Brazil ranks first in production. Brazil is one of the key countries in the developing world

Brazil is the largest country in South America, located in its central and eastern parts. The length of the land borders is about 16 thousand km, in the east, for 7.4 thousand km, the country is washed by the Atlantic. Area - 8.5 million square meters. km. According to the US Census Bureau, the population in 1999 was 171,853 thousand people. Currently, Brazil is a federal republic, administratively divided into 23 states, 3 territories and a federal district. The capital is Brasilia. Monetary unit - real. Official language- Portuguese.

Characterized by a large and well-developed agriculture, mining, manufacturing and service sector, Brazil's economy surpasses that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. Since 2003, Brazil has steadily improved its macroeconomic stability by building foreign exchange reserves and reducing debt. Brazil became a net external creditor in 2008, and two rating agencies gave the Brazilian economy investment status. After record growth in 2007 and 2008, the onset of the global financial crisis hit the country's economy in September 2008. Brazil experienced two quarters of decline as global demand for Brazilian goods declined and external lending declined.

However, Brazil was one of the first developing countries to start a recovery. Consumption and investor confidence recovered and GDP growth turned positive in 2010. The recovery of exports had a positive effect on economic growth.

Currently, strong growth in Brazil and high interest rates have made the country's economy attractive to foreign investors. Large capital inflows in 2010 contributed to rapid growth local currency and forced the government to raise taxes on some foreign investment. President Dilma Rousseff pledged to remain committed to the previous administration's central bank inflation targeting, floating exchange rates and fiscal restraint policies.

History of the Brazilian economy

Until the mid-1990s, Brazil experienced very high inflation and foreign investors were afraid to invest in the national economy. But with the introduction of a strict monetary policy in the country, the country corrected its situation: the rise in prices for consumer goods in 1998 amounted to 2% against 1000% in 1994. But at the same time, GDP growth decreased from 5.7 percent in 1994 to 3% in 1997 due to a tighter credit policy.

In 1998 the country's economy is facing a serious test: the global financial crisis has led to an outflow of investment from the country. Approximately 30 billion dollars was spent in August and September 1998. The most serious consequence for Brazil, after the Russian refusal to pay its debts, was the decision to change the annual interest rate (it reached 50%). After adjusting the tax program and adopting new principles of structural transformation, the International Monetary Fund issued loans to the country in the amount of 41.5 billion dollars. In January 1999, the Central Bank of Brazil announced a one-time 8% devaluation of the real and a refusal to further artificially support the national currency. The government of the country hoped for the beginning of economic growth by the end of 1999. and declared its adherence to a strict anti-inflationary course. Even though in 1999 in the country there was a currency crisis, the country's economy, despite this, by the end of 1999. nevertheless increased. Since the end of 1999, since the end of 1999, about 20 billion dollars of investments have been invested in the country's economy after the issuance of an IMF loan.

Between 1995 and 1998 there was a decline in almost all industries in Brazil (from 7.6% to -2.3% in total), especially in engineering (from 21.4% to -4.1%), energy (from 19.0% to -10 .1%) and transportation (from 13.4% to -15.1%).

But by 2000, the world's leading economists were seeing the growth of the Brazilian economy. For example, overall production growth (but data for March 2001) was 11.2% from January 2000, while analysts had expected 6.8%. Combined with strong output, there has been a better-than-expected drop in unemployment and a surprisingly large trade deficit recorded in early 2001.

The hot period of economic activity has led to the fact that imports began to develop at a faster pace than exports, despite the fact that the devaluation helps to increase the competitiveness of Brazilian products. Between January and February, exports rose 13.8% to $8.62 billion, while imports rose 18.6% to $9.02 billion.

Many media said that with such a growth rate, the Brazilian economy would "overheat", but the country adapted to the fast-growing economy precisely through imports, and not through rising prices, as previously assumed. In 2000, the Central Bank lowered key interest rates from 45% to 15.25% in the hope that the economy would continue to respond to the declining cycle. interest rates over the past two years.

Brazil's GNP in 1998 was $767,578 million. Brazil's GDP in 1998 was $778,209 million. At the end of 1999, the decline in Brazil's GDP did not exceed 2%, despite the expected 3.8%.

Exports in 1998 amounted to 51 billion dollars and consisted of iron ore, coffee, soybeans, oranges, cars, aircraft, weapons. Exporting countries: EEC - 28%, Latin America (excluding Argentina) - 28%, USA - 20%, Argentina - 13%. Imports in 1998 amounted to 57.6 billion dollars and consisted of crude oil, machinery and equipment, and food products. Importing countries: EEC - 26%, USA - 22%, Argentina - 13%, Japan - 5%.

However, in subsequent years, Brazil was waiting for a new period of frankly weak economic development. The government of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva failed to contain the growth of domestic debt, which has long been more than half of GDP, despite a policy of lowering bank interest rates. Bank interest that attracted speculative short-term capital to Brazil remained the highest in the world at 14.25%. So far, economic growth has been held back by the devaluation of the local currency, the real, whose exchange rate was artificially maintained at a level of 30% below the real one against the US dollar, which naturally restrained production growth and made exports expensive.

The pace of development of the Brazilian economy in 2006-2007 remained below the global level - such a conclusion is contained in the report of the International Monetary Fund.

