est.) 1.9% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 10 00 S, 55 00 W
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
Highways - total: 1.98 million km


paved: 184,140 km


unpaved: 1,795,860 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 47% (1997) (1997)
Illicit drugs - illicit producer of cannabis; minor coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Colombian and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area
Imports NA bbl/day $57.7 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) machinery and equipment, chemical products, oil, electricity, autos and auto parts
Imports - partners US 84%, Belgium 12.8%, Canada 2.4% (2005) US 23.2%, Argentina 11.2%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 5.5%, Italy 3.9% (2001)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) 1% (2001 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Infant mortality rate total: 87.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 92.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 82.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
35.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.7% (2005 est.) 7.7% (2001) (2001)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO AfDB, BIS, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 50 (2000)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 26,560 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life)
Labor force 838,000 (2000) 79 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa


industry and services: 14%
services 53%, agriculture 23%, industry 24%
Land boundaries total: 909 km


border countries: South Africa 909 km
total: 14,691 km


border countries: Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Land use arable land: 10.87%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 89% (2005)
arable land: 6.3%


permanent crops: 1.42%


other: 92.28% (1998 est.)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Legal system based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election


elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three members from each state or federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Federal Senate - last held 6 October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate (next to be held NA October 2006 for one-third of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 6 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)


election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party PMBD 19, PFL 19, PT 14, PSDB 11, PDT 5, PSB 4, PL 3, PTB 3, PPS 1, PSD 1, PPB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PT 91, PFL 84, PMDB 74, PSDB 71, PPB 49, PL 26, PTB 26, PSB 22, PDT 21, PPS 15, PCdoB 12, PRONA 6, PV 5, other 11
Life expectancy at birth total population: 34.4 years


male: 35.55 years


female: 33.21 years (2006 est.)
total population: 63.55 years


male: 59.4 years


female: 67.91 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 83.3%


male: 83.3%


female: 83.2% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Map references Africa South America
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 165 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,662,570 GRT/5,875,933 DWT


ships by type: bulk 32, cargo 25, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 9, container 12, liquefied gas 11, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 54, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Monaco 1
(2002 est.)
Military - note the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs -
Military branches Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (includes naval air and marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $41.1 million (2005 est.) $13.408 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.1% (2005 est.) 1.9% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 48,859,610 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 32,743,504 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 1,762,740 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Nationality noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
noun: Brazilian(s)


adjective: Brazilian
Natural hazards periodic droughts recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 2,980 km; petroleum products 4,762 km; natural gas 4,246 km (1998)
Political parties and leaders Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party); Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]; United Democratic Party or UDP [C.D. MOFELI]; United Party or UP [Makara SEKAUTU] Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER, president]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose Carlos MARTINEZ, president]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Jose ANIBAL, president]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Miguel ARRAES, president]; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo Salim MALUF]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Renato RABELLO, chairman]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Leonel BRIZOLA, president]; Green Party or PV [leader NA]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto, president]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Dr. Eneas CARNEIRO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Senator Roberto FREIRE, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [leader NA]; Worker's Party or PT [Jose GENOINO, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA left wing of the Catholic Church; Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party
Population 2,022,331


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
176,029,560


note: Brazil took an intercensal count in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, which is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) 22% (1998 est.)
Population growth rate -0.46% (2006 est.) 0.87% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Imbituba, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos, Vitoria
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)
Radios - 71 million (1997)
Railways - total:


broad gauge: 5,679 km 1.600-m gauge (1,199 km electrified)


standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge


narrow gauge: 24,666 km 1.000-m gauge (930 km electrified)


dual gauge: 336 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails)


note: in addition to the interurban routes itemized above, Brazil has 247.8 km of suburban railway consisting of 170.8 km of 1.600-m gauge (75 km electrified) and 77 km of 1.000-m gauge (1999 est.)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: rudimentary system


domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: good working system


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations


international: 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station
Telephones - main lines in use 48,000 (2005) 17.039 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 245,100 (2005) 4.4 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 138 (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Total fertility rate 3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) 6.4% (2001 est.)
Waterways - 50,000 km
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