BRAZIL The Unknown Giant

BRAZIL

The Unknown GiantLuiz Amaral

Geography

Territory: 8,514,215.3 km² (3,287 357 mi²)

Coastline: 7,367 km (4,578 mi)

Population: 185,752,945 (03.04.2006)

Cities: 5,560

States: 26 + Distrito Federal

Regions: 5 (North, North-East, Center-West, South- East, South)

Geography

Main cities with population in 2005:

• São Paulo – SP (10,927,985)• Rio de Janeiro – RJ (6,094,183)• Salvador – BA (2,673,560)• Belo Horizonte – MG (2,375,329)• Fortaleza – CE (2,374,944)• Brasília – DF (2,333,108)• Curitiba – PR (1,757,904)• Manaus – AM (1,644,690)• Recife – PE (1,501,008)• Porto Alegre – RG (1,428,696)

North• 45.27% of the Brazilian territory.

• 7 592 118 inhabitants.

• It has the lowest demographic density of all the regions.

• Enjoying an equatorial climate, it is washed by the great rivers of the Amazon and Tocantins basins.

• The economy is based on vegetable extraction (e.g. latex, palm tree, timber and chestnut), on mineral extraction (e.g. gold, diamonds, cassiterite and tin) as well as large-scale mineral exploration (e.g. iron and manganese).

North-East

• 18.26% of the Brazilian territory.

• 45 924 812 inhabitants (28.9%).

• The majority of its territory consists of vast and ancient plateau that has been smoothed by erosion (semi-arid climate).

• The economy of the region is based chiefly on the agro-industry (sugar and cocoa).

• Big tourist industry.

• Oil exploration in Bahia state.

• São Francisco is the region's largest river and the only source of all-year round water for those who live on its banks.

Center-West


• 11 048 874 inhabitants (81.3% live in cities).

• The climate of the region is semi-humid tropical, with frequent summer rain.

• The economy was initially based on gold and diamond prospecting which was gradually replaced by cattle-breeding.

• This region has been undergoing significant changes in relation to its vegetation with the cerrado (scrubland) being gradually replaced by plantations or cattle-rearing.

• Visitors from all over the world come to see the rich fauna and flora of Pantanal.

South


• 24 223 412 inhabitants (74.1% live in cities).

• It has a sub-tropical climate, except in the northern region of the state of Paraná where a tropical climate predominates.

• The region was colonized by German, Italian, and Azorean immigrants.

• Initially based on cattle-rearing, the economy of the South has developed a significant industrial base over recent decades.

• Agricultural production makes use of modern cultivation techniques (wheat, soy, rice, maize, beans and tobacco).

South-East


• The region has the largest population: 69 174 339 inhabitants (88% live in cities).

• Its typical landscape consists of rounded mountain formations.

• Its economy is the most developed and industrialized in the country.

• Biggest oil basin in Brazil (state of Rio de Janeiro).

• Car manufacturers (Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat, Mercedes, Chevrolet, Citroen, Toyota, Honda).

• It is the most visited region in Brazil.

• Main international airports (Guarulhos – SP, Galeão – RJ).

São Paulo

• Over 34 000 000 inhabitants.

• Responsible for 35% of Brazilian GDP.

• Its GDP is bigger than the GDP of any other country in Latin America except Mexico.

• Its GDP is twice the Argentinean GDP.

• It has the best research institutions in Latin America (USP and UNICAMP).

• The state houses many of the largest Brazilian and international companies and foreign banks with head-offices in the country.

• It is also the headquarters of the eighth largest stock market in the world and the second largest future market.

http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/statistics/gdp/ranking.htm

History

• Brazilian History is divided into three periods: Colony (1500 – 1822) Empire (1822 – 1889) Republic (1889 – present)

• Brazilian Capitals Salvador (1549 – 1773) Rio de Janeiro (1773 – 1960) Brasília (1960 – present)

• Political Organization Hereditary captaincies (colony) States (previous provinces) with more local power States as part of a federative republic

Brazilian Territory

Democracy and dictatorship in modern Brazilian History

• 1889 – 1930: Constitutional Democracy.