In December 2008, the President of Brazil signed a decree on the formation of a "sovereign wealth fund" in the amount of up to $ 6 billion, financed by a state budget surplus (up to 3.8% of GDP). The purpose of the fund is to provide investment for Brazilian companies in the face of the collapse of external sources of credit.

Relative change in GDP by years: +5.1% (2008); -0.2% (2009); +7.5% (2010). In 2010, the volume of GDP amounted to 2.023 trillion. dollars (2182 trillion dollars at PPP). GDP per capita reached $11,220 ($11,514 PPP). The inflation rate was 4.5% and the unemployment rate was 5.7%.

Brazilian industry

Brazil is one of the key countries in the developing world. In terms of GDP, it ranks first in Latin America, and in terms of industrial production, it is among the ten largest countries in the world. The share of industry in GDP is 26.4%, and Agriculture- 6.1%. Industry employs 14% of the workforce. Brazil has large reserves of minerals: iron (over 100 billion tons), manganese (100 million tons), uranium (256 thousand tons) ores, coal (21 billion tons), oil, etc.

Brazil industrial production growth rate, % to the previous year

Mining industry. Despite the rapid development and rich resource base of Brazil, the share of this industry in GDP is small. The extraction of apatite and iron ore is highly developed there, as well as the extraction of gold, silver, tin, diamonds and asbestos. The iron ore industry works to a large extent for export.

More than 40 types of minerals are mined in Brazil. The most significant are iron and manganese ores. More than 200 million tons of iron ore are mined per year, approximately 80% is exported. Brazil occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of bauxite mining. Zinc, copper and nickel are mined for the domestic market. Brazil is a supplier of strategic raw materials: tungsten, niobium, zirconium, mica, etc. Brazil provides only half of its oil needs and is forced to import it. The annual demand for oil is 75 million tons. In the 1970s, significant reserves of gold were found in the Amazon, and now its production is about 80 tons per year. Coal deposits have been found, but the coal is of low quality and its production is about 5 million tons per year. The most developed production of aluminum on its own bauxites, as well as nickel and copper.

Energy. Up to 90% of the country's electricity is produced by hydroelectric power plants, alternative sources are also used (most of the cars run on alcohol), firewood, coal, and one nuclear power plant. Ferrous metallurgy. operates on its own ore and imported coke. The country is one of the ten world steel producers (smelting - 25 million tons). The largest factories are located in the states of Minas Gerai and Sao Paulo.

Brazil has a huge hydropower potential. Energy is 99% based on hydropower. Brazil has the second largest hydroelectric power station in the world - Itaipu. In 2005, 546 billion kWh were generated. Brazil exported 7 million kWh of electricity and imported 39 billion kWh, mostly from Paraguay. In 2007, 438.8 billion kWh were generated, 404.3 billion kWh were consumed, and 2.034 billion kWh were exported. Electricity import in 2008 - 42.06 billion kWh (mainly from Paraguay).

Manufacturing industry. The manufacturing industry occupies over a quarter of the GDP. The main industries are oil refining and the chemical industry. Developed - transport engineering (primarily automotive), machine tool building. The country ranks fourth in the world in the construction of sea vessels, and the success of the aircraft industry is noticeable. The radio hardware structure has been developed, and the production of electronic computers is developing at a rapid pace. The main centers of the industry are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil produces more than 1.5 million cars annually. The main car manufacturers in the country are Scania, Mercedes-Benz and Fiat. The main manufacturer of buses is Mercedes-Benz.

Agriculture in Brazil

Agriculture in Brazil employs 20% of the labor force. In terms of exports of agricultural products, Brazil is in third place in the world, its share in world exports of these products is 6.1%. The share of agricultural products in Brazil's exports reaches almost a third. In the structure of the industry, crop production is leading (60% of the value of all products), and in the course of the evolution of land use and land tenure systems, the institution of large land ownership - latifundia (80% of all cultivated land) has developed. In addition, small landownership - minifundia - is widespread. Although the proportion of the latter is small, it is they who produce the bulk of food (and not export, as on latifundia plantations) crops for domestic consumption: cereals, legumes, potatoes. Brazil is a traditional producer and exporter of a number of agricultural products: coffee, sugar cane, soybeans, corn, cocoa, bananas, cotton, as well as a significant number of cattle.

In the north of Brazil there are huge forest areas of the Amazon, occupying 60% of the entire territory of the country. But stocks of valuable tree species are used unconventionally and poorly. Of greatest importance is the collection of rubber, the harvesting of nuts and medicinal plants.

Coffee is one of Brazil's main exports. In 2008, 2790.8 million tons of coffee were harvested, thus Brazil is in first place in the world in this indicator. By its production, Brazil is on the 1st place in the world. Brazil ranks 1st in the world in the production of sugar cane, from which ethanol is made, used mainly as a fuel for cars. In 2008, 648 million tons were harvested. Cocoa beans (208 thousand tons), cotton (3.9 million tons) and soybeans (59.9 million tons) are also grown.

Brazil's main consumer crops are wheat, corn and rice. In 2008 it was harvested: corn - 59 million tons (two crops are being harvested), rice - 12 million tons, wheat - 5 million tons.

