Brazil

Brazil

Country

Native name

República Federativa do Brasil

Capital

Brasília

Largest city

São Paulo

Official languages

Portuguese

Demonym

Brazilian

Legislature

National Congress

Currency

Brazilian real(BRL)

Calling code

+55

Website

Official website

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil), is the largest country in South America and occupies much of the continent's eastern and central regions. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and shares land borders with every sovereign South American country except Chile and Ecuador. Brazil's official language is Portuguese, and its capital is Brasília.

Brazil has a territorial area of 8,509,360.850 square kilometres according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). IBGE estimated the country's population at 214,211,951 on 1 July 2026, while the 2022 census recorded 203,080,756 residents.

Brazil is a federal presidential constitutional republic composed of 26 states and the Federal District. Its present constitutional system is based on the Constitution promulgated on 5 October 1988. The federal government is divided into executive, legislative and judicial branches.

The country contains several major ecological regions, including the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa. Brazil's Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change describes the country as having the greatest biodiversity in the world.

Brazilian society has been shaped by Indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonization, Africans brought through the Atlantic slave trade, and later migration from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions. The country has developed distinctive traditions in music, literature, architecture, food, sport and popular culture.

Name

The Portuguese name of the country is Brasil, while its official constitutional name is República Federativa do Brasil.

The name Brasil is historically associated with brazilwood, a reddish tropical hardwood that became one of the first important commodities exported by Portuguese colonists from the Atlantic coast. The Portuguese spelling eventually became Brasil, while Brazil became the standard English spelling.

History

Indigenous societies and Portuguese colonization

The territory of present-day Brazil was inhabited by numerous Indigenous peoples long before European arrival. These societies spoke many languages and developed different political, economic and cultural systems across environments ranging from the Amazon basin to the Atlantic coast and southern grasslands.

Portuguese exploration of the region began in 1500. Early commercial activity focused partly on brazilwood, while later colonial development became increasingly based on settlement, agriculture and territorial expansion.

Sugar production became particularly important in northeastern Brazil during the colonial period. Portuguese colonization relied heavily on enslaved labour, including the forced transportation of large numbers of Africans across the Atlantic. Enslaved people worked in plantations, mines, households, workshops and other parts of the colonial economy.

The discovery and exploitation of gold and other minerals during the eighteenth century increased settlement in the interior, particularly in areas that became part of Minas Gerais.

Independence and the Empire

Brazil's political separation from Portugal developed during the early nineteenth century. On 7 September 1822, Prince Pedro declared independence near the Ipiranga River in São Paulo, a date now commemorated as Brazil's Independence Day.

Independence was followed by fighting in several regions before Portuguese authority was fully displaced. Prince Pedro became Emperor Pedro I, and Brazil was organized as a constitutional monarchy.

The country's first constitution was issued in 1824.

After Pedro I abdicated in 1831, Brazil entered a regency period until his son, Pedro II, assumed full imperial authority.

Coffee became a major export during the nineteenth century, while immigration increased and economic activity expanded in several regions. Slavery remained central to Brazilian society and production until it was formally abolished by Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, commonly known as the Golden Law.

Establishment of the republic

The Brazilian monarchy ended on 15 November 1889. Decree No. 1 proclaimed a federal republic and transformed the former imperial provinces into states.

The early republican period was marked by strong regional political influence, an agricultural export economy and major social and economic changes.

Vargas era and military rule

Getúlio Vargas became one of the most influential Brazilian political figures of the twentieth century. His periods in power included provisional government, constitutional rule and the authoritarian Estado Novo regime.

Brazil later underwent rapid industrialization and urban growth. Political instability increased during the early 1960s, and a military-led government took power in 1964.

The military regime restricted political participation and civil liberties. Institutional Act Number Five, issued in 1968, greatly expanded executive powers and became associated with intensified censorship and political repression.

Return to civilian government

Political liberalization developed gradually during the late military period. Civilian government returned in 1985.

A constituent assembly subsequently prepared a new constitution, which was promulgated on 5 October 1988. The constitution established the institutional framework of Brazil's current democratic system and expanded protections for political, civil and social rights.

Since the return to civilian rule, Brazil has held regular elections for national, state and municipal offices.

Geography

Brazil covers 8,509,360.850 square kilometres according to IBGE's territorial calculations published in 2026. It is the largest country in South America and extends from near the Equator into the subtropical zone.

Brazil borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Chile and Ecuador are the only sovereign South American countries that do not share a land border with Brazil.

