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General Information
Area: 8,547,403 sq km (3,300,170 sq miles).
Population: 163,947,600 (1999).
Population Density: 19.2 per sq km.
Capital: Brasília. Population: 1,821,946 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY: Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent and it is bordered to the north, west and south by all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador; to the east is the Atlantic. The country is topographically relatively flat and at no point do the highlands exceed 3000m (10,000ft). Over 60 per cent of the country is a plateau; the remainder consists of plains. The River Plate Basin (the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, both of which have their sources in Brazil) in the far south is more varied, higher and less heavily forested. North of the Amazon are the Guiana Highlands, partly forested, partly stony desert. The Brazilian Highlands of the interior, between the Amazon and the rivers of the south, form a vast tableland, the Mato Grosso, from which rise mountains in the southwest that form a steep protective barrier from the coast called the Great Escarpment, breached by deeply cut river beds. The population is concentrated in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The city of São Paulo has a population of over nine million, while over 5.5 million people live in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Government: Federal Republic. Head of State and Government: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since 2002.
Language: The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterising each State. Spanish, English, Italian, French and German are also spoken, particularly in tourist areas. Four linguistic roots survive in the indigenous areas: Gê, Tupi-guarani, Aruak and Karib.
Religion: There is no official religion, but approximately 70 per cent of the population adhere to Roman Catholicism. A number of diverse evangelical cults are also represented, as are animist beliefs (particularly spiritism, umbanda and candomblé).
Time: Brazil spans several time zones:
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 3 (GMT - 2 from third Sunday in October to third Saturday in March).
Western Standard Time: GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from third Sunday in October to third Saturday in March).
North East States and East Parà: GMT - 3.
Amapa and West Parà: GMT - 4.
Acra State: GMT - 5.
Fernando de Noronha Archipelago: GMT - 2.
Electricity: Bahia (Salvador) and Manaus 127 volts AC, 60Hz; Brasília and Recife 220 volts AC, 60Hz; Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo 110 or 220 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs are of the two-pin type. Most hotels provide 110-volt and 220-volt outlets, transformers and adaptors.
Communications:
Telephone
Full IDD services are available for the whole country and abroad. Country code: 55. Outgoing international code: 00. On 30 June 2001 changes were made to telephone numbers in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Parà. The digit 2 has been added to the beginning of numbers starting with 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. However, when numbers begin with the prefix 460 and 461 a 3 is added. Embratel is one of the main telecommunication services in Brasil (website: www.embratel.com.br). Offices of Embratel are in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Rio’s airport provides 24-hour telecommunication services. Public telephones take telephone cards (cartões telefônicos) which cost from R$2.50 to R$10. Some older telephones may require metal discs (fichas), which can be obtained from cash desks or newspaper kiosks. International calls from Brazil are expensive: to the UK, the rate is approximately US$3 per minute, to the USA and Canada it is approximately US$2.50 per minute.
Mobile telephone
US-style analogue and digital networks exist. There are many different network providers, including TCO (website: www.tco.com.br) and Americel (website: www.americel.com.br). GSM 1800 networks have recently been established. Main operators include Telemar (website: www.telemar.com.br) and TIM Brasil.
Fax
Facilities are available in the main post offices of major cities and some 5-star hotels.
Internet
ISPs include Terra (website: www.terra.com.br). Hotels generally provide Internet access to guests. Internet cafes can be found in main towns and cities, and there are often Internet booths at airports. In smaller towns, public access is sometimes available at post offices.
Telegram
International telegram facilities exist in many cities.
Post
Services are reasonably reliable. Sending mail registered or franked will eliminate the risk of having the stamps steamed off. Airmail service to Europe takes four to six days. Surface mail takes at least four weeks. Post offices are open Mon-Sat 0900-1300.
Press
The only English newspaper is The Brazil Herald in Rio de Janeiro. Also in Rio de Janeiro there is an English-language publication, the Rio Visitor, which gives tourist information. The Brazil Post is a global news service providing information on the latest stories and current affairs in Brazil (website: www.noticiasdomundo.com). International magazines and newspapers are also available throughout the country.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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