Brazil

The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical., Brazil hosts six major climatic subtypes: , , , , and . The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from in the north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to in the south and in central Brazil..

An equatorial climate characterizes much of northern Brazil. There is no real , but there are some variations in the period of the year when most rain falls. with more significant temperature variation between night and day than between seasons.[178]

Over central Brazil rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of a savanna climate. In the interior northeast, seasonal rainfall is even more extreme.[180]

The semiarid climatic region generally receives less than 800 millimetres (31.5 in) of rain, and occasionally less than this, creating long periods of drought. (Great Drought), the worst in Brazil's history, A similarly devastating drought occurred in 1915.[184]

South of Bahia, near the coasts, and more southerly most of the state of São Paulo, the distribution of rainfall changes, with rain falling throughout the year. winter frosts and are not rare in the highest areas.

Biodiversity and environment

Brazil's large territory comprises different ecosystems, such as the , recognized as having the greatest in the world, and the , sustaining the greatest biodiversity. pine forest grows under temperate conditions. and in Brazil could approach four million, mostly invertebrates.[186]

Larger mammals include carnivores , , , rare , and , and herbivores , , , , , and . are plentiful in the south, and many species of are found in the northern . Concern for the environment has grown in response to global interest in environmental issues..

By 2013, Brazil's "dramatic policy-driven reduction in Amazon Basin deforestation" was a "global exception in terms of forest change", according to scientific journal .:850 The annual loss of forest cover decreased from a 2003/2004 record high of more than 40,000 square kilometres (4,000×10^3 ha; 9.9×10^6 acres; 15,000 sq mi) to a 2010/2011 low of under 20,000 square kilometres (2,000×10^3 ha; 4.9×10^6 acres; 7,700 sq mi),:852 from the 1970s to 2003.

However, in 2019, when the came to power, the rate of increased sharply threatening to reach a tipping point after it the forest will collapse, having severe consequences for the world. (see ) This can also complicate the trade agreement with the , Bolsonaro criticised what he described as sensational reporting in the international media. "It is a fallacy to say that the Amazon is the heritage of , and a misconception, as confirmed by scientists, to say that our Amazonian forests are the lungs of world. Using these fallacies, certain countries instead of helping, embarked on the media lies and behaved in a disrespectful manner and with a spirit." he said. President Jair Bolsonaro asserted Brazil's over the .[191]

According to a 2008 GreenPeace article, the natural heritage of Brazil is severely threatened by cattle ranching and agriculture, logging, mining, resettlement, oil and gas extraction, over-fishing, wildlife trade, dams and infrastructure, water pollution, climate change, fire, and invasive species. The construction of highways has opened up previously remote areas for agriculture and settlement; dams have flooded valleys and inundated wildlife habitats; and mines have scarred and polluted the landscape. At least 70 dams are said to be planned for the Amazon region, including the controversial hydroelectric dam. and banned , what will have positive effects on the climate and water quality, because the and reserves in the state of Parana are the larger in the southern hemisphere.

The form of government is a , with a . with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. The current president is . The previous president, , replaced after her ., who assist in government. is the Federation's bicameral legislature, consisting of the and the . Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively. Brazil is a , according to the 2010.[198]

The political-administrative organization of the Federative Republic of Brazil comprises the Union, the states, the Federal District, and the municipalities. is set on five fundamental principles:. The classic tripartite branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial under a checks and balances system) are formally established by the Constitution., while the judiciary is organized only at the federal and state and Federal District spheres.

All members of the executive and legislative branches are directly elected. For most of its democratic history, Brazil has had a multi-party system, proportional representation. Voting is compulsory for the literate between 18 and 70 years old and optional for illiterates and those between 16 and 18 or beyond 70.[17]

Together with several smaller parties, four political parties stand out: (PT), (PSDB), (MDB) and (DEM). Fifteen political parties are represented in Congress. It is common for politicians to switch parties, and thus the proportion of congressional seats held by particular parties changes regularly.[202] Almost all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive.

Law

Brazilian law is based on the legal system concepts prevail over common law practice. Most of Brazilian law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part, playing a complementary role. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are seldom binding on other specific cases. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influence in law creation and in law cases.

The legal system is based on the , promulgated on 5 October 1988, and the fundamental law of Brazil. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules., there have been 53 amendments. States have their own constitutions, which must not contradict the Federal Constitution. Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms. allows the Federal Senate to pass on legal judgments. The highest court is the .