Livestock in Brazil is predominantly meat, it provides about 40% of the value of agricultural products. Pasture cattle breeding predominates, as well as beef cattle breeding in combination with vegetable growing. Animal husbandry is most common in the Central-West of the country. In 2002, there were 176 million cattle, 30 million pigs, 1,050 million poultry and 15 million sheep in the country.

Brazil transport

Transport in Brazil is developed extremely unevenly, railways are mainly located in the east of the country. Transport highways (at first, railways) began to form in the 19th century. And now, new and modernized railway lines mainly connect mining centers and agricultural production areas with ports. The length of railways is 29,252 km, including 487 km with a wide gauge, 194 km with a standard gauge, 23,785 km with a narrow gauge, and 396 km with the rest.

The length of motor roads is 1.98 million km. (of which with a hard surface - 184,140 km.). Highways, although they are the longest in all of Latin America and carry most of the passengers, do not meet the needs of the country, moreover, they are unevenly distributed throughout the country. Maritime (98% of all foreign trade cargo) and air transport play an exceptional role in the development of foreign trade relations.

Airports: total - 4276, with hard surface - 714, without hard surface - 3562. Water transport: total - 137 vessels with a displacement of 2,038,923 gt / 3,057,820 dwt, dry cargo ships - 21, oil tankers - 47, chemical tankers - 8, gas tankers - 12, passenger - 12, container - 8, bulk carriers - 21, ro-ro - 8.

The role of Brazil in the world economy

The Brazilian economy, with a highly developed agriculture, mining industry (it ranks first in the world in the extraction of iron ore, apatite, the second in the extraction of beryllium, the third in the extraction of bauxite, the fourth in the extraction of gold, asbestos, tin) and the service sector, is the most powerful in the region and provides significant influence to world markets. Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee and sugar cane, and one of the largest exporters of agricultural products.

Despite the inexpressive indicators of economic development, Brazil claims to be the world leader in developing countries. A new confirmation of the country's government's claims to leadership among the third world countries was the intention to form a bloc of countries at the upcoming IMF forum in order to block the IMF reform project, which would give greater rights to China, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico in the decision-making of the international financial body. The volume of exports in 2010 amounted to 199.7 billion US dollars, and imports - 187.7 billion US dollars. Exports are transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles. Export partners China 12.49%, USA 10.5%, Argentina 8.4%, Netherlands 5.39%, Germany 4.05% (for 2009). Imports - machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, automotive parts, electronics. Import partners USA 16.12%, China 12.61%, Argentina 8.77%, Germany 7.65%, Japan 4.3% (for 2009).

Federal Agency for Education

Sochi State University tourism and resort business

Institute of Economics and Management

Department of Management

Test

in the discipline "World Economy"

on the topic: " Economic development Brazil"

Performed:

Kovalenko A.N.

a brief description of countries:

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. In terms of territory, it is second only to the Russian Federation, the USA, China and Canada, it has large reserves of more than 30 types of mineral raw materials.

Brazil is located in the eastern and central parts of South America, occupies almost half of the mainland, its area is about 8.5 million square meters. km. It borders in the north with Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Guiana, in the west - Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, in the northwest - with Colombia, in the south - with Uruguay. In the north and east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in which it owns numerous islands. On the territory of the country is one of the most extensive water systems in the world - the Amazon and Parana basins, which together cover 70% of the territory of Brazil.

Brazil's climate varies by region from tropical to temperate. The territory of the country is divided into two main natural zones: the forested plains of the Amazonian lowland along the banks of the Amazon River, and the tropical landscapes of the Brazilian plateau. The country belongs to one of the leading places in the world in terms of reserves of iron ore, manganese, bauxite, zinc, strategic raw materials, nickel, uranium, and gold.

About 183 million people live in Brazil. The share of the urban population is 81.2%. Average life expectancy 64 - 72 years.

Brazil is a federal republic made up of 26 states. The head of state, government and supreme commander-in-chief is the president. The highest legislative body is the National Congress. executive power carried out by the president and the government formed by him. The judiciary is represented by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the Supreme Court of Justice, regional courts, electoral, military, etc. courts.

The FEZ Manaus is located on the territory of Brazil, which has existed for 37 years. It covers an area of ​​3.6 million square meters. km., unites 2 thousand trading companies in 22 industries that provide employment for 50 thousand workers and employees, produce a variety of finished products worth 13.2 billion dollars. and motorcycle assembly. The Manaus zone is an important "pole" of attraction for foreign investment.

In accordance with the UN classification, Brazil belongs to the group of "new industrial states" and is included in the "top ten" leading countries in the world in terms of GDP.

Brazil is a member of the following integration associations: MERCOSUR (South American common market, which has the fourth largest economy in the world and is one of the most dynamically developing consumer markets in the world with a population of 200 million people and a total GDP exceeding 1 trillion dollars), ALADI, IBERO, Rio de Janeiro Group, OAS, SELA, etc.

Brazilian economy:

In the international division of labor, Brazil remains predominantly a supplier of agricultural products, which has a pronounced export orientation. In terms of agricultural exports, Brazil is second only to the United States and France. The main export crops - coffee, cocoa beans, cotton, sugar cane and soybeans - account for over a third of the cultivated area.