The country's landscape includes broad river basins, plateaus, highlands, savannas, wetlands, semi-arid regions, coastal plains and tropical forests.

The Amazon River and its tributaries form the country's largest river system. Other major drainage systems include the Paraná, São Francisco and Tocantins-Araguaia river basins.

Climate

Brazil's climate varies considerably because of its size, latitude and topography. Much of the country has tropical or equatorial conditions, while subtropical climates occur in the south.

The Amazon region is generally warm and humid. Central Brazil commonly experiences distinct wet and dry seasons, while the semi-arid interior of the northeast has lower and less reliable rainfall. Southern Brazil experiences greater seasonal temperature variation.

Biodiversity and biomes

Brazil has six officially recognized terrestrial biomes: the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal and Pampa.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change reports more than 124,000 known animal species, more than 44,000 plant species and more than 8,000 known fungal species in Brazil.

The Amazon is the country's largest biome and contains extensive tropical rainforest. The Cerrado is largely composed of savanna and woodland ecosystems, while the Pantanal is a major wetland region. The Atlantic Forest historically covered large parts of the eastern coast, and the Caatinga is characteristic of the semi-arid northeast.

Environmental pressures include deforestation, habitat fragmentation, illegal mining, wildfire, pollution and land-use change. Conservation measures include protected areas, Indigenous territories, environmental regulation and satellite monitoring.

Administrative divisions

Brazil is a federation of 26 states and one Federal District. The states and Federal District are commonly grouped by IBGE into five major geographic regions:

• North
• Northeast
• Central-West
• Southeast
• South

The country is further divided into municipalities. Brasília, the national capital, is located within the Federal District.

Government and politics

Brazil is a federal presidential constitutional republic. Article 1 of the Constitution defines the Federative Republic of Brazil as the indissoluble union of the states, municipalities and Federal District and establishes a democratic state governed by the rule of law.

As of September 2026, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is president and Geraldo Alckmin is vice president.

The federal government is divided into executive, legislative and judicial branches.

The federal legislature is the bicameral National Congress, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.

The Chamber of Deputies has 513 members elected through a proportional electoral system. The number of representatives allocated to each state and the Federal District is based on population within constitutional limits.

The Federal Senate has 81 senators, with three representing each of the 26 states and three representing the Federal District. Senators serve eight-year terms.

The federal judiciary includes the Supreme Federal Court, which exercises important constitutional responsibilities.

Brazilian citizens elect the president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, mayors and municipal legislators through direct elections. The Constitution provides for universal suffrage and secret voting and specifies circumstances in which voting is compulsory or optional.

Foreign relations

Brazil maintains diplomatic relations with countries throughout the world and participates in major international and regional institutions.

It is a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Organization of American States, Mercosur, BRICS and the Group of Twenty.

Brazilian diplomacy has historically emphasized multilateral cooperation, peaceful resolution of disputes, regional relations, international trade and development issues. Environmental policy and governance of the Amazon have also become major areas of Brazilian international diplomacy.

Economy

Brazil has a diversified economy based on services, industry, agriculture, mining and energy.

According to the World Bank, Brazil's gross domestic product in current United States dollars was about US$2.28 trillion in 2025, while GDP per capita was approximately US$10,713.3.

The service sector accounts for a large share of economic activity. Important industries include automobiles, aircraft, machinery, steel, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining and consumer products.

Agriculture is an important part of Brazil's export economy. Major products include soybeans, coffee, sugarcane, maize, beef and poultry.

Brazil is also an important producer of iron ore, crude petroleum and other mineral and energy resources. Hydroelectric power has historically supplied a significant share of electricity, while petroleum, biofuels, wind and solar energy have also become important.

The country's economic development varies significantly among regions. Income inequality, public finances, infrastructure, productivity and access to services remain important economic policy issues.

Demographics

The 2022 Brazilian census recorded a population of 203,080,756. IBGE estimated the population at 214,211,951 on 1 July 2026.

In 2022, approximately 177.5 million people, or 87.4% of the population, lived in urban areas, while approximately 25.6 million lived in rural areas.

Population is concentrated particularly in the southeast and along parts of the Atlantic coast. São Paulo is the country's largest city and major economic centre, while Rio de Janeiro is another major metropolitan, cultural and commercial centre.

Ethnic and racial composition

Brazil's population reflects centuries of interaction among Indigenous peoples, Europeans, Africans and later immigrants from many regions of the world.

Brazilian census data use self-declared colour or race categories. The country's population includes people identifying as pardo, white, black, Indigenous and amarelo, the census category commonly used for people of Asian origin.

