Brazil - Emerging Power

• Population: 190 mn
• 6 different ethnicities with the world's largest amount of indigenous tribes, mostly in the Amazon.
• In the 19th century, Brazil had lots of immigration, from 60 countries around the world thus there is a big influence of European and Asian culture in different regions
• Religion - 65% Roman Catholic from their Portuguese colonisers and 25% Protestant
• Official language is Portuguese from time of colonialisation
• Second largest army in Latin America - compulsory conscription of up to 1.6 mn soldiers/reservists every year = large army personnel
• Brazil has not been invaded since 1865 during the Paraguayan War
• Brazil has no disputes with any of its neighbours, unlike the issues there are between Chile and Bolivia (neighbours)
• Has been an active member of the UN peace keeping forces especially in the Caribbean and South America
• Largest economy in Latin America with GDP growth of 4.5%-7.5% (compared to the USA with 3.3%)
• Huge boom in prices of their main commodities of soya bean and iron ore which are traded with China to feed their huge population
• 21% of GDP invested in society, social programmes (healthcare, education) -> increase in people entering middle class -> increase in consumption -> increase in revenue
• World Cup 2014 = 600,000 tourists and 3 million Brazilians
• Brazil are too reliant on selling their commodities - main source of income
• The president is both head of state and head of government
• Similar federal system to USA with 26 states with a central government split into 3 sections - the executive (political parties), the legislative (where laws made) and the judicial (supreme court)