Brazil

Population: 198 million

Capital: Brasília; Population: 2.5 million

Government: Federal Republic. Head of State and Government: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since 2003.

Time: Brazil spans six 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.

Language: The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterising each State.
    
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)

Electricity: Brasília and Recife, 220 volts AC; Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, 127 volts AC or 220 volts in larger hotels. Plugs are of the two-pin type. Most hotels provide 110-volt and 220-volt outlets, transformers and adaptors.

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 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 10 million, while over 5.5 million people live in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Currency: Real

Life Expectancy: 72.5

GDP per Capita: U.S. $10,200

Literacy Percent: 88.6%