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 a country in South America. It occupies much of the continent's eastern and central areas and has an extensive coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil shares land borders with every sovereign South American country except Chile and Ecuador. With a territorial area of about 8.51 million square kilometres, it is the largest country in South America and one of the largest countries in the world.

Brasília is the national capital, while São Paulo is the country's largest city and an important economic centre. Other major urban centres include Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Curitiba, Recife and Porto Alegre. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics estimated the population at 214,211,951 on 1 July 2026.

Brazil is a federal presidential republic formed by 26 states, the Federal District and municipalities. Its current constitutional order is based on the Constitution promulgated on 5 October 1988. Portuguese is the official language of the federation.

The country has one of the world's most biologically diverse environments. Its territory contains the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa biomes, as well as a large coastal and marine system. Brazil is also a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, minerals, petroleum and manufactured goods and has a large services sector.

Brazilian society developed through interaction among Indigenous peoples, European settlers, Africans brought through the Atlantic slave trade and later immigrants from many parts of the world. This history has contributed to considerable regional, linguistic, religious and cultural diversity.

Name

The country's Portuguese name is Brasil. The official constitutional name is República Federativa do Brasil, translated as the Federative Republic of Brazil.

The word Brasil is historically associated with brazilwood, a reddish tropical hardwood that became an important export during the early period of Portuguese colonization. The country's spelling in Portuguese eventually became Brasil, while Brazil became the standard English form.

History

Indigenous societies and European arrival

The territory that now forms Brazil was inhabited by numerous Indigenous peoples long before European colonization. These communities represented many languages, social systems and ways of life and occupied environments ranging from the Amazon basin to the Atlantic coast and the southern grasslands.

Portuguese expansion into the region began in 1500. Early colonial economic activity included the extraction of brazilwood, followed by the development of plantation agriculture, especially sugar production. Over time, Portugal established settlements, administrative institutions and territorial claims across a much larger part of South America.

Colonial Brazil relied extensively on enslaved labour. Large numbers of Africans were forcibly transported to Brazil over several centuries, making slavery central to plantation production, mining and many other areas of economic and social life. Indigenous communities were also displaced, subjected to violence and affected by disease, enslavement and territorial expansion.

During the colonial period, economic activity shifted through several important phases. Sugar was particularly significant in the northeast, while gold and other minerals increased the importance of the interior, especially Minas Gerais, during the eighteenth century.

Independence and the Empire

Political separation from Portugal developed through a series of events rather than a single act. The date traditionally recognized as Brazil's independence is 7 September 1822, when Prince Pedro declared the country's separation from Portugal near the Ipiranga River in São Paulo. Independence was subsequently consolidated in different provinces over 1822 and 1823, with armed conflict occurring in several regions.

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, a regency governed until his son, Pedro II, assumed full imperial authority.

The nineteenth century brought territorial consolidation, growth in coffee production, urban development and increasing immigration. Slavery, however, continued to shape the country's economy and social structure for most of the century. It was formally abolished on 13 May 1888 by Law No. 3,353, commonly known as the Golden Law.

Republic and twentieth century

The monarchy ended on 15 November 1889, when a republican government was proclaimed. Decree No. 1 established a federal republic and transformed the former imperial provinces into federal states.

Brazil experienced several different constitutional and political periods during the twentieth century. Getúlio Vargas became one of the era's most influential political figures, governing during periods that included both provisional and constitutional rule and the authoritarian Estado Novo.

A military-led government took power in 1964. The regime restricted political participation and civil liberties and governed through a series of institutional acts. The AI-5 decree of 1968 gave the government extensive powers, enabled the closure of Congress and intensified censorship and political repression.

Political liberalization developed gradually, and civilian government returned in 1985. A constituent assembly drafted a new constitution, which was promulgated on 5 October 1988. The constitution expanded civil and political rights and established the legal framework of Brazil's present democratic system.

Contemporary period

Since the restoration of civilian government, Brazil has held regular national, state and municipal elections under the 1988 Constitution. The period has included economic reforms, expansion of social programmes, changes in party coalitions, periods of rapid economic growth and recession, major corruption investigations, presidential impeachments and continuing debates over inequality, public security, fiscal policy, environmental protection and institutional reform.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has served as president since January 2023 following earlier presidential terms from 2003 to 2010. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics lists him as the country's president.

Geography

Brazil covers approximately 8.51 million square kilometres. It stretches across a large portion of South America and has an Atlantic coastline of thousands of kilometres. The country borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Chile and Ecuador are the only sovereign South American states that do not share a border with Brazil.

