Brazil

From Roach Busters

Império do Brasil Empire of Brazil
Flag	Coat of arms
Motto "Independência ou Morte!" (Portuguese) "Independence or Death!"
Anthem Hino da Independência
Capital Largest city	Rio de Janeiro 22°54′30″S, 43°14′37″W São Paulo
Official languages	Portuguese
Demonym	Brazilian
Government  - Emperor  - Prime Minister	Constitutional monarchy Luís I Alexsander da Rosa
Independence  - Declared  - Recognized	from Portugal September 7, 1822 August 29, 1825
Area  - Total  - Water (%)	8,691,092 km² 3,355,635 sq mi 0.66
Population  - 2007 estimate  - 2000 census  - Density	193,334,553 173,198,407 22.25 /km² 57.61 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)  - Total  - Per capita	2007 estimate n/a n/a
GDP (nominal)  - Total  - Per capita	2007 estimate n/a n/a
Gini	n/a (n/a) (unranked)
HDI	n/a (n/a) (unranked)
Currency	Real (R$) (BRL)
Time zone  - Summer (DST)	BRT (UTC -3 to -5) BRST (UTC -2 to -5)
Internet TLD	.br
Calling code	+55

The Empire of Brazil (Portuguese: Império do Brasil) is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and one of the largest - in size and population - in the world. Its territory covers 8,691,092 km² between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, and it is the eastern-most country of the Americas.

It borders Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the department of French Guiana to the north, Colombia to the northwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, and Uruguay to the south. Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Penedos de São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade e Martim Vaz and Atol das Rocas.

A tropical climate is predominant. In the south of the country, subtropical climate prevails. Brazil is cut through by the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn. It is home to varied fauna and flora and extensive natural resources.

Brazil was colonized by Portugal from 1500 until its independence in 1822. Upon gaining independence, Brazil became a constitutional monarchy, and remains one to this day. While the Brazilian government remains openly contemptuous and skeptical of democracy - which it describes as "tyranny by majority" and "the god that failed" - Brazilians nevertheless enjoy plentiful civil liberties; the economy is among the freest in the world; and political debate is open and lively. Brazil does have open elections, however, the franchise is restricted to those who successfully pass a political and economic aptitude test and own property, and only local officials are directly elected; others are either indirectly elected or appointed.

The Brazilian population tends to concentrate along the coastline in large urban centers. While Brazil has one of the largest populations in the world, population density is low and the inner continental land has large areas of low population. It is a multiracial country composed of European, Amerindian, African and Asian elements. The official language is Portuguese, and it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas. Catholicism is both the state religion and the most widely practiced religion; however, all faiths are tolerated, and the non-Catholic population, particularly the Protestant communities, has experienced significant growth in the last decades. Brazil has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world.

The Brazilian economy is among the largest, most robust, and most powerful in the world. The country is highly developed and industrialized, with a large and rapidly expanding middle class, high standards of living, and one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world.

Contents 1 Politics 1.1 Monarchy 1.1.1 List of Brazilian monarchs 1.2 Prime Minister 1.3 Cabinet 1.4 General Assembly 1.5 Supreme Federal Tribunal 1.6 Local, state, and district governments 2 Foreign relations 3 States of Brazil 3.1 List of Brazilian states 4 Economy 4.1 Money and banking 4.2 Taxation 4.3 Trade 4.4 Labor 4.5 Privatization 4.6 Industries 5 Demographics 5.1 Age structure 5.2 Sex ratio 5.3 Infant mortality rate 5.4 Life expectancy at birth 5.5 Total fertility rate 5.6 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 5.7 Nationality 5.8 Ethnic groups 5.9 Religions 5.10 Languages 5.11 Literacy rate 6 Culture 6.1 Religion 6.2 Sport 6.3 Cuisine 6.4 National holidays

Politics

Brazil is a highly-decentralized confederal constitutional monarchy (originally a unitary state) in which state and local governments wield considerable autonomy over their affairs, and the federal government's powers are circumscribed by the constitution. Aside from providing national defense, courts, and law enforcement, the government exercises little power. Education, maintenance of infrastructure, health issues, etc. are the jurisdiction of state and local governments, although in practice these things are handled entirely (or mostly, in the case of infrastructure) by the private sector. The Brazilian constitution is among the most liberal in the world, and guarantees the rights to life, liberty, property, privacy, self-defense, the right to adopt whatever lifestyle one wishes, and the right to chart one's own destiny and do whatever they wish provided they follow the law and do not infringe upon the rights of others.

