domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile-cellular service is growing fast
international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)
Internet country code:
.bw
Internet hosts:
7,341 (2009) country comparison to the world: 128
Internet users:
120,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Transportation ::Botswana
Airports:
77 (2009) country comparison to the world: 71
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 68
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 54
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Railways:
total: 888 km country comparison to the world: 97 narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 25,798 km country comparison to the world: 103 paved: 8,410 km
unpaved: 17,388 km (2005)
Military ::Botswana
Military branches:
Botswana Defense Force: Ground Forces (includes Air Arm) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 487,853
females age 16-49: 464,278 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 341,190
females age 16-49: 315,588 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 23,420
female: 22,904 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 42
Transnational Issues ::Botswana
Disputes - international:
Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Bouvet Island (Antarctica)
Introduction ::Bouvet Island
Background:
This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, it has run an automated meteorological station on the island.
Geography ::Bouvet Island
Location:
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 49 sq km country comparison to the world: 232 land: 49 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29.6 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve by Norway
People ::Bouvet Island
Population:
uninhabited
Government ::Bouvet Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Oslo Police
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy ::Bouvet Island
Economy - overview:
no economic activity; declared a nature reserve
Communications ::Bouvet Island
Internet country code:
.bv
Internet hosts:
0 (2009) country comparison to the world: 230
Communications - note:
automatic meteorological station
Transportation ::Bouvet Island
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Bouvet Island
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues ::Bouvet Island
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Brazil (South America)
Introduction ::Brazil
Background:
Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil peacefully gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than half a century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution and crime remain pressing problems.
Geography ::Brazil
Location:
Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 8,514,877 sq km country comparison to the world: 5 land: 8,459,417 sq km
water: 55,460 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 the US
Land boundaries:
total: 16,885 km
border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline:
7,491 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate:
mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Land use:
arable land: 6.93%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.18% (2005)
Irrigated land:
29,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
8,233 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 59.3 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
per capita: 318 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
Environment - current issues:
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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of theSea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
People ::Brazil
Population:
198,739,269 country comparison to the world: 5 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,872,855; that figure was about 3.8% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 27,092,880/female 26,062,244)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 65,804,108/female 67,047,725)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,374,230/female 7,358,082) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 27.8 years
female: 29.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.199% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Birth rate:
18.43 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Death rate:
6.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Net migration rate:
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Urbanization:
urban population: 86% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.58 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 97 male: 26.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.99 years country comparison to the world: 121 male: 68.43 years
female: 75.73 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
730,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
15,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian
Ethnic groups:
white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census)
Languages:
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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.6%
male: 88.4%
female: 88.8% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
4% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 105
Government ::Brazil
Country name:
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Brasilia
geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February
note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands
Administrative divisions:
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
Independence:
7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Constitution:
5 October 1988
Legal system:
based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Luiz Inacio 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 Inacio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
election results: Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) 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 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17; note - as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party - PMDB 21, DEM (formerly PFL) 12, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 7, PDT 5, PR 4, PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PRB 1, PP 1, PSC 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PMDB 95, PT 79, PSDB 59, DEM (formerly PFL) 53, PR 44, PP 40, PSB 29, PDT 25, PTB 19, PPS 14, PV 14, PCdoB 13, PSC 11, PMN 5, PRB 4, PHS 3, PSOL 3, PTC 1, PTdoB 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
Political parties and leaders:
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy MichelTEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; BrazilianRenewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]; BrazilianRepublican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; BrazilianSocial Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Sergio GUERRA]; BrazilianSocialist Party or PSB [Governor Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS];Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO]; Communist Party ofBrazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT[Carlos Roberto LUPI]; the Democrats or DEM (formerly Liberal FrontParty or PFL) [Federal Deputy Rodrigo MAIA]; Freedom and SocialismParty or PSOL [Heloisa HELENA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz deFranca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Paulo RobertoMATOS]; Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB [Luis Henrique de OliveiraRESENDE]; Liberal Front Party or PFL (now known as the Democrats orDEM); National Mobilization Party or PMN [Oscar Noronha FILHO];Party of the Republic or PR [Sergio TAMER]; Popular Socialist Partyor PPS [Federal Deputy Fernando CORUJA]; Progressive Party or PP[Francisco DORNELLES]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor JorgeAbdala NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Landless Workers' Movement or MST
other: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church
International organization participation:
AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, FAO, G-15,G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO,MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA(observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UnionLatina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-2805
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000
consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
consulate(s): Recife
Flag description:
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)
Economy ::Brazil
Economy - overview:
Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2003 to 2007, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains coupled with high commodity prices contributed to the surge in exports. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA da Silva restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration in October of that year, LULA da Silva announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. Brazil's debt achieved investment grade status early in 2008, but the government's attempt to achieve strong growth while reducing the debt burden created inflationary pressures. For most of 2008, the Central Bank embarked on a restrictive monetary policy to stem these pressures. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in September, Brazil's currency and its stock market - Bovespa - have significantly lost value, -41% for Bovespa for the year ending 30 December 2008. Brazil incurred another current account deficit in 2008, as world demand and prices for commodities dropped in the second-half of the year.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.998 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.901 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.798 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.573 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 5.7% (2007 est.)