The landscape is varied. Northern Brazil includes extensive lowlands associated with the Amazon Basin, while large plateaus and highlands occupy much of the central, eastern and southeastern parts of the country. Wetlands, savannas, semi-arid landscapes, coastal plains and southern grasslands add to its geographic diversity.

The Amazon River and its tributaries form the country's largest river system. Brazil also contains important parts of the Paraná, São Francisco, Tocantins-Araguaia and other river basins. These river systems support ecosystems, settlements, agriculture, transport and large-scale hydroelectric generation.

Climate

Because of Brazil's size and latitude, climatic conditions vary considerably. Much of the country has tropical or equatorial conditions, while subtropical climates occur in the south and cooler conditions occur at higher elevations.

The Amazon region is generally warm and humid and receives substantial rainfall. The semi-arid interior of the northeast is much drier. Central Brazil has pronounced wet and dry seasons, while the south experiences greater seasonal temperature variation.

Biodiversity and environment

Brazil's Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change identifies six major terrestrial biomes: the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal and Pampa.

The ministry describes Brazil as the country with the world's greatest biodiversity and reports more than 124,000 known animal species, more than 44,000 plant species and more than 8,000 known fungal species. The Amazon rainforest is the country's largest biome, while the Pantanal is an extensive wetland system and the Cerrado consists largely of savanna and woodland environments.

Brazil faces significant environmental pressures, including deforestation, habitat fragmentation, illegal mining, wildfires, pollution, land-use change and climate-related risks. Conservation policy includes protected areas, environmental licensing, Indigenous territories and programmes intended to monitor changes in forest cover and other ecosystems.

Administrative divisions

Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and the Federal District. These are commonly grouped by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics into five major regions:

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

Below the state level, the country is divided into municipalities. The federal capital, Brasília, 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 an indissoluble union of the states, municipalities and Federal District and establishes it as a democratic state governed by the rule of law.

The federal government is divided into executive, legislative and judicial branches. The president serves as both head of state and head of the federal executive.

Legislative authority at the federal level is exercised by the bicameral National Congress. The Chamber of Deputies has 513 members, with seats distributed among the states and Federal District according to population within constitutionally defined limits. The Federal Senate has 81 senators, three from each state and three from the Federal District, each serving an eight-year term.

The federal judiciary includes the Supreme Federal Court, which has a central role in constitutional adjudication, along with other federal courts established under the constitutional system.

Voting is conducted through direct elections. The Constitution provides universal suffrage and secret ballots and sets rules governing mandatory and optional voting according to age and other legal conditions.

Foreign relations

Brazil's geographic size, population and economy give it an important role in South American and wider international affairs. It maintains diplomatic relations across the world and participates in multilateral institutions including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Organization of American States, Mercosur, BRICS and the Group of Twenty.

Brazil has traditionally emphasized multilateral diplomacy, regional cooperation and peaceful settlement of international disputes. Its foreign relations also involve trade, environmental policy, energy, food security, development cooperation and governance of the Amazon region.

Economy

Brazil has a large and diversified economy that combines services, manufacturing, agriculture, mining and energy production. World Bank data place nominal gross domestic product at about US$2.28 trillion in 2025, with nominal GDP per person of about US$10,713.

The services sector accounts for a large share of domestic activity and employment. Major industrial activities include food processing, automobiles, machinery, chemicals, steel, aircraft, petroleum refining and consumer goods.

Agriculture is internationally significant. Brazil is a major producer of soybeans, coffee, sugarcane, maize, beef, poultry and other commodities. Mineral and energy resources are also important. World Trade Organization trade data list crude petroleum, soybeans, iron ore, coffee, beef, sugar, petroleum products, wood pulp and maize among the country's major merchandise exports.

The country has substantial hydroelectric generation capacity and is also a major producer of petroleum and biofuels. Offshore oil fields, particularly pre-salt deposits, have become important to the energy sector.

Brazil's economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion as well as inflation, debt pressures and recession. The International Monetary Fund reported that economic activity remained resilient through recent global shocks and projected a recovery in growth during 2026 after a slowdown in 2025.

Regional inequality, income distribution, productivity, public debt, infrastructure and access to education and health remain important economic and social policy issues.

Demographics

The 2022 census counted 203,080,756 residents, while the official population estimate for 1 July 2026 was 214,211,951. Most Brazilians live in urban areas. Census data recorded about 177.5 million urban residents and about 25.6 million rural residents in 2022.

Population is concentrated especially along and near the Atlantic coast and in the southeast, although major cities are found throughout the country. São Paulo is the largest metropolitan and economic centre, while Rio de Janeiro remains one of the country's best-known cultural and commercial centres.

