CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING BRAZIL CHANGING TIMES The name Brazil conjures up images of soccer carnival beautiful beaches and the Amazon rain forest But Brazil is much more Its landscapes include grassland desert and wetlands Its citizens range from indigenous tribes people who spend their lives deep in the rain forest to jet setting billionaires Brazil is also the fifth largest country in the world and has one of the fastest growing economies ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE Brazil has undergone a period of rapid economic growth in its recent history It is the largest economy in the whole of South America making it the continent s most influential country Brazil is also a rising economic power on the world stage Ranking as the eighth largest economy in the world and it is just behind the United States Japan and Germany but ahead of the UK France Italy and many other more developed countries On average with increasing earnings from industry and high employment the Brazilian people are getting richer and consuming more goods s and services The government is responding by investing more in Brazil's infrastructure such as roads and electricity supply The Brazilian Pantanal or wetlands sprawl across the western states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso covering an area of around 57 916 square miles 150 000
VENEZUELA GUYAN FRENCH GUIANA COLOMBIA SURINAME E QUATOR lanaus world's newest cities PERU B R A Z IL Brasi BOLIVIA The Pancanal Perani R CENTERS OF GROWTH Fortaleza Today Brazil s capital city is Brasilia one of the Natal Recife completed in 1960 Brazil s capital was rebuilt partly because the original Salvad capital Rio de Janeiro was overcrowded Relocating the capital also brought it to a more central location in the country However Rio remains the most visited city in the southern hemisphere It has a riving industrial and financial center and is a regional media and communications hub The majority of Brazil s industries have their base here It boasts many of their best universities But the city faces many challenges confronting the country as a whole These include balancing the needs of the growing richer middle classes with the poor and balancing economic development with protection of the environment CHILE PARAGUAY Rio de Janeiro Sio Paulo IGUACU FALLS Atlantic Ocean ARGENTINA Porto Alegre URUGUAY SPOTLIGHT ON BRAZIL SIZE 3 386 488 square miles 8 511 965 km COASTLINE 4 655 miles 7 491 km MAJOR RIVER Amazon 2 000 miles 3 218 km within the country POPULATION 202 656 788 million MAJOR LANGUAGE Portuguese MAJOR RELIGION Christianity HEAD OF STATE President Dilma Rousseff MAIN EXPORTS cars aircraft steel coffee footwear soy beans