The 2022 census also recorded approximately 1.69 million Indigenous people under its broader Indigenous identification methodology.

Indigenous communities in Brazil comprise numerous distinct peoples and languages and are distributed across many regions, with especially large Indigenous territories in the Amazon.

Language

Portuguese is the official language of the Federative Republic of Brazil under Article 13 of the Constitution.

Brazilian Portuguese differs in pronunciation, vocabulary and some grammatical usage from varieties spoken elsewhere in the Portuguese-speaking world. It also varies considerably by region.

Many Indigenous languages continue to be spoken. Languages introduced by immigrant communities, including German, Italian and Japanese varieties, also remain in use in some areas.

Religion

Brazil is constitutionally secular and protects freedom of belief and religious practice.

According to the 2022 census, 100,216,153 people aged 10 or older identified as Roman Catholic, 47,418,024 as evangelical Christians, and 16,385,342 reported no religion.

Brazil also has Spiritist, Afro-Brazilian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Indigenous and other religious communities.

Education

Education in Brazil is provided through public and private institutions. Responsibility is shared among the federal government, states, Federal District and municipalities.

The education system includes early childhood education, primary education, secondary education, vocational education and higher education.

Brazil has a large network of universities and other higher-education institutions. Major public universities include the University of São Paulo, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Minas Gerais and University of Brasília.

Educational access has expanded over time, although learning outcomes and access to resources continue to vary across regions and socioeconomic groups.

Health

Brazil operates a national public health system known as the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). The system was established within the constitutional framework that recognizes health as a right and a responsibility of the state.

SUS provides services including primary care, vaccination, emergency treatment, hospital care and public-health programmes. A substantial private healthcare sector also operates alongside the public system.

Health outcomes and access to medical services vary among regions and socioeconomic groups.

Culture

Brazilian culture developed through Indigenous, African, Portuguese and other immigrant influences and differs considerably from one region to another.

Music is one of Brazil's internationally recognized cultural traditions. Brazilian musical forms include samba, bossa nova, choro, forró, frevo, sertanejo and Música Popular Brasileira.

UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includes several Brazilian cultural practices, among them the Samba de Roda of Bahia, the Capoeira circle, Frevo and the Bumba-meu-boi cultural complex of Maranhão.

Carnival is celebrated in many Brazilian cities. The celebrations differ by region, with Rio de Janeiro known for samba-school parades, Salvador for large street festivities, and Recife and Olinda for traditions associated with frevo and other northeastern music.

Brazilian literature includes writers such as Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado, Clarice Lispector and João Guimarães Rosa.

Brazil has also developed internationally recognized traditions in cinema, television, theatre, visual art and architecture.

Architecture and heritage

Brasília is particularly associated with modernist architecture and urban planning. The city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

As of September 2026, UNESCO listed 26 World Heritage properties in Brazil.

These include cultural sites such as the historic centres of Salvador, São Luís, Olinda and Goiás, as well as natural and mixed properties associated with Brazil's biodiversity and landscapes.

Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine varies widely by region. Rice and beans are common everyday foods in many parts of the country.

Well-known dishes and foods include feijoada, moqueca, acarajé, pão de queijo, churrasco and brigadeiro.

Regional cooking uses ingredients such as cassava, maize, beans, seafood, beef, palm oil, tropical fruits and fish from the Amazon and other river systems.

Sports

Association football is one of Brazil's most widely followed sports and has an important place in national popular culture.

The Brazil men's national football team has won the FIFA World Cup five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

Brazil has participated in every men's FIFA World Cup through the 2026 tournament and remains the only national team to have appeared in every edition.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Brazil reached the round of 16 before losing 1–0 to Norway.

Other widely practiced sports include volleyball, basketball, motorsport, mixed martial arts, surfing, athletics and swimming.

Brazil hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Tourism

Brazil's tourism sector draws on the country's beaches, natural environments, historic cities, cultural festivals and major metropolitan centres.

Popular destinations include Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, São Paulo, the Amazon region, Iguaçu Falls and the Pantanal.

The country's UNESCO World Heritage properties include Brasília, the Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia, the Historic Centre of São Luís, the Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda, the Historic Town of Ouro Preto, Iguaçu National Park and several protected natural areas.

See also

• History of Brazil
• Geography of Brazil
• States of Brazil
• Economy of Brazil
• Demographics of Brazil
• Culture of Brazil
• Amazon rainforest
• South America

External links

• Government of Brazil
• Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
• Chamber of Deputies
• Federal Senate