Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Level of Industrialization.


Newly Industrialized Nations


Brazil is a (in developing) newly industrialized nation with is more advanced economies than other developing nations, but which have not yet fully demonstrated the signs of a developed country.


The country has the third most advanced industrial sector in The Americas. Accounting for one-third of GDP, Brazil's diverse industries range from automobiles, steel and petrochemicals to computers, aircraft, and consumer durables. With the increased economic stability provided by the Plano Real, Brazilian and multinational businesses have invested heavily in new equipment and technology, a large proportion of which has been purchased from U.S. firms.


Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2008 est.)

Type of Economy


Brazil has a moderate free market and export-oriented economy. Measured nominally, its Gross Domestic Product surpasses a trillion dollars, and measured by purchasing power parity, $1.8 trillion, making it the tenth largest economy in the world and the second largest in the Americas.


Blessed with abundant natural resources, Brazil has become the most powerful country in South America in economic terms. With large and growing agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, the nation has acquired a strong position in global economy.


Economy of Brazil also has weaknesses. These are mostly related to debts, domestic debts went up from 1994 to 2003. But Brazil controlled this rise in 2006. The president has introduced economic programs to control taxes and increase public investment.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Economic Community


According to the latest Trade Tariff Restrictiveness Index, on which it scores 9.4% and is ranked 92nd out of 125, Brazil’s tariff regime is more protectionist than an average Latin America and the Caribbean or upper middle income countries. The nation has preferential access to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay as a member of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). Under MERCOSUR, the nation is also currently negotiating free trade agreements with Mexico, the Andean Community, India, South Africa, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Brazil is an active participant in multilateral negotiations and has often challenged developed countries’ trade restrictions in the WTO.

Government


Brazil is a federal republic with 26 states and a federal district. The 1988 constitution grants broad powers to the federal government, made up of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president holds office for 4 years, with the right to re-election for an additional 4-year term, and appoints his own cabinet. There are 81 senators, three for each state and the Federal District, and 513 deputies. Each state is eligible for a minimum of 8 seats; the largest state delegation (Sao Paulo's) is capped at 70 seats. This system is weighted in favor of geographically large but sparsely populated states.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is the current president; he was re-elected with 61% of votes in 2006.

Resources



It is estimated that 40 percent of the world’s biodiversity is located in Brazil. The nation has the world’s largest variety of birds, about 4,430 species of vertebrate animals (mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish) and over 100,000 invertebrates.
The Amazon Rainforest, the world's greatest natural resource - the most powerful and bio-actively diverse natural phenomenon on the planet, is mostly located in the Brazilian territory, furthermore the Amazon harbors 10 percent of the world’s total freshwater resources.


Brazil natural resource mainly include minerals like nickel, uranium, phosphates, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, tin, hydropower, gold, platinum, granite, limestone, and other organic resources like timber and petroleum.


Natural Terrain


The Brazilian terrain is mostly undulating, with flat and rolling lowlands in the north; the geographic features include mountains, hilly areas, plain lands and constricted coastal region; climate in Brazil is mostly tropical, but temperate weather towards the south.

Population


The population of Brazil in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 178,470,000, which placed it at number 5 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 6% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 30% of the population under 15 years of age.

The southeast of the country is the most populated area; the majority of the people live near the coastal regions and the vast interior of the country is sparsely populated.

Location


Located in the Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil is the largest country in South America, occupying nearly half of the continent; it covers an area of 8,511,965 sq km (3,286,488 sq mi), extending 4,395 km (2,731 mi) N-S and 4,4,320 km (2,684 mi) E-W.