Brazil is the world's first coffee producer, which is its main export. She came out on top in the supply of sugar cane.

Brazil is the world leader in the production of bananas, beans, ranks second in the world in the production of soybeans and cocoa, is the largest producer of rice in the Western Hemisphere, and has one of the largest livestock in the world.

The Brazilian economy has historically been characterized by an alternation of rapid ups and downs. Its development was also strongly influenced by high inflation and a colossal external debt - during periods of crisis, the country had to resort to borrowing.

Economic reforms The 90s - including privatization and the opening of markets - helped to stabilize the financial situation.

Brazil's natural resources, especially iron ore, are in high demand from large industrial nations such as China. Thanks to the development of offshore fields, Brazil has ceased to depend on oil imports and, for the first time in many decades, has switched to self-sufficiency in hydrocarbon raw materials.

The problem of stratification into rich and poor is still acute in the country. Land is distributed especially unevenly in the country - most of the land is owned by a handful of the richest families. The fight against the current state of affairs is being led by the powerful Movement of Landless Rural Workers (LLT), which aims to redistribute agricultural land and use "direct action" methods, including land grabs.

The basis of Brazil's current economic potential was built during a period of relatively stable development since the mid-1960s. years, when large injections of foreign capital, new technologies and equipment were going into its economy. During these years, a modern automotive industry was created (6th place in the world), its own aircraft industry - the passenger aircraft ERZH-145 of the Embraer company, oil production (Brazil is one of the 20 countries - the largest oil producers and 10 countries with the most developed oil refining); aerospace complex. Within the lifetime of one generation (mid-70s to mid-90s), Brazil has made sudden jump in its development. GDP grew from $74 billion (in 1975) to $750 billion (in 1995), i.e. 10 times, per capita - from $715 to $4.7 thousand.

The main branches of the Brazilian economy:

mechanical engineering concentrated in the two main industrial complexes of the country - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Transport engineering (automobile and shipbuilding) is of the greatest importance.

Aircraft building. Embraer, founded by the state and initially manufacturing small aircraft, now exports aircraft of various types. Nowadays, the government encourages the development of microelectronics industries and the production of personal computers.

Extractive industry. Nearly every state in Brazil has mining operations. The leader of the mining industry is the state of Minas Gerais. Recently, the export of Paran iron ore has been added to the export of Minas-Zherai iron ore. Excluding aluminum and manganese ores from Amazonas and iron ore, the Brazilian industry consumes most of the rest of the mined minerals. These are chromium, magnesium and quartz from Bahia, copper and lead from Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, asbestos from Goias, nickel from Goias and Minas Gerais. The latter state is Brazil's main supplier of zinc and copper. To the south of the Amazon River, deposits of tin ores have been found, deposits of tungsten have been found in Rio Grande do Norte, silver in Parana and Baye. Coal mining in Santa Catarina covers more than half of the needs of the entire country. The state of Minas Gerais specializes in the extraction of gold and precious stones, while the states of Bahia and Espirito Santo specialize in the extraction of only precious stones: topazes, amethysts, opals, aquamarines, tourmalines, emeralds and other varieties of semi-precious stones.

From 1940, when the commercial development of oil fields began, until 1965, oil production was carried out in the state of Bahia, north of the city of Salvador. Subsequently, new deposits were found in the area from Fortaleza to Santos. Natural gas production is carried out in the states of Sergipe and Bahia. More than half of all oil is produced in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The Petrobras State Company, founded in 1953, has the most modern technologies in the world for deep drilling.

The country is one of the world leaders in the production of weapons. Weapons factories are both in private hands and in public administration. The manufactured products are distinguished by their reliability and low price, which makes them suitable for many third world countries.

Tourism- relatively young industry national economy. The concept of real resort areas has not yet found its application. The tourist complex is limited to a few large and expensive hotels in Rio de Janeiro, mountain resorts in Minas Gerais. The main entertainment centers are located in the city centers or nearby.

AT light industry the most traditional industries are food, textile and tobacco.

Agriculture. Starting from the middle of the 20th century. the share of agriculture in the gross national product began to decline. Today, less than a third of the economically active population is employed in this industry (30%). Brazil is self-sufficient in providing itself with food, moreover, the country is a leading exporter of tropical crops. Brazil is the world's first coffee producer, which is its main export. Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais are the main "coffee" states, followed by Paraná and Espiritu Santo. Soy and its products (animal feed) are another important part of the export. She grows rice, sugar cane, corn, wheat, cotton, cocoa and other crops.

The country ranks first in the world in terms of wood reserves of various valuable species. According to a report prepared by the government in 2005, a fifth of all forests in the Amazon have now been cleared.

I would like to note that over the past decade, Brazil has made great strides in creating a modern industrial production, turning from an agrarian into an industrial-agrarian country.

Back in the early 1990s, the government began to carry out reforms that had a positive impact on the economic situation in the country, improving both economic and socio-economic indicators.

The main achievements of the government in the social sphere were the reduction of the unemployment rate to 7.5% of the country's EAN (600,000 new jobs were created in 2000), as well as the adoption of a law to raise the minimum wage to $85.

