Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil; Brazilian Portuguese: [bɾaˈziw]),[nt 1] officially the Federative Republic of
Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil),[11] is the largest country in both South
America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3.2 million square miles)[12] and with
over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most
populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is
composed of the union of the 26 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to
have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas;[13][14] it is also one of
the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration
from around the world;[15] as well as the most populous Roman Catholic-majority country.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi).
[16]
It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of
the continent's land area.[17] Its Amazon basin includes a vast tropical forest, home to
diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources spanning
numerous protected habitats.[16] This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of
17 megadiverse countries, and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding
deforestation and environmental protection.
Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro
Álvares Cabral, who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire. Brazil remained a Portuguese
colony until 1808 when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.
In 1815, the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United
Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Independence was achieved in 1822 with the
creation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a
parliamentary system. The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a
bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress. The country became a presidential
republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état. An authoritarian military junta came to power in
1964 and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution,
formulated in 1988, defines it as a democratic federal republic.[18] Due to its rich culture and
history, the country ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[19]
Brazil is classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank[20] and a newly
industrialized country,[21] with the largest share of global wealth in Latin America. It is considered
an advanced emerging economy.[22] It has the ninth largest GDP in the world by nominal, and
eighth by PPP measures.[23][24] It is one of the world's major breadbaskets, being the
largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years.[25] Brazil is a regional power and sometimes
considered a great[26][27][28] or a middle power in international affairs.[28][29][30][31][32][27] On account of its
international recognition and influence, the country is subsequently classified as an emerging
power[33] and a potential superpower by several analysts.[34][35][36] Brazil is a founding member of
the United Nations, the G20, BRICS, Mercosul, Organization of American States, Organization of
Ibero-American States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
