Part 100

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January 1995) was elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 3 October 1994; (next to be held October 1998); results - Fernando Henrique CARDOSO 53%, Luis Inacio LULA da Silva 26%, Eneas CARNEIRO 7%, Orestes QUERCIA 4%, Leonel BRIZOLA 3%, Espiridiao AMIN 3%; note - second direct presidential election since 1960; Vice President Marco MARCIEL (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) Federal Senate (Senado Federal): election last held 3 October 1994 for two-thirds of Senate (next to be held October 1996 for one-third of the Senate); results - PMBD 28%, PFL 22%, PSDB 12%, PPR 7%, PDT 7%, PT 6%, PTB 6%, other 12%; seats - (81 total) seats by party NA Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados): election last held 3 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998); results - PMDB 21%, PFL 18%, PDT 7%, PSDB 12%, PPR 10%, PTB 6%, PT 10%, other 16%; seats - (517 total) seats by party NA note: party totals since Fall 1994 have changed considerably due to extensive party-switching

Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal, judges are appointed for life by the Senate

Political parties and leaders: National Reconstruction Party (PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Paes DE ANDRADE, president; Liberal Front Party (PFL), Jorge BORNHAUSEN, president; Workers' Party (PT), Jose DIRCEU, president; Brazilian Workers' Party (PTB), Rodrigues PALMA, president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA, president; Brazilian Progressive Party (PPB), Espiridiao AMIN, president; Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Artur DA TAVOLA, president; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Roberto FREIRE, president; Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao AMAZONAS, chairman; Liberal Party (PL), Alvaro VALLE, president

Other political or pressure groups: left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Workers' Party are critical of government's social and economic policies

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MTCR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Paulo Tarso FLECHA de LIMA chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 745-2700 FAX: (202) 745-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco consulate(s): Houston

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Melvyn LEVITSKY embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: (61) 321-7272 FAX: (61) 225-9136 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Porto Alegre, Recife

Flag: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Economy -------

Economic overview: With its large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil has South America's largest GDP by far and has the potential to become a major player in the world economy. Prior to the institution of a stabilization plan in mid-1994, stratospheric inflation rates had devastated the economy and discouraged foreign investment. Since then, tight monetary policy has apparently brought inflation under control - consumer prices increased by 23% in 1995 compared to more than 1,000% in 1994. At the same time, GDP growth slowed from 5.7% to 4.2% as credit was tightened and the steadily appreciating real encouraged imports while depressing export growth. The increased stability of the Brazilian economy allowed it to weather the fallout from the Mexican peso crisis relatively well, with foreign funds flowing in during the second half of 1995 to swell official foreign exchange reserves past the $50 billion mark. Stock market indices in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, however, ended 26% lower in 1995. President CARDOSO remains committed to further reducing inflation in 1996 while boosting growth, but he faces key challenges. Servicing domestic debt has become dramatically more burdensome for both public and private sector entities because of very high real interest rates which are contributing to growing budget deficits and a surge in bankruptcies. Fiscal reforms, many of which require constitutional amendments, are proceeding at a slow pace through the Brazilian legislature; in their absence, the government is maintaining its strict monetary policy. Brazil's natural resources remain a major, long-run economic strength.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $976.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 4.2% (1995)

GDP per capita: $6,100 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 16% industry: 25% services: 59% (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (1995)

Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.) by occupation: services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%

Unemployment rate: 5% (1995 est.)

Budget: revenues: $58.7 billion expenditures: $54.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 55,130,000 kW production: 241.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,589 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, coca cultivation in the Amazon region has diminished in recent years because of its low alkaloid content, mostly for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian and Colombian cocaine headed for the US and Europe

Exports: $46.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: iron ore, soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee, motor vehicle parts partners: EU 27.6%, Latin America 21.8%, US 17.4%, Japan 6.3% (1993)

Imports: $49.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, coal partners: US 23.3%, EU 22.5%, Middle East 13.0%, Latin America 11.8%, Japan 6.5% (1993)

External debt: $94 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $107 million (1993)