Monarchy

While Brazil is a constitutional monarchy in that the Emperor's duties are confined to those delineated by the constitution, he nevertheless exercises more power - and plays a more prominent role - than most constitutional monarchs play. Rather than being limited to performing ceremonial duties, the Emperor also has the authority to name senators and judges; the authority to break deadlocks by summoning and dissolving parliaments and cabinets; and the power to make and ratify treaties. He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, although this is strictly a titular role; de facto command of the military is held by the Ministry of Defense.

The Emperor is widely respected as a symbol of national unity and deeply revered for his wisdom, tact, and pragmatism; most of the time, he oversees the nation's political transactions from behind the scenes with an air of impartiality. He is seen as a fatherly figure and a moderating influence on the nation, and his statements carry great moral weight. His image adorns the obverse of every coin and banknote, and most homes and businesses display his portrait as well, as a sign of respect and love for their Emperor, whose benign rule, moral authority, incorruptibility, and selfless devotion to his nation and people endear him to Brazilians of every race, color, class, creed, and background. The Emperor views his role as "protecting the people from their government," and "providing moral leadership through the exercise of humble service to the people."

It should also be noted that the Emperor, like every other Brazilian, is not above the law. His constitutional duties are taken very seriously, and the constitution prescribes his mandatory abdication if he is found guilty of corruption or violating the constitution.

List of Brazilian monarchs

Name	Reign	Consort	Royal House
Pedro I	October 12, 1822 - April 7, 1831	Maria Leopoldina of Austria Amélia of Leuchtenberg	House of Braganza
Pedro II	April 7, 1831 - December 5, 1891	Teresa of the Two Sicilies	House of Braganza
Isabel	December 5, 1891 - November 14, 1921	Gaston, Count of Eu	House of Braganza
Pedro III	November 14, 1921 - July 5, 1981	Maria of Bavaria	House of Orléans-Braganza
Luís I	July 5, 1981 - present	Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Russia	House of Orléans-Braganza

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is the head of government of the Empire of Brazil. The Prime Minister is elected by a majority of the members of the General Assembly upon the proposal of the Emperor; the vote is by secret ballot. Upon being elected, the Prime Minister is formally appointed to the position by the Emperor. The Prime Minister is the de facto wielder of executive powers and exercises many of the executive functions that are not vested in the Emperor. He heads a cabinet composed of members selected by himself, who are then appointed by the Emperor.

Cabinet

Position held	Name
Prime Minister	Alexsander da Rosa
Deputy Prime Minister	Olavo de Carvalho
Minister of Commerce	Afonso Luiza Rezende
Minister of Foreign Relations	José Cabral Guimarães Rosa
Minister of Interior	Paulo Inácio dos Santos
Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals	João Vieira Soares
Minister of National Defense	Deodoro de Alencar Tavares
Minister of the Pen	Francisco de Oliveira Pinheiro
Minister of State Affairs	Antonio Aureliano Gomes
Minister of Treasury	Fernando Cautiero e Silva

General Assembly

The General Assembly, known informally as the Imperial Parliament, is the national legislature of the Empire. It is comprised of two houses: the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). Members of the former are indirectly elected by state legislatures and serve five-year terms (there are no term limits); members of the latter are appointed by the Emperor from a list of candidates chosen by indirect ballot. Senators serve for life.

The Chamber of Deputies has the power to initiate legislation; the Senate cannot initiate legislation, though it can block or defer bills. Bills that pass through both houses are either signed into law by the Prime Minister, or vetoed by him (although, if his veto is overridden by a two-thirds majority in both houses, it becomes law without his signature). However, before any law can take effect, it must also receive Royal Assent; if the Emperor refuses to grant this, the bill fails to become law, although the Chamber of Deputies can re-introduce the bill if it so chooses. Note that even if the General Assembly overrides the Prime Minister's veto, the bill still needs Royal Assent to become law.

The General Assembly is presided over by the President of the General Assembly, whose official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The President is, ideally, politically neutral and not concerned with substantive issues. In the event of a tie, he is permitted to vote, but only according to established conventions. The President of the General Assembly is appointed by the Emperor from a list of three candidates, chosen by indirect ballot. The current holder of this office is Jânio de Lira Franco.

Supreme Federal Tribunal

The Supreme Federal Tribunal is the highest court of law of the Empire of Brazil. The court also functions as a last resort tribunal, and its rulings therefore cannot be appealed. It can declare the unconstitutionality of laws passed by the General Assembly. This happens when the court judges a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality. Members are appointed by the Emperor and serve for life, unless they become incapacitated, violate the constitution, or are found guilty of corruption, in which case they are removed. The Supreme Federal Tribunal is presided over by the Chief Justice. The current holder of this position is Marco Lúcia Grau, who was appointed in November 1989.