• 1930 – 1945: Military coup places Getúlio Vargas in power.

– 1930 – 1937: Vargas interim presidency.

– 1937 – 1945: Estado Novo (New State).

• 1945 – 1964: Democratic period.

• 1964 – 1985: Military Dictatorship.

• 1985 – present: Modern Democracy.

Juscelino Kubitschek (JK)(1956 – 1961)

• Fifty years in five.

• Building of Brasília.

• Era of great hope.

• Influx of international investments.

• The economy boomed, but at some cost.

• Inflation and devaluation of the currency.

Jânio Quadros(Jan 31 – Aug 25, 1961)

• Elected with no congressional support.

• Polemic figure (prohibited bikinis in Copacabana).

• Right-wing president who established relations with Cuba and Russia.

• Resigned in an attempt to gain political power.

• His resignation created a political crisis.

João Goulart (Jango)(1961 - 1964)

• Left-wing vice president.

• 1961 – 1963: Parliamentary system.

• 1963 – 1964: Presidential system.

• Nationalist reforms to face social problems.

• Nationalization of companies.

• Increase of organized social groups.

• Nationalism vs Imperialism.

Castelo Branco

(1964 – 1967)Costa e Silva

(1967 – 1969)

Emílio Médici

(1969 – 1974)

Ernesto Geisel

(1974 - 1979)

João Baptista Figueiredo

(1979 - 1985)

Brazilian Military Presidents

The Economy

• 1964 – 1967: Economic Recuperation• Programa de Ação Econômica do Governo (PAEG)

• Reduced budget, deficit, salaries, inflation. GDP grew again.

• 1969 – 1973: The Brazilian Miracle • GDP grew 11% a year.

• Growth was based on more debts and external dependency.

• Salaries were very low, and social benefits were lost.

• 1973 – 1979: Economic Problems• Increase of internal and external debts.

• 1978 : Strikes in São Paulo.

• 1980’s: “The lost decade”• Inflation soared, the debt destroyed the Brazilian economy.

• IMF imposed a painful austerity program on Brazil.

Redemocratization

• 1974: Gen. Geisel becomes president and promises democracy.

• 1979: Gen. Figueiredo becomes president and promises to finish Geisel’s work.

• 1979: General amnesty (including those who tortured civilians).

• New political parties are allowed to exist.

• 1982: General elections for governors and state representatives.

• 1984 – Diretas Já! – Direct (vote) now! A civil movement for direct presidential elections.

Tancredo Neves(1985)

• Minister of Justice during Getúlio Varga’s government (1935).

• Prime Minister of Jango (1961).

• Jan 15, 1985: elected president by the congress.

• Died in Mar 15, 1985.

• Tancredo was the hope for a new country.

José Sarney(1985 - 1990)

• Ex-member of the ARENA, vice-president of Tancredo.

• His government faced several economic problems: huge foreign debt, and inflation.

• Plano Cruzado (economic plan) did not work.

• 1986: Elections for congress.

• 1988: New constitution.

Fernando Collor de Melo(1991-1992)

• First president democratically elected since 1961.

• He was a good looking candidate that promised to end corruption and to modernize the country.

• Involved in many scandals, he was impeached in 1992.

• Several rallies occurred throughout the country against him.

Itamar Franco(1992 - 1994)

• Vice-president of Collor; formally took office in Dec 1992.

• Inflation reached 6000% in 1993.

• Franco managed to unite several political parties and create a successful economic plan (Plano Real) in 1994 that reduced inflation to a single digit.

• His minister of Economy was elected president in 1994.

Fernando Henrique Cardoso(1995 - 2002)

• FHC consolidated the political and economic stability.

• He privatized several companies (including CSN, and EMBRATEL).

• After some years of economic growth, Brazil’s economy suffered the consequences of world economic crisis.

• FHC was reelected in 1998.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva(2003 - present)

• He had a very poor childhood. At age 12 he worked as a shoeshine boy and street vendor.