The economic development of Brazil in 2001 was significantly affected by the Argentine crisis, the decline in economic activity in Japan and the United States. Broke out in the first half. In 2001, the country's energy crisis, caused by an increase in electricity consumption due to increased production, a lack of energy capacity and a lack of water in hydroelectric reservoirs, also caused significant damage to the Brazilian economy. But, despite this, the volume of GDP in 2001 increased by 4.13% compared to the previous year (industrial production increased by 5.09%, agricultural production - by 1.82%, indicators of the service sector - by 2 .76%.

In 2002, the volume of GDP reached 1.3 trillion. reals (466 billion dollars). The GDP growth rate was 1.4%. The share of industry accounted for 36% of the value of GDP, agriculture - 10%.

A significant decrease in investment risk indicators was noted, the attractiveness of Brazilian state valuable papers, markedly strengthened the real exchange rate against the US dollar. The rate of inflation slowed down.

The negative impact on the state of the economy in 2002 was: high rate loan interest (the discount rate of the Central Bank - 25%), growing public debt, which reached 885.2 billion reais (63.9% of GDP). A serious burden on the finances of Brazil falls on the servicing and amortization of foreign debt obligations, the amount of which is about 220 billion dollars.

Annual per capita income in 2002 amounted to about 3.2 thousand dollars. However, this average indicator, due to the very high degree of social stratification of society even for South America, does not reflect the real standard of living. Brazil's main problem, holding back its economic growth and hampering progress in education and science, is blatant social inequality.

Living conditions for the majority of the population remain difficult. This is especially pronounced in the poorest regions of the country, mainly in the north and northeast.

The volume of foreign trade in 2002 amounted to 107.5 billion dollars (export - 60.3 billion dollars, import - 47.2 billion dollars). A record foreign trade surplus of $13.1 billion has been reached since 1994. Almost 75% of Brazilian exports are semi-finished products with a high share of added value and goods of a full cycle of industrial processing (aircraft, cars, agricultural machinery, ships, wood products and etc.). In terms of agricultural exports (coffee, raw sugar, tobacco products, Orange juice, soy, etc.) Brazil is second only to the USA and France. The main trading partners are the EU member countries (26.1% of external trade), the USA (about 24.1%), Latin American states (19.5%, including MERCOSUR - 11.8%), Asian countries (13.9 %).

But, despite the apparent well-being, in 2002, the economic and financial crisis in Argentina had a noticeable negative impact on the situation in the Brazilian economy, as a result of which Brazil lost its second largest sales market. The situation in the Brazilian economy was aggravated by the September terrorist attacks in the United States, which led to a further reduction in the inflow of capital into Brazil and a decrease in its export opportunities.

Thus, it can be concluded that despite the generally favorable trends in foreign trade, the improving structure of exports, etc., Brazil still faces a number of problems that need to be addressed (including the low quality of a number of Brazilian products, the restriction on import of Brazilian products in a number of countries).

Brazil faces economic crisis

Political turmoil, crisis and falling oil prices on the world market threaten the stability of the Brazilian economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. According to the published report on the prospects for economic development of the IMF, the level of growth of the Brazilian economy will be lower than those planned by the government of the largest Latin American country.

For the first time, IMF experts acknowledged that the political crisis caused by the scandal over parliamentary corruption and the involvement of the ruling Workers' Party in the illegal financing of the 2002 election campaign could have negative consequences for the economic situation in Brazil.

In 2005, Brazil's economic growth was only 2.3%, less than half of the 2004 figure of 4.9%. True, the Central Bank of Brazil predicted a slowdown, but the results were lower than the projected 2.6%. In Latin America, only Haiti, which is in a protracted crisis, has a lower figure - 1.5%.

A particularly strong lag was noted in the agricultural sector, the growth rate of which did not exceed 0.8%. This is the lowest figure in the last 8 years.

Brazil's closest rivals on the world stage far outperformed it in terms of GDP growth, which grew by 9.9% in China, by 7.1% in India and by 5.5% in Russia.

In Latin America, Brazil, as already noted, was at the very tail, ahead of only Haiti. For comparison, according to ECLAC, the GDP of Argentina in 2005 grew by 9.1% and that of Mexico by 3%.

The Asian financial crisis and the economic and financial crisis in Argentina had a noticeable negative impact on the situation in the Brazilian economy. Despite the generally favorable trends in foreign trade, the improving structure of exports, etc., Brazil still faces a number of problems that need to be addressed (including the low quality of a number of Brazilian products, restrictions on the import of Brazilian products in a number of countries) .

In the structure of Brazil's exports, high-tech goods account for only 8%. The world standard requirements for high-tech products are currently only met by the automotive industry in Brazil.

There is a significant problem in the economy related to the amount of public debt, which threatens to turn into a serious financial crisis.

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Brazil is a land of endless jungle. The descendants of Europeans, Indians and slaves once brought from Africa mixed here. The result is a distinctive Brazilian culture, completely unlike any other. The Brazilians themselves call themselves "brasileros", which means "lumberjacks" in Portuguese - this is the self-name of the inhabitants of this country. What else can you say about Brazil? Perhaps, here in places it is quite dangerous, but it is still insanely interesting.