4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $9,800 (2007 est.)
$9,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.7%
industry: 28%
services: 65.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
93.65 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 14%
services: 66% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 9.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
31% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 43% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 10 60.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
19% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA
Public debt:
38.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 52% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 3.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
20.48% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 9 17.85% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
47.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 43.72% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$95.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 $131.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$724.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 6 $792.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.249 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.377 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$589.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 $1.37 trillion (31 December 2007)
$711.1 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Industries:
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Electricity - production:
438.8 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Electricity - consumption:
404.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Electricity - exports:
2.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
42.06 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2.422 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Oil - consumption:
2.52 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Oil - exports:
570,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Oil - imports:
632,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - proved reserves:
12.62 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - production:
12.62 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - consumption:
23.65 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - imports:
11.03 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - proved reserves:
365 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Current account balance:
-$28.19 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 $1.551 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$197.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $160.6 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners:
US 14.4%, China 12.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 4.5% (2008)
Imports:
$173.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $120.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Imports - partners:
US 14.9%, China 11.6%, Argentina 7.9%, Germany 7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$193.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $180.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$262.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 27 $240.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$294 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $248.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$127.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $107.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.8644 (2008 est.), 1.85 (2007 est.), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004)
Communications ::Brazil
Telephones - main lines in use:
41.141 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 6
Telephones - mobile cellular:
150.641 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 5
Telephone system:
general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone density reaching 80 per 100 persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years
international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Atlantis 2, that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
138 (1997)
Internet country code:
.br
Internet hosts:
15.929 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 5
Internet users:
64.948 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 5
Transportation ::Brazil
Airports:
4,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 2
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 721
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 171
914 to 1,523 m: 460
under 914 m: 56 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3,279
1,524 to 2,437 m: 87
914 to 1,523 m: 1,547
under 914 m: 1,645 (2009)
Heliports:
13 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 62 km; gas 9,892 km; liquid petroleum gas 353 km; oil 4,517 km; refined products 4,465 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 28,857 km country comparison to the world: 10 broad gauge: 5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 1,751,868 km country comparison to the world: 4 paved: 96,353 km
unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004)
Waterways:
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Merchant marine:
total: 136 country comparison to the world: 45 by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 22, carrier 1, chemical tanker 7, container 11, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 45, roll on/roll off 7
foreign-owned: 25 (Chile 1, Denmark 2, Germany 6, Greece 1, Mexico 1, Norway 5, Spain 9)
registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall Islands 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao,Tubarao
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Atlantic Ocean as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Military ::Brazil
Military branches:
Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha doBrasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo deFuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira,FAB) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 52,449,957
females age 16-49: 52,375,921 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 38,043,555
females age 16-49: 44,267,520 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,690,031
female: 1,630,851 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Transnational Issues ::Brazil
Disputes - international:
unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested boundary dispute with Uruguay over Isla Brasilera at the confluence of the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada rivers, that form a tripoint with Argentina; the Itaipu Dam reservoir covers over a once contested section of Brazil-Paraguay boundary west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana; an accord placed the long-disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration in 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute
Illicit drugs:
second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for 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 are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@British Indian Ocean Territory (South Asia)
Introduction ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Background:
Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands of the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius, but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 2008, the House of Lords, as the final court of appeal in the UK, ruled in favor of the British Government by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return on the part of the Chagossians.
Geography ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 54,400 sq km country comparison to the world: 127 land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
water: 54,340 sq km
note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
Area - comparative:
land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
698 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Natural resources:
coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Geography - note:
archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
People ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2004, approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia
Government ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Country name:
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Colin ROBERTS (since July 2008); Administrator Joanne YEADON (since December 2007); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
Economy ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Economy - overview:
All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. The territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::British Indian Ocean Territory
Telephones - main lines in use:
Telephone system:
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet
international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: