OFFICIAL MEDIA GUIDE OF AUSTRALIA AT THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 0

Geography
BRAZIL PROFILE
The largest country in South America, Brazil stretches over almost half of the continent. With a surface area of
8,547,400 km², Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country in area (behind Russia, China, Canada and the United States).
It covers 4,345 km from north to south between its furthest points and 4,330 km from east to west. The highest
population concentrations are along the Atlantic coastlines, most notably in the two largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio
de Janeiro. The capital Brasilia is situated over 1,000 km inland.
The country is divided into five regions (Centre-West, North, Northeast, South and Southeast), which are themselves
divided into 26 states plus the Federal District that houses Brazilian capital Brasília.
Population
Brazil has roughly 190 million inhabitants, making it the fifth most populated country on Earth. The Southeast region
is the most heavily-populated in Brazil with almost 80 million people, roughly 40 per cent of the total. It is also the
most densely-populated (84.2 inhabitants per km²) and has the highest urbanisation rate at 90 per cent.
The official language is Portuguese, however many Brazilians speak other languages according to their origins.
German and Italian, for example, are fairly prevalent in the cities of the south. Almost 75 per cent of Brazilians are
Catholics, whilst another 26 million are Protestants.
History & Governance
Officially, Portuguese Pedro Alvares Cabral is regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. His fleet, in search of the Indias,
sailed into the South of modern-day Bahia on 22 April 1500. Since 1530, the Portuguese Crown implemented a
colonising policy that lasted centuries and ended when Dom Pedro I declared the country's independence on 7
September 1822.
After 1822, Brazil was governed by an imperial dynasty until a military revolt led by Marshal Manuel Deodoro da
Fonseca forced Emperor Dom Pedro II to abdicate in November 1889. The country became a republic and, despite a
long period of instability and even military dictatorship between 1964 and 1985, it now enjoys the fruits of
democracy.
Current President Dilma Rousseff has held the post since her inauguration on 1 January 2011.
Economy
Predominantly agrarian until recently, Brazil underwent rapid industrial growth throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and
by the 1980s possessed a fundamentally modern, diversified economy. This development went hand in hand with
heavy exploitation of its natural resources, in particular coal and iron ore.
Nearly a quarter of the world's coffee comes from Brazil. Brazil is also one of the foremost producers of sugar cane,
used not only to make sugar but also the alcohol that fuels 2.5 million specially-designed vehicles. Production levels
of ricin, cocoa, corn and oranges are among the highest in the world as well, while soy, tobacco, potato, cotton, rice,
wheat, manioc and bananas are also produced in large quantities. Sheep and cattle are reared in almost every state.
The Brazilian rainforest is another source of natural riches, including tung oil, rubber, carnauba oil, caroa fibre,
medicinal plants, vegetable oils, resins, timber for construction and various woods used in furniture-making. Brazil
has also begun mining fairly recently, again taking advantage of its abundant natural resources.
Football in Brazil
Founded in 1914, the Confederaçao Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) boasts a large list of honours: five FIFA World Cups,
eight Copa Americas, four FIFA Under-20 World Cups, three FIFA Under-17 World Cups, two FIFA Confederations
Cups, four FIFA Futsal World Cups, three FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups and dozens of continental trophies.
Famous players of Brazil over the years include Pele (whose name is almost synonymous with Brazilian sport itself),
Leonidas, Garrincha, Didi, Vava, Zagallo, Tostão, Zico, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, Socrates, Bebeto, Romario, Cafu,
Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. Brazilian football’s exceptional new talents include superstars Ronaldinho and Kaka.
Source: www.fifa.com
OFFICIAL MEDIA GUIDE OF AUSTRALIA AT THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 7