• In 1978, he was elected president of the Steel Workers' Union of São Bernardo.

• In 1980, he and a group of academics, union leaders and intellectuals founded the Labor Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores - PT).

• During the 1990’s PT shifted from a left-wing party to more center-left position.

• LULA was elected president in 2002.

• Instead of deep social changes (as proposed in the past) his government chose a reformist line, passing new retirement, tributary, labor, and judicial laws, and discussing a university reform.

Social Issues in Brazil• The Brazilian economy had a belated

flourishing, even for Latin American standards.

• During the 19th century Brazil was poorer than Peru and growth was slow.

• During the 20th century the South and South-East regions developed much faster. This created the migration problem.

• In the 20th century an educational system had to be built.

• The quality of public education is still questionable in some areas.

• Before 1950 there were no good public hospitals, and very few public health campaigns.

Racial Issues in Brazil• Brazil has a multi-racial society.

Mulatos Caboclos Cafuzos

• Brazil was the last country in the Americas to end slavery (1888).

• Social integration of African-Brazilians and other minorities (caboclos, cafuzos, etc) has been a slow process.

• The first affirmative action policies were introduced in the last ten years.

• Racial minorities still have less access to good school, and good health system.

• Different developing rates among different geographic regions increased the problem.

Improvements in Social Issues• Infant mortality rates dropped from 41.1% in 1992 to 27.5% in 2003

(15.18% in Argentina; 5.7% in USA, but 14% among African Americans).

• 97.3% of children (7 to 14) in school in 2003.

• 99.5% of homes have access to electricity, 89.6% receive public clean water.

• 17.5% have a computer at home, 13.2% have internet access (although Brazil represents 32% of internet access in Latin America).

• “Fome Zero” (Zero Hunger) – A social program that distributes money to selected regions and cities whose inhabitants suffer severe difficulties.

• “Bolsa Família” (Family Aid) – the program consists primarily of financial aid to families with incomes of less than US$40.00 per month. It demands that the families send their children to school and keep their vaccines up to date.

• Aids program - Brazil's guarantee of access to free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs since 1996. The government promotes public campaigns to educate the population.

CURIOSITIES:

Orange Pipeline (Sucoduto)

• 30% of the orange produced in the world (USA – 18%).

• Brazil exports to Europe, USA, China, Japan, Russia, India (among others).

CURIOSITIES:

How do we vote?

www.tse.gov.br/eleicoes/urna_eletronica/simulacao_votacao/UrnaApplet2.htm

• 100% electronic voting.

• We vote using electronic voting machines.

• Each candidate has one number.

• We enter the candidate’s number and see his/her picture and name on the screen.

• Official results in less than 24 hours.

• Elections in Brazil are considered the most well organized in the continent.

CURIOSITIES:

EMBRAER

• Embraer has become one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world by focusing on specific market segments with high growth potential in commercial, defense, and executive aviation.

• Embraer was Brazil’s largest exporter from 1999 to 2001 and the second largest in 2002, 2003 and 2004. It currently employs more than 16,500 people, 85.5% based in Brazil.

CURIOSITIES:

BOSSA NOVA (The new beat)

• Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music invented in the late 1950s by a group of middle-class students and musicians living in the Copacabana and Ipanema beachside districts of Rio de Janeiro.

• The music derives from samba but is more complex harmonically and less percussive.

• Perhaps the best known bossa nova song is Antonio Carlos Jobim's “The Girl from Ipanema”.

• Bossa Nova was popularized in the US by Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Frank Sinatra, and Vinicius de Moraes.

Web resources

• http://www.mre.gov.br/cdbrasil/itamaraty/web/ingles/index.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Brazil

• http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luiz_In%C3%A1cio_Lula_da_Silva

• http://www.ibge.gov.br/ (not everything is available in English)

• http://ww2.aegis.com/news/ct/2003/CT030601.html

• http://www.embraer.com.br/english/content/home/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossa_nova

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html

Documents

BRAZIL The Unknown Giant