Local, state, and district governments

There are four levels of government in Brazil: Local (city), district, state, and federal.

Only local officials are directly elected in Brazil. District council members are elected by a slate of electors comprising the mayors of each city within that district. Members of state legislatures are elected by a slate of electors composed of each of the state's district commissioners. State governors are indirectly elected by the legislature of their state. The length of a governor's tenure, and the number of terms he can serve, varies by state.

Foreign relations

to be added

States of Brazil

1. Amazonas
2. Pará
3. Maranhão
4. Piauí
5. Ceará
6. Rio Grande do Norte
7. Paraíba
8. Pernambuco
9. Alagoas
10. Sergipe
11. Bahia
12. Espírito Santo
13. Rio de Janeiro
14. Minas Gerais
15. Goiás
16. Mato Grosso
17. São Paulo
18. Paraná
19. Santa Catarina
20. Rio Grande do Sul

List of Brazilian states

State	Abbreviation	Capital	Area	Population (2005)	Density
Alagaos	AL	Maceió	27,767.7 km²	3,015,912	108.61
Amazonas	AM	Manaus	1,947,626.1 km²	4,279,690	2.2
Bahia	BA	Salvador	564,692.7 km²	13,815,334	24.46
Ceará	CE	Fortazela	148,825.6 km²	8,097,276	54.40
Espírito Santo	ES	Vitória	46,077.5 km²	3,408,365	73.97
Goiás	GO	Goiânia	623,529.7 km²	9,258,753	14.85
Maranhão	MA	São Luís	331,983.3 km²	6,103,327	18.38
Mato Grosso	MT	Cuiabá	1,498,059.1 km²	6,602,336	4.4
Minas Gerais	MG	Belo Horizonte	586,528.3 km²	19,237,450	32.79
Pará	PA	Belém	1,390,504.1 km²	7,565,173	5.44
Paraíba	PB	João Pessoa	56,439.8 km²	3,595,886	63.71
Paraná	PR	Curitiba	199,314.9 km²	10,261,856	51.48
Pernambuco	PE	Recife	98,311.6 km²	8,413,593	85.58
Piauí	PI	Teresina	251,529.2 km²	3,006,885	11.95
Rio de Janeiro	RJ	Rio de Janeiro	43,696.1km²	15,383,407	352.05
Rio Grande do Norte	RN	Natal	52,796.8 km²	3,003,087	56.88
Rio Grande do Sul	RS	Porto Alegre	281,748.5 km²	10,845,087	38.49
Santa Catarina	SC	Florianópolis	95,346.2 km²	5,866,568	61.53
São Paulo	SP	São Paulo	248,209.4 km²	40,442,795	162.93
Sergipe	SE	Aracaju	21,910.3 km²	1,967,761	89.81

Economy

The Empire of Brazil's economy has undergone profound and dynamic change since the early 1930s, when then-Emperor Pedro III made a very daring and risky gamble. While the rest of the world embraced various strains of statism as a "solution" to the Great Depression, Pedro decided to try something entirely different. He hired a team of economists and businesspersons versed in the teachings of the Austrian School, and gave them the task of drafting and implementing an economic plan. Their plan, which called for free trade, the repeal of all subsidies, privatization of state-run industries, a balanced budget, radical cuts in spending, the elimination of wage and price controls, repeal of antitrust laws, and the removal of almost all regulations on business, was implemented shortly afterwards, albeit with some reluctance. It was indeed a gamble, but it paid off immensely. Within a few years, Brazil recovered from the Depression; by 1940, the economy had recovered to pre-Depression levels, unemployment was at its lowest rate in many years, the currency was stable (the country had adopted a gold standard), prices were declining, and the standard of living rose. The number of people living below the poverty line fell as the country's middle-class - previously modest in size - grew dramatically. By 1960, Brazil had a First World country. Its economy has continued to grow ever since; there has not been a single recession since the 1930s, when the country adopted full-reserve banking.

Money and banking

The currency of Brazil is called the real, but bank notes are generally named after the bank issuing them. Bank notes are required by law to be immediately redeemable in gold (once they are redeemed for gold, the notes are burned). One real represents 1/12 a troy ounce of gold.