1. Brazil is the largest South American state in terms of area and population. It is also the only country on the continent where Portuguese is spoken rather than Spanish.
2. Brazil is the country with the largest number of Catholics among the local population.
3. According to one version, the state was named Brazil in honor of the mythical island - the Irish believe that it is located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
4. Brazil ranks first in the world in terms of the number of species of primates and freshwater fish living in its territory. In addition, it holds the second position in the number of amphibian species, the third in the number of bird species, and the fifth in the diversity of reptiles.
5. In 2013, the Brazilian authorities allowed to officially register marriages between spouses of the same sex. Three years earlier, a similar law had been passed in Argentina (see).
6. Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugar cane fuel that can be used in place of petroleum products.
7. Brazil is the world's leading sugar and orange grower, and the world's largest exporter of soybeans. Brazil also harvests a third of all coffee beans in the world (see).
8. The conscript may refuse to serve in the Brazilian army if he successfully passes the medical assistance test.
9. Brazil participated in the world football championships, and won them more often than any other country on the planet (5 times out of 20). 74% of Brazilians are passionate about football to one degree or another, which makes this game a truly nationwide sport.
10. The capital of the state, Brasilia, looks like a passenger plane from a height, although its architect Lucio Costa claimed that he designed the city like a huge butterfly. Brasilia was built specifically to become the capital - it took about 60,000 builders 3.5 years to do this.
11. All premises cathedral Brasilia are located underground - only a dome of stained glass and concrete is visible above the surface.
12. In the Brazilian capital, residential buildings higher than 6 floors are not being built. The general plan of the city assigns to each erected building a certain space above the ground, which is forbidden to exceed.
13. In Brazil, the letter "T" is often found on the doors of public toilets - it indicates cubicles for transsexuals, of which there are a great many in the country.
14. In the presence of Brazilians, you should not use the “OK” gesture (large and index fingers), since it is offensive - this is how the locals make it clear that they consider their interlocutor to be a nonentity, "zero" and an empty place.
15. The gesture, known in Russia as "figa", is considered protective in Brazil. Locals believe that it protects from the evil eye.
16. In Rio de Janeiro, from 10 pm to 5 am, motorists are allowed to drive through a red light so that they do not have time to rob them while stopping at an intersection.
17. Brazilian children donate lost baby teeth to school teachers, who give them to dentists to make dentures for teenagers.
18. The full name of a Brazilian is his own name, his mother's surname and his father's surname. When married, Brazilian women become owners of a double surname - their own and their spouse.
19. In Brazil, two of the 7 modern wonders of the world are located at once - the statue of Christ, towering over Rio de Janeiro, and the Amazon River (see).
20. Literally translated from Portuguese, "Rio de Janeiro" means "January River".
21. The anthem of Brazil contains so many compound words and suggestions that not all local residents are able to understand its meaning.
22. Brazil has the second largest number of operating airports in the world.

It is one of the ten largest countries in the world in terms of industrial production. Brazil is an industrial-agrarian country. The GDP share of the entire industry is about 30%, and agriculture and fisheries - 21%. In Brazil, the leading industries are: mechanical engineering, petrochemistry, ferrous metallurgy. Mechanical engineering has achieved enough high level development. The share of engineering products in the structure of industry is low - it does not exceed 20%. Automotive industry is an important branch of mechanical engineering. Brazil produces more than 1 million cars annually.

Orientation types of iron and steel enterprises in Brazil:

• - focus on iron ore basins is associated with a reduction in coke costs in connection with the improvement of blast-furnace production;
• - consumer orientation is associated with the emergence of mini-factories and the development of marginal metallurgy.

Brazil is one of the main producers of iron ore, steel and one of the leading countries in the production of synthetic rubber.

Brazil was able to build its own industry thanks to the richest natural resources. First of all, they include deposits of high-quality iron ore that have no equal in the world. Its huge reserves, diluted in the early 20th century. in the state of Minas Gerais, brought to life a surprisingly accurate poetic image: it is not for nothing that they say that this state has “a chest of iron and a heart of gold.”

The main industrial enterprises are concentrated in the southeast of the country in the "triangle" of Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Belo Horizonte. São Paulo is becoming increasingly concentrated in knowledge-intensive industries, as well as banks.

Brazil has a well-developed mining industry.

AT recent times In Brazil, science-intensive industries are actively developing. In the production of mini- and microcomputers, it took 4th place after the USA, Japan and Germany.

The military industry is well developed. Brazil produces approximately 55 thousand pieces. tanks.

The electric power industry is based on hydroelectric power stations, and Brazil has built the world's largest thermal power plants, such as Itaipu.

The economy still has serious problems, so reforms are still needed. Problems include underdeveloped infrastructure, significant concentration of profits, insufficient quality public services, corruption, social conflicts and government bureaucracy. These problems are quite complex in Brazil compared to other countries.

Domestic public debt hit a record high amid growing government spending. Taxes already represent a large part of the national income and are a serious burden on all social classes, reducing opportunities for investment. In addition, it is difficult to run and develop a business due to high licensing costs and the bureaucratic process of registering businesses.

The current economic growth is below most Latin American countries, as well as China and India. Brazil dropped 11 positions in the World Economic Forum's Competitiveness Index from 2003 to 2005.

The culture of Brazil began to take shape and is being formed to this day as a mixture of various historical traditions of the peoples that make up the Brazilian nation.

Religion. Most people in Brazil belong to the Roman Catholic Church. The most acute problems of the Brazilian church are the ignorance of the majority of the population and the lack of clergy. In terms of the number of Protestants (about 3 million), Brazil ranks first in South America.

Ethnogenesis and language. The population of modern Brazil descended from representatives of three major races - the Mongoloids ( American Indians), Negroids (Africans) and Caucasians. The latter are mainly the descendants of Portuguese immigrants, and more recently, immigrants from Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia, as well as Arabs from Syria and Lebanon, have been added to them. As a result of the mixing of all these groups, the Brazilian nation is formed. According to the 1950 census (the last to attempt to account for ethnic groups), Brazil was 61.7% white, 26.5% mulatto, and 11% black.

Brazilians are usually very open, friendly, and sometimes even generous with people they have already met, or at least know them by name. Once you are introduced to each other, the typical Brazilian may treat you as if you were his best friend. By all accounts, Brazilians are some of the most hospitable people in the world, and foreigners are generally treated with respect and often even with true admiration.

The attitude towards foreigners may also differ, depending on the region:

• * In the State of Santa Catarina, there are special bilingual signs and welcome committees for Spanish-speaking tourists.
• * In Salvador, the largest city in the northeastern part of the country, any person who talks, behaves or looks like a tourist (even if it's just another Brazilian), in restaurants, cafes and in parking lots, can be charged heavily.

There is a rapidly growing population of Chinese in Brazil, who mainly immigrate from Macau.

The main "gateway" of the country for tourists arriving from the northern hemisphere is the Southeast. Rio de Janeiro offers guests numerous attractions, including the Sugarloaf, the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovada, museums, churches and endless beaches. Carnival in Rio is known all over the world. Sao Paulo is the main industrial and commercial center of Latin America. It houses large museums and theaters. This city has excellent infrastructure for tourism and business. A significant part of the country's architectural heritage of the Baroque period is concentrated in the state of Minas Gerais. Of particular interest here are the historic towns around Ouru Preto.

Those tourists who visit the North of the country will be amazed by the incomparable natural beauty of the Amazon rainforest. In Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, one cannot fail to admire the famous theater built during the rubber boom.

Deserves attention and Belem - a major economic center of the region. Bananal Island is the largest river island in the world, famous for its wonderful beaches and good fishing.

The northeast is rich in its folklore. The city of Salvador in the state of Bahia absorbed the folk forms of Afro-Brazilian culture like a sponge. Her colorful music, dancing and culinary arts appear here in the most direct way. Pelourinho is one of the most attractive points on the tourist map of Brazil. Recife is the “Venice of Brazil”, indented with canals and framed by a necklace of beaches. The historic city of Olinda is included in the U.N.E.S.K.O. to the Cultural Population of Humanity list. The other two capitals of the states of the Northeast: Fortaleza and Maceio, are located, according to many experts, the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

In the Central West region lies Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, with its modernist architecture recognized by the U.N.E.S.K.O. part of the world heritage, and the boundless Pantanal, one of the largest reserves of flora and fauna on the planet, with its incredible beauty of the landscape.

The south is a temperate climate zone, where the change of seasons is felt more clearly. The inhabitants of Porto Alegre observe the traditions of "gaushus", i.e. Brazilian cowboys. Here, “churrascu”, a kind of shish kebab of excellent meat, is especially appreciated. A significant part of the population of Rio Grande do Sul are the descendants of Italian and German colonists, as well as Ukrainians and Russians, from whom they inherited very picturesque habits. The city of Florianopolis is located on an island framed by dozens of beaches that attract tourists from all over the world, especially for surfing. The state of Parana offers tourists the unforgettable sight of the Iguazu Falls.

Tourists must obtain visas. The national organization responsible for tourism in Brazil is EMBRATUR, short for Brazilian Institute of Tourism.

Last year, according to the Brazilian national tourism office Embratur, about 5 million foreign tourists visited Brazil, three times more than in the country's record year - 1995. A third of all tourists coming to Brazil are Argentines, for whom a visit to a neighboring country is beneficial for the exchange rate. More than 1.9 million tourists came to Brazil from December 1999 to February 2000, during the carnival season. The number of charter flights to the country in 1999 was 1081, and in 2000 - 1923, almost doubling. It is reported by "Tourinfo".

Every year at the end of February, all of Brazil, captured by the continuous thunder of drums beating the rhythm of incendiary samba, plunges into the noisiest, brightest and most cheerful holiday, the grandest show on the planet - carnival. Its origins lie in the ritual dances of Black Africa, whose pulsating rhythms, coinciding with the beats of the heart, were brought to Brazil along with millions of black slaves and slaves. And now samba penetrates the blood of all participants and guests of the carnival for five days, Brazil becomes an African country for five days. In the epicenter of the Brazilian carnival (Rio and Salvador), planes daily deliver thousands of tourists from the USA, Argentina, and European countries. El Salvador usually receives 600-700 thousand foreigners, Rio - about a million. Hotels are overcrowded, despite skyrocketing prices - places must be booked in advance. The first carnival processions in Rio took place in 1840. At the end of the 20s. In the 20th century, the first samba schools appeared in the city, where during the entire year preceding the February carnival, performances of individual carnival teams are being prepared. Some schools exhibit up to 4,000 dancers and 300 drummers for the carnival.

