Brazil

From Daily Escape

Revision as of 07:24, 6 September 2007

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 Pedro IV 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	2005 estimate $5.503 trillion $28,464
Gini	49.4 (high)
HDI	0.896 (high)
Currency	Real (R$) (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 area - in the world. Its territory covers 8,514,877 km² between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, and it is the eastern-most country of the Americas.

It borders the British overseas territory of Guyana and the French departments of Suriname and French Guiana to the north, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, and the Incan Empire to the north and west. The only South American country not bordered by Brazil is Chile.

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 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 pass a political literacy test, 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.

Politics

Brazil is a federal 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

Coat of Arms of the Brazilian Imperial and Royal House.

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

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, to ensure that the Prime Minister's majority does not depend on members of his party only outwardly showing support. 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

Deputy Prime Minister: Afonso Luiza Rezende

Minister of National Defense: Deodoro de Alencar Tavares

Minister of Foreign Affairs: José Cabral Guimarães Rosa

Minister of Economy and Commerce: Fernando Cautiero e Silva

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure: Jânio de Lira Franco

Minister of Justice, Law, and Police: João Vieira Soares

Minister of Intelligence: Antonio Aureliano Gomes

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. Before being signed into law, the bill must also be signed by the Emperor; however, this is mainly for ceremonial, traditional reasons, as he does not have the power to approve or veto legislation (that power lies with the Prime Minister).

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.

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
21. Cisplatina

List of Brazilian states

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). 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.

Credit is based entirely on voluntary systems such as bank savings bonds and term deposits. Interest rates are set by supply and demand, 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 flat-rate income tax; the federal government, in turns, taxes the states (rather than the people directly) in proportion to their populations. Capital gains, corporate income, property, 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. Deficit spending is strictly unconstitutional; the only way the government can increase spending is by raising taxes. Since the country's adoption of 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 main trading partners are the United States and Mexico, followed closely by France.

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 = 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births
Male = 5.38 deaths/1,000 live births
Female = 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

Total population = 77.87 years
Male = 74.6 years
Female = 81.36 years

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4%

Nationality

Noun: Brazilian(s)
Adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic groups

White = 59.8%
Mulatto (mixed white and black) = 19.5%
Black = 14.8%
Asian = 3.9%
Middle Eastern = 0.7%
Amerindian = 0.36%
Mestizo = 0.32%
Unspecified = 0.62%

Religions

Roman Catholic = 87.6%
Baptist = 1.6%
Spiritist = 1.3%
Seventh-day Adventist = 0.62%
Lutheran = 0.5%
Calvinist = 0.5%
Mormon = 0.41%
Pentecostal = 0.36%
Jehovah's Witness = 0.33%
Traditional African religion = 0.3%
Buddhist = 0.11%
Anglican = 0.05%
Jewish = 0.04%
Muslim = 0.01%
Hindu = 0.001%
Other = 4.719%
None = 1.55%

Languages

Portuguese (official)
Spanish (widely spoken)
English (widely spoken)
Almost 200 indigenous languages

Literacy rate

Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.2%
Male: 97.2%
Female: 97.2%