The Central Bank of Brazil prints notes according to the amount of gold it has. State banks, commercial banks, and government and independent auditors monitor the Central Bank's activities. Brazil has full-reserving banking, and fractional-reserve banking is illegal. This banking system has virtually eliminated the business cycle. Brazilian banks have a world-renowned reputation for their secrecy, rivalling even Swiss and Liechtensteiner banks. This has earned the country a good deal of (completely ignored) criticism from other countries, due to the large number of people who deposit their money in Brazilian bank accounts to avoid taxation.

Credit is based entirely on voluntary systems such as bank savings bonds and term deposits. Interest rates are set by the market, rather than by the government. The government gave up its monopolies on banking and gold minting in the late 1940s.

Taxation

Each state collects revenue through a poll, or head, tax; the federal government, in turns, taxes the states (rather than the people directly) in proportion to their populations. Capital gains, corporate income, personal income, property, real estate, luxury goods, retail sales, gifts, services, and inheritance are not taxed. The tax rates are among the lowest in the world, earning the country a reputation as a tax haven. Brazil regularly tops the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's "List of Unco-operative Tax Havens," a distinction Brazil takes great pride in. Deficit spending is strictly unconstitutional; the only way the government can increase spending is by raising taxes. Ever since the country adopted laissez faire in the 1930s, the treasury has run surpluses every year.

Trade

The country has adopted nearly 100% free trade; the only restrictions on trade are in weapons (excluding individual firearms) and nuclear materials. There are no tariffs, quotas, excises, or duties on imports or exports. As such, the country enjoys a high - and rapidly growing - volume of trade. The country's major trading partners include the CoSN member states; the American Empire; Yugoslavia; and Italy.

Labor

The government does not set or regulate wages. Wages are decided by mutual agreement between the prospective employer and employee. Labor unions are legal, but do not enjoy a privileged status, and only a small percentage of the workforce is unionized. The rights to strike and of collective bargaining are constitutionally guaranteed for workers, although the former does not apply to those working in law enforcement or the armed forces. Labor conditions are among the freest and least regulated in the world.

Privatization

Education, healthcare, energy, the postal service, transportation, telecommunications, utilities, and social services are all fully privatized. The vast majority of infrastructure is also privatized, with the exception of some roads and inter-city and inter-state rails, which are owned and maintained by state and local governments. Aside from the courts, military, and police, virtually everything is handled entirely by the private sector (or, some cases, by state and local governments). Businesses are almost entirely unregulated. As a result, there is an extremely high level of foreign investment in Brazil, and the country is a popular destination for outsourcing.

Industries

The country's largest industries include motor vehicles, chemicals, lumber, aircraft, machinery, natural gas, hydropower, petroleum, tourism, and agriculture. Brazil is self-sufficient in energy production and does not rely on imports. Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee (by far) in the world.

Demographics

Age structure

0-14 years = 25.3%
15-64 years = 68.4%
65 years and over = 6.3%

Sex ratio

At birth = 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years = 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years = 0.983 male(s)/female
65 years and over = 0.697 male(s)/female
Total population = 0.976 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate

Total = 3.92 deaths/1,000 live births
Male = 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births
Female = 3.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

Total population = 78.87 years
Male = 75.6 years
Female = 82.36 years

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3%

Nationality

Noun: Brazilian(s)
Adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic groups

White = 50.8%
Mulatto (mixed white and black) = 22.5%
Black = 17.3%
Asian = 5.4%
Middle Eastern = 2.7%
Amerindian = 0.36%
Mestizo = 0.32%
Unspecified = 0.62%

Religions

Roman Catholic = 81.6%
Baptist = 2.6%
Buddhist = 2.11%
Seventh-day Adventist = 1.62%
Lutheran = 1.5%
Calvinist = 1.5%
Jewish = 1.04%
Muslim = 1.01%
Hindu = 0.72%
Shinto = 0.5%
Mormon = 0.41%
Pentecostal = 0.36%
Jehovah's Witness = 0.33%
Traditional African religion = 0.3%
Spiritist = 0.3%
Anglican = 0.05%
Agnostic = 0.545%
Atheist = 0.005%
Other = 3.5%

Languages

Portuguese (official)
Spanish (spoken by 75-80% of the population)
English (spoken by 20% of the population, understood by 40-60%)
Almost 200 indigenous languages

Literacy rate

Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.2%
Male: 99.2%
Female: 99.2%

Culture

National symbols of the Empire of Brazil
Anthem	Hino da Independência
Animal	Jaguar
Bird	Macaw
Flower	Tabebuia alba flower
Tree	Tabebuia alba
Inanimate objects	Southern Cross, Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain
Patron saint	Our Lady of Aparecida

A wide variety of elements influenced Brazilian culture. Its major early influence derived from Portuguese culture, because of strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Roman-Germanic legal system, and the colonial architectural styles. Other aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of European and Asian immigrants, Native South American people (such as the Tupi), and African slaves. Thus, Brazil is a multicultural and multiethnic society. Italian, German and other European immigrants came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the Southeast and South of Brazil. Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil's language and cuisine and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced Brazil's music, dance, cuisine, religion and language.

In the 1950s, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell de Aquino, and João Gilberto popularized the Bossa Nova style in music. Later Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque and Nara Leão had an important role in shaping Música Popular Brasileira (literally translated as "Brazilian Popular Music," often abbreviated to MPB). In the late 1960s, tropicalismo was popularized by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.

Brazilian Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval) is an annual celebration held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Brazilian Carnival has distinct regional characteristics. Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festivals).

Religion

The most popular religion in Brazil is Roman Catholicism, which is also the state religion (however, all faiths are tolerated). The country has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world. Adepts of Protestantism are rising in number. Until 1970, the majority of Brazilian Protestants were members of "traditional churches", mostly Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists. Since then, numbers of Pentecostal and Neopentecostal members have increased significantly (although the number of Protestants is still dwarfed by the number of Catholics). Islam in Brazil was first practiced by African slaves. A recent trend has been the increase in conversions to Islam among non-Arab citizens. Around 1,950,000 Muslims live in Brazil as of 2007. The largest population of Buddhists in Latin America lives in Brazil, mostly because the country has the largest Japanese population outside Japan (around 2% of the population is of Japanese descent).

Sport

Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team is currently ranked second in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings. They have been victorious in the World Cup tournament a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Basketball, volleyball, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large audiences. Though not as regularly followed or practiced as the previously mentioned sports, tennis, team handball, swimming, and gymnastics have found a growing number of enthusiasts over the last decades. In auto racing, Brazilian drivers have won the Formula 1 world championship eight times: Emerson Fittipaldi (1972 and 1974), Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and 1987) and Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990 and 1991). The circuit located in São Paulo, Autódromo José Carlos Pace, hosts the annual Grand Prix of Brazil.

In basketball, Brazil’s men’s team has won the Basketball World Championship twice, in 1959 and 1963. The women’s team has won the FIBA World Championship for Women only once, in 1994. Currently though, both national teams have become less competitive; as of June, 2007, FIBA ranks the men's team 17th in the world and the women's team as 4th. volleyball, the country didn’t enjoy much success until the early 1990s, but as of 2006, Brazil’s men’s national team is on top of the FIVB rank, winning multiple titles. The women’s team also won several competitions and is currently ranked second in the world by FIVB. Some sport variations have their origins in Brazil. Beach football, futsal (official version of indoor football) and footvolley emerged in the country as variations of football. In martial arts, Brazilians have developed Capoeira, Vale tudo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine is a mix of the cuisines of its inhabitants and immigrants: Native Americans, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Syrians, Lebanese, and others. The country is divided into five main cuisine regions:

1. North (Picadinho de Jacaré, Tacacá, and Açaí)
2. Northeast (Vatapá, Moqueca, and Acarajé)
3. Central-West (Pamonha and Pequi)
4. Southeast (Feijoada)
5. South (Churrasco)

Other popular dishes include:

• Caipirinha
• Pão de Queijo
• Brigadeiro
• Pastel
• Tapioca

National holidays

Date	Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day
moveable	Carnival	Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, although festivities begin on the preceding Friday.
moveable (44 days before Good Friday)	Ash Wednesday	Only the morning is considered a holiday.
moveable	Good Friday
moveable	Easter
April 22	Founding Day	Commemorates the discovery of Brazil by Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500.
moveable (62 days after Good Friday)	Corpus Christi
Second Sunday in May	Mother's Day
June 6	Emperor's Birthday
July 10	Coronation Day	Commemorates the coronation of Emperor Luís I.
Second Sunday of August	Father's Day
August 25	Soldier's Day	Commemorates Brazilian war hero Luís Alves de Lima e Silva.
September 7	Independence Day
October 12	Our Lady of Aparecida	Also celebrated as Children's Day (Dia das Crianças) on the same date.
November 1	All Saints' Day
November 2	All Souls' Day
December 24	Christmas Eve
December 25	Christmas Day	Commemorates the birth of Christ.