BRAZIL

Country Profile Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. Disputes unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina Location Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Coordinates 10° 0' S 55° 0' W Capital Brasilia Main Cities Belo Horizonte, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo Area 8511965 km2 Boundaries (km) 14,691 - Argentina 1,224, Bolivia 3,400, Colombia 1,643, French Guiana 673, Guyana 1,119, Paraguay 1,290, Peru 1,560, Suriname 597, Uruguay 985, Venezuela 2,200 Coastline (km) 7,491 Timezone (GMT) -1 to -4 Population 191,908,598 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) Public Holidays Independence Day, 7 September (1822) Currency real (BRL) GDP $1.836 trillion (2007 est.) Main Exports transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos Climate mostly tropical, but temperate in south Natural Hazards recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south Physical Features Lake Patos (10,140 km2), Amazon river (6,570 km), Itatinga Falls, Pilao Falls, mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt Environmental Agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Flag Country Map(s)

Population and Demographics

Brazil has a population of 191,908,598 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) .

Capital	Brasilia
Main urban areas	Belo Horizonte, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo
Ethnic groups	white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Languages spoken	Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Population age 0-14: 24.9% (m 24,391,338/f 23,454,418) 15-64: 68.7% (m 65,330,427/f 66,431,982) 65+: 6.4% (m 5,055,770/f 7,244,663) (2008 est.)
	0-14	15-64	65+
Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.04 m/f , 15-64: 0.98 m/f , 65+: 0.7 m/f Total population: 0.98 m/f (2008 est.)

Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)

The population growth rate for Brazil is 0.98% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 29 years male: 28.3 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.).

Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for Brazil are illustrated with a green bar.

Life Expectancy:	Total population: 72.51 years Male: 68.57 years Female: 76.64 years (2008 est.)	[72.51] [64.77] [ Male:, m] [63.16, m] [, f] [66.47, f]
Fertility:	1.86 children born/woman (2008 est.)	[1.86] [2.59]
Births:	16.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)	[16.04] [20.05]
Deaths:	6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)	[6.22] [8.67]
Infants:	Total: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 30.28 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 22.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)	[26.67] [48.87] [30.28, m] [50.98, m] [22.89, f] [46.65, f]

Economic Data

Economy Overview

Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil’s economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. Having weathered 2001-03 financial turmoil, capital inflows are regaining strength and the currency has resumed appreciating. The appreciation has slowed export volume growth, but since 2004, Brazil’s growth has yielded increases in employment and real wages. The resilience in the economy stems from commodity-driven current account surpluses, and sound macroeconomic policies that have bolstered international reserves to historically high levels, reduced public debt, and allowed a significant decline in real interest rates. A floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and a tight fiscal policy are the three pillars of the economic program. From 2003 to 2007, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains coupled with high commodity prices contributed to the surge in exports. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA DA SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country’s primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration, LULA DA SILVA announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase investment in infrastructure. The government’s goal of achieving strong growth while reducing the debt burden is likely to create inflationary pressures.

Debt and Aid
Debt: $223.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Aid Given: N/A
Aid Received: $191.9 million (2005)

Labour Force
Number in labour force: 99.47 million (2007 est.)
Sectors: agriculture: 20% industry: 14% services: 66% (2003 est.)
Unemployment: 9.3% (2007 est.)

GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: real (BRL)
GDP: $1.836 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $9,700 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 5.4% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 28.7% services: 65.8% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 4.9% (2007 est.)

Industries, Land Use and Resource Consumption
Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Land use: arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005)
Exports: transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Electricity Consumption: 368.5 billion kWh (2005)
Natural Gas Consumption: 17.85 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Oil Consumption: 2.1 million bbl/day (2006 est.)

Country Outline Map

Geographic Data
Brazil is located in Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, in the timezone GMT -1 to -4. The country has boundaries of 14,691 - Argentina 1,224, Bolivia 3,400, Colombia 1,643, French Guiana 673, Guyana 1,119, Paraguay 1,290, Peru 1,560, Suriname 597, Uruguay 985, Venezuela 2,200 (km), and a coastline of 7,491 (km). Major urban areas: Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo.

Elevations
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

Physical Features
Lake Patos (10,140 km2), Amazon river (6,570 km), Itatinga Falls, Pilao Falls, mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

Hazards
Recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

Climate
Mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Natural Resources
Bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Land Use
Arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005)

Renewable Water Resources
8,233 cu km (2000)

Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 59.3 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%) per capita: 318 cu m/yr (2000)

Environmental Issues
Deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

Detailed country map

Transport and Communications

A selection of key transport and communications information for Brazil

Number of main telephone lines
38.8 million (2006)

Mobile (cellular) phones
99.919 million (2006)

Radio stations
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)

Television stations
138 (1997)

Internet users
42.6 million (2006)

Country internet code
.br

Railways
total: 29,252 km broad gauge: 4,877 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge narrow gauge: 23,785 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified) dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2005)

Highways
total: 1,724,929 km paved: 94,871 km unpaved: 1,630,058 km (2000)