This system has been criticized over the last few decades for the slow pace of decision-making. Lawsuits on appeal may take several years to resolve, and in some cases more than a decade elapses before definitive rulings.. More recently, in December 2009, the Supreme Court adopted to display items on the day planner of the ministers, to inform the daily actions of the Court and the most important decisions made by them.[210]

Military

The armed forces of Brazil are the in Latin America by active personnel and the largest in terms of military equipment. (including the ), the (including the and ), and the . Brazil's policy gives it one of the world's largest military forces, estimated at more than 1.6 million annually.[212]

Numbering close to 236,000 active personnel,, including armored transports and .,, 1st Jungle Infantry Battalion (Airmobile) able to act anywhere in the country, on short notice, to counter external aggression. and the are described as an ancillary forces of the Army by the constitution, but are under the control of each state's governor.[17]

Brazil's navy, the second-largest in the Americas, once operated some of the most powerful warships in the world with the two , which sparked a between Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. force and has a group of specialized elite in retaking ships and naval facilities, , unit specially trained to protect Brazilian oil platforms along its coast., ,

The Air Force is the largest in Latin America and has about 700 manned aircraft in service and effective about 67,000 personnel.[226]

Brazil has not been invaded since 1865 during the . and neither does it have rivalries, like Chile and Bolivia have with each other. The Brazilian military has also three times intervened militarily to overthrow the . missions such as in , and ..[233]

Foreign policy

Brazil's international relations are based on Article 4 of the , which establishes , , and the as the guiding principles of Brazil's relationship with other countries and multilateral organizations.[234]

According to the Constitution, the has ultimate authority over foreign policy, while the is tasked with reviewing and considering all diplomatic nominations and , as well as legislation relating to Brazilian foreign policy.[235]

Brazil's foreign policy is a by-product of the country's unique position as a in , a leader among , and an emerging ., peaceful dispute settlement, and in the affairs of other countries.[237]

Brazil is a founding member state of the (CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth, an international organization and political association of nations across four continents, where is an official language.

An increasingly well-developed tool of Brazil's foreign policy is providing aid as a donor to other developing countries. Total aid is estimated to be around $1 billion per year, which includes:[238]

• technical cooperation of around $480 million ($30 million in 2010 provided directly by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC));


• estimated $450 million for in-kind expertise provided by Brazilian institutions specializing in technical cooperation.

In addition, Brazil manages a peacekeeping mission in ($350 million) and makes in-kind contributions to the ($300 million). The Brazilian South-South aid has been described as a "global model in waiting."[239]

Law enforcement and crime

In Brazil, the establishes five different police agencies for law enforcement: , , , and . Of these, the first three are affiliated with federal authorities and the last two are subordinate to state governments. All police forces are the responsibility of the executive branch of any of the federal or state powers. also can act in public disorder situations arising anywhere in the country.[240]

The country still has above-average levels of violent crime and particularly high levels of gun violence and homicide. In 2012, the (WHO) estimated the number of 32 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the . In 2018, Brazil had a record 63,880 murders.. While in the homicide rate registered in 2013 was 10.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, in it was 64.7 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.[244]

Brazil also has high levels of incarceration and the third largest prison population in the world (behind only and the ), with an estimated total of approximately 700,000 prisoners around the country (June 2014), an increase of about 300% compared to the index registered in 1992.

Administrative divisions

Brazil is a federation composed of 26 , one , and the 5570 .

The states and the federal district may be grouped into regions: , , , and . The Brazilian regions are merely geographical, not political or administrative divisions, and they do not have any specific form of government. Although defined by law, Brazilian regions are useful mainly for statistical purposes, and also to define the distribution of federal funds in development projects.

Municipalities, as the states, have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes and receive a share of taxes collected by the Union and state government. (county).

Brazil is the largest national economy in , the and the in (PPP) according to 2018 estimates. Brazil has a with abundant natural resources. After rapid growth in preceding decades, the country amid a political corruption scandal and nationwide protests.

Its (PPP) per capita was $15,919 in 2017, , and Brazil has a labor force of over 107 million (ranking 6th worldwide) and unemployment of 6.2% (ranking 64th worldwide).[248]

The country has been expanding its presence in international financial and , and is one of a group of four emerging economies called the . for the last 150 years.[24]

Brazil's diversified economy includes agriculture, industry, and a wide range of services. and allied sectors like , and accounted for 5.1% of the in 2007. of oranges, coffee, sugar cane, and , soybeans and .[253]

– from , and to , and – accounted for 30.8% of the gross domestic product., , and . Major export products include , , , , , , , , , , and ..

Brazil pegged its currency, the , to the U.S. dollar in 1994. However, after the , the in 1998 temporarily changed its to a , until definitively changing the exchange regime to in January 1999.[259]

Brazil received an (IMF) rescue package in mid-2002 of $30.4 billion, One of the issues the recently dealt with was an excess of short-term capital inflows to the country, which may have contributed to a fall in the value of the U.S. dollar against the real during that period. (FDI), related to long-term, less speculative investment in production, is estimated to be $193.8 billion for 2007. monitoring and control currently plays a major part in the Central bank's role in setting short-term as a measure.[264]

Between 1993 and 2010, 7012 with a total known value of $707 billion with the involvement of Brazilian firms were announced. acquisition of in a valued at US$18.9 billion.

costs Brazil almost $41 billion a year alone in 2010, with 69.9% of the country's firms identifying the issue as a major constraint in successfully penetrating the global market. Initiatives, like this exposure, strengthen awareness which is indicated by the Transparency International's ; ranking Brazil 69th out of 178 countries in 2012.[268]
The in Brazil is eroded by the so-called .[269]

Brazil also has a large sector that provides 50% of the food in the country. is also located in Brazil, and accounts for 32% of the healthcare insurance market in the country.[271]

Energy