Ethnic and racial composition

Brazil has a highly diverse population shaped by Indigenous ancestry, European colonization, the forced migration of Africans through slavery and later immigration from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other regions.

The Brazilian census records colour or race through self-identification. In the 2022 census, 45.3% of residents identified as parda (a census category generally referring to mixed or brown identity), 43.5% as white, 10.2% as black, 0.8% as Indigenous under the broader Indigenous population count, and 0.4% as Asian or amarela, though totals vary slightly depending on the specific census methodology applied to Indigenous identification.

The 2022 census counted approximately 1.69 million Indigenous people using its broader Indigenous-identification methodology. Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise numerous distinct ethnic groups and languages.

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil under Article 13 of the Constitution. Brazilian Portuguese has developed distinct pronunciation, vocabulary and usage compared with European Portuguese and varies regionally within the country.

Numerous Indigenous languages continue to be spoken. Immigration has also produced communities using languages such as German, Italian, Japanese and other languages, although Portuguese is dominant in public administration, education and national media.

Religion

Brazil has no official state religion and the Constitution protects freedom of belief and religious practice. Christianity remains the largest religious tradition.

Preliminary religion results from the 2022 census reported that 56.7% of people aged 10 or older identified as Roman Catholic. Evangelical and other Protestant communities form another major part of the population, while Brazil also has Spiritist, Afro-Brazilian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Indigenous and other religious communities, as well as a substantial population reporting no religion.

Education

Education in Brazil is provided through public and private institutions at primary, secondary and higher levels. Responsibility is divided among the federal government, states, Federal District and municipalities.

The country has a large university system that includes federal, state, municipal and private institutions. Major public universities include the University of São Paulo, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Minas Gerais, University of Brasília and many other institutions spread across the states.

Access to schooling has expanded greatly over recent decades, although educational quality and outcomes vary by income, region and other social factors.

Health

Brazil operates the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), a constitutionally established public health system intended to provide universal access to health services. Public provision exists alongside a large private healthcare and insurance sector.

Health conditions vary substantially among regions and socioeconomic groups. Public-health priorities include primary care, vaccination, maternal and child health, infectious-disease control, chronic diseases and improvement of access to specialized treatment.

Culture

Brazilian culture reflects Indigenous, African, European and later immigrant influences, with significant differences between regions.

Music is one of the country's most internationally recognized cultural forms. Brazilian traditions include samba, bossa nova, choro, forró, frevo, sertanejo, MPB and many regional styles. UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includes Brazilian practices such as the Samba de Roda of Bahia, the Capoeira circle, Frevo and the Bumba-meu-boi cultural complex of Maranhão.

Carnival celebrations take place across the country and differ considerably by region. Rio de Janeiro is known for its samba-school parades, while Salvador is associated with large street celebrations and Recife and Olinda are strongly connected with frevo and other northeastern traditions.

Brazilian literature includes writers such as Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado, Clarice Lispector, João Guimarães Rosa and many others. Brazilian cinema, television, theatre, visual art and architecture also have substantial national and international audiences.

Brasília is particularly associated with twentieth-century modernist architecture. Its urban plan and principal public buildings contributed to its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 1987. As of 2026, UNESCO listed 26 World Heritage properties in Brazil.

Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine varies by region and reflects the country's geographic and cultural diversity. Rice and beans are common everyday foods. Well-known dishes and foods include feijoada, moqueca, acarajé, pão de queijo, churrasco, brigadeiro and numerous preparations based on cassava.

Regional cuisines use ingredients such as manioc, maize, seafood, tropical fruits, palm oil, beef, beans and local Amazonian plants and fish. UNESCO added traditional methods of making artisan Minas cheese in Minas Gerais to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.

Sports

Association football is the country's most widely recognized sport and occupies an important place in Brazilian popular culture. The Brazil men's national team has won the FIFA World Cup five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. It remains the only men's national team to have participated in every edition of the tournament through 2026. Brazil reached the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup before being eliminated by Norway.

Other popular sports include volleyball, basketball, motorsport, mixed martial arts, surfing, swimming, athletics and martial arts. Brazil hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup, 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

World Heritage and tourism

Brazil's tourism is based on natural landscapes, beaches, historic cities, biodiversity and major urban centres. Important destinations include Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, São Paulo, the Amazon region, Iguaçu Falls, the Pantanal and colonial towns in Minas Gerais.

UNESCO-listed properties include Brasília, the historic centres of Salvador, São Luís, Olinda and Goiás, the historic town of Ouro Preto, protected areas of the Atlantic Forest and Amazon, and other cultural and natural sites.

See also

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

External links

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