Waterways
50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2005)

Pipelines
condensate/gas 244 km; gas 10,739 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2004)

Ports and harbours
Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos, Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria

Airports
4,263 (2007)

Heliports
16 (2007)

AUSTRALIA

Country Profile Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequest droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Disputes Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore and Cartier Islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catch; regional states continue to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers or roughly thirty percent of its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security Location Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean Coordinates 25° 0' S 135° 0' E Capital Canberra Main Cities Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Area 7686850 km2 Boundaries (km) 0 Coastline (km) 25,760 Timezone (GMT) 8 to 10 Population 20,600,856 (July 2008 est.) Public Holidays Australia Day, 26 January (1788), 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) Currency Australian dollar (AUD) GDP $760.8 billion (2007 est.) Main Exports coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment Climate generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north Natural Hazards cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires Physical Features Lake Eyre (8,800 km2), Uluru (Ayers Rock), Great Barrier reef (1,900 km), Great Victoria desert (647,000 km2), Great Sandy desert (400,000 km2), Simpson desert (145,000 km2), Sturt desert (130,000 km2), Gibson desert, MacDonnell Ranges, West Australian Plateau, Kimberley Plateau, Nullarbor Plain, Australian Alps, Eastern Highlands, Murray river, Darling river Environmental Agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Flag Country Map(s)

Population and Demographics

Australia has a population of 20,600,856 (July 2008 est.) .

Capital	Canberra
Main urban areas	Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Ethnic groups	Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Languages spoken	English, native languages

Population age 0-14: 19.1% (m 2,014,230/f 1,920,604) 15-64: 67.5% (m 7,005,588/f 6,895,817) 65+: 13.4% (m 1,226,432/f 1,538,185) (2008 est.)
	0-14	15-64	65+
Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.05 m/f , 15-64: 1.02 m/f , 65+: 0.8 m/f Total population: 0.99 m/f (2008 est.)

Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)

The population growth rate for Australia is 0.801% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of 3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 37.4 years male: 36.6 years female: 38.3 years (2008 est.).

Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for Australia are illustrated with a green bar.

Life Expectancy:	Total population: 80.73 years Male: 77.86 years Female: 83.75 years (2008 est.)	[80.73] [64.77] [ Male:, m] [63.16, m] [, f] [66.47, f]
Fertility:	1.76 children born/woman (2008 est.)	[1.76] [2.59]
Births:	11.9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)	[11.9] [20.05]
Deaths:	7.62 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)	[7.62] [8.67]
Infants:	Total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 4.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)	[4.51] [48.87] [4.89, m] [50.98, m] [4.11, f] [46.65, f]

Economic Data

Economy Overview
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy, particularly in mining states. Australia’s emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key factors behind the economy’s 16 solid years of expansion. Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency have pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a tight labor market are constraining growth in export volumes and stoking inflation. Australia’s budget has been in surplus since 2002 due to strong revenue growth.

Debt and Aid
Debt: $824.9 billion (30 June 2007)
Aid Given: ODA, $2.123 billion (2006)
Aid Received: $NA

Labour Force
Number in labour force: 10.95 million (2007 est.)
Sectors: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 21.2% services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
Unemployment: 4.4% (2007 est.)

GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
GDP: $760.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $36,300 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 3.9% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 3% industry: 26.4% services: 70.6% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 3.8% (2007 est.)

Industries, Land Use and Resource Consumption
Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Land use: arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)
Exports: coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Electricity Consumption: 219.8 billion kWh (2005)
Natural Gas Consumption: 25.72 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Oil Consumption: 903,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Country Outline Map

Geographic Data
Australia is located in Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, in the timezone GMT 8 to 10. The country has boundaries of 0 (km), and a coastline of 25,760 (km). Major urban areas: Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.

Elevations
Lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Physical Features
Lake Eyre (8,800 km2), Uluru (Ayers Rock), Great Barrier reef (1,900 km), Great Victoria desert (647,000 km2), Great Sandy desert (400,000 km2), Simpson desert (145,000 km2), Sturt desert (130,000 km2), Gibson desert, MacDonnell Ranges, West Australian Plateau, Kimberley Plateau, Nullarbor Plain, Australian Alps, Eastern Highlands, Murray river, Darling river

Hazards
Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires

Climate
Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Natural Resources
Bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

Land Use
Arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)

Renewable Water Resources
398 cu km (1995)

Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 24.06 cu km/yr (15%/10%/75%) per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000)

Environmental Issues
Soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources

Detailed country map

Transport and Communications

A selection of key transport and communications information for Australia

Number of main telephone lines
9.94 million (2006)

Mobile (cellular) phones
19.76 million (2006)

Radio stations
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television stations
104 (1997)

Internet users
15.3 million (2006)

Country internet code
.au

Railways
total: 47,738 km broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005)

Highways
total: 810,641 km paved: 336,962 km unpaved: 473,679 km (2004)

Waterways
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2002)

Pipelines
condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)

Ports and harbours
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

Airports
461 (2007)

Heliports
1 (2007)