Brazil is the largest country in South America, covering almost half the continent (47.3%). Its 8,547,403 sq. km make it the fifth largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, China and the United States. Except for a few islands, it is a single continuous land mass on the eastern seaboard of South America.
The Equator crosses Brazil in the north; the Tropic of Capricorn in the southeast. Its east–west and north–south lengths are similar (about 4,319 km and 4,395 km).
Brazil borders ten South American countries: French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia to the north; Uruguay and Argentina to the south; and Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru to the west. Only Ecuador and Chile don't border it. The Atlantic stretches some 7,367 km along the east coast.
Brazil divides naturally into five regions.
The North (Pará, Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Amapá, Tocantins, Roraima) is the largest and least populated, almost entirely covered by the Amazon rainforest.
The Northeast (Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia) has a semi-arid interior known as the caatinga.
The Southeast (Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro) is the richest and most populated region; the Rio–São Paulo axis holds the top industrial and financial centers.
The South (Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul) is subtropical, developed by European settler colonies.
The Center-West (Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District, home to Brasília) is a plateau with cerrado savanna and the Pantanal wetlands.
Most Brazilians (81.2%) live in cities, which generate about 85% of GDP. Among the most important: São Paulo (largest city and industrial base); Rio de Janeiro (capital for nearly 200 years, now a cultural and tourist metropolis); Belo Horizonte (a planned city and industrial hub); Salvador (Brazil's first capital, rich in colonial architecture and African heritage); Brasília (the modernist capital, inaugurated 1960); and Recife (the 'Brazilian Venice').
Brazil's vast territory produces many climates. Most of the country lies in the inter-tropical zone, with warm, wet weather and an average of about 20°C (68°F). The Amazon is equatorial with year-round rain; central and northeastern Brazil are tropical with wet and dry seasons; the south is cooler and can dip below freezing in winter.
Remember: seasons are reversed. Roughly, January–March is summer, April–June autumn, July–September winter and October–December spring.
The official language is Portuguese — Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in Latin America. The currency is the Real (R$).
Historically one of the world's largest economies, Brazil is a leading producer of coffee, sugar cane, oranges, soy and beef, with major aircraft, automotive, steel and food industries. The United States is a long-standing top trade partner.
Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral reached Brazil in 1500. Sugarcane, then a 1700s gold rush in Minas Gerais, shaped the colony. Independence was declared in 1822; slavery was abolished in 1888; the republic began in 1889.
The 20th century brought industrialization, the modernist capital of Brasília, military rule (1964–1985), and re-democratization under the 1988 Constitution. Today Brazil is one of the world's largest democracies and a global cultural force, especially in music.
Historical overview adapted from material credited to the Consulate-General of Brazil in New York.
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