Speaking of Brazil, they usually remember football, coffee and of course the famous carnival. Brazil is quite distinctive and colorful. Everything bears the imprints of three cultures, European, Indian and African.

Portuguese-speaking South American Agro-climatic

The most dynamically developing country in Latin America, which is part of the BRICS, is Brazil, where the white population is 53%, mulattos - 39%, blacks - 6.2%.

Since the second half of the 60s, an authoritarian military regime has been established in the country. As a result of putting things in order, a favorable investment climate for domestic and foreign companies. State intervention in the economy with the growth of foreign investment led to economic growth in GDP in 1968 - 1974. up to 10% (“Brazilian Miracle”). The course was taken to turn Brazil into a great industrial power by the year 2000. However, the oil crisis of the 70s led to a drop in economic growth and an increase in external debt, which only by 2010 was reduced to $ 311 billion. In 1985, power passed to civilian politicians who began to liberalize the economy through mass privatization.

Geopolitical and geo-economic power. Brazil is the largest state in Latin America in terms of area (8.5 million sq. km) and population (201 million, 2011). It ranks 5th in the world in terms of area and population, 9th in terms of GDP (according to purchasing power parity, $ 2.2 trillion, 2010), the country with the largest Catholic population in the world. It is the largest economy in the regional grouping. The rainforests of the Amazon Basin produce approximately 50% of the oxygen on Earth. Thanks to the Amazon and other rivers, Brazil ranks first on the planet in terms of reserves fresh water. The second place belongs to Russia with the Siberian rivers and Baikal. In 2012 Brazil hosted the next UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). The conference was dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of the Earth Summit held here and was dedicated to the development of the "green economy".

The motto of the military-industrial complex is "Brazil should not be colonized by technological dependence". In 2006, Brazil became the ninth country in the world with full nuclear technology. A program is being implemented to create a nuclear submarine, and in 2010 a project for a nuclear power plant for nuclear submarines is expected to be implemented. A program of high-precision weapons has been implemented, including air-to-air missiles. The Embraer aircraft manufacturing company produces military aircraft. The AT-27 light attack aircraft was purchased by the French and British Air Forces. The Brazilian launcher of the Astros multiple launch rocket system is in service with the army Saudi Arabia. Prototypes of a combat heavy tank have been created. The Cascavel armored personnel carrier and the Urutu amphibious armored personnel carrier are supplied to many countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The production of small arms is successfully developing.

Brazil is an exporter of high-tech goods. In the production of metals, automotive, petrochemistry, pharmaceuticals, it is among the ten world leaders. Brazil is the world's third largest manufacturer of aircraft and the world leader in the production of regional aircraft. It exports aviation equipment, other vehicles, electrical equipment, iron ore, steel, etc.

In foreign economic relations, Brazil focuses on the European Union, Japan and China. Brazil actively trades with China, but there are problems in the foreign economic relations of the two countries. The Celestial Empire traditionally considers Latin American countries as a source of raw materials, while Brazil seeks to act on foreign markets as a supplier of industrial products.

The former Soviet man, accustomed to the achievements of domestic aviation, hardly perceives the competition of Brazil, which for many by inertia is associated with carnivals in Rio de Janeiro. As the tsunami of mindless democracy swept through Eastern Europe, Russia's machinery and equipment supplies were reduced to 1% of the total value of exports, which are based on mineral fertilizers. In turn, Brazil became a major exporter of tractors to Russia.

Against the backdrop of the degradation of the Russian aviation industry, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has become one of the leaders in the global market for passenger regional aircraft. The company successfully competes with the Canadian Bombardier and has become the third largest supplier of passenger airliners in the world after Boeing and Airbus. Embraer employs 20,000 people. Annual sales revenue exceeds $4-5 billion, and net profit - $300-400 million. The company's order book is $20 billion. It is planned to create a C-390 transport aircraft with a payload of 25 tons. With the implementation of this project, the Ukrainian "Ruslan" will lose its leadership in terms of carrying capacity. The success of Brazil became possible thanks to the "efforts" of Russia and Ukraine, which destroyed to a large extent cooperation in the field of aircraft construction. And each invented his own "bicycle" - the Russian "Superjet" and the Ukrainian An-148/158.

Brazil is the world's first producer of iron ore, the second - manganese and tantalum. Included in the top five for the extraction of bauxite, tin, lithium and magnesium. The Itaipu hydroelectric power station, the second largest in the world, operates here. Brazil actively produces biofuels (from sugar cane), which has saved $50 billion on fuel imports over a quarter of a century. In terms of ethanol exports ($2.4 billion), Brazil ranks first in the world.

Brazil is the seventh largest food exporter in the world. Is the largest manufacturer cane sugar and oranges in the world, grows 35% of the world's coffee crop. The world's largest number of cattle (210 million heads). It is the third largest producer of broilers in the world and the second largest exporter.

The Brazilian moderate socially oriented economic development model based on the middle class and the development of a capacious domestic market is finding more and more supporters on the continent. Examples include Peru and Venezuela, which has followed a pro-American course in the past.
And the Brazilian carnival continues.