Part 99

Geographic note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

People ------

Population: 162,661,214 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 25,286,278; female 24,422,897) 15-64 years: 65% (male 52,232,435; female 53,094,724) 65 years and over: 4% (male 3,072,720; female 4,552,160) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 20.8 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 9.19 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.62 years male: 56.67 years female: 66.81 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic divisions: white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and African 38%, African 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 70%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 83.3% male: 83.3% female: 83.2%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil conventional short form: Brazil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil local short form: Brasil

Data code: BR

Type of government: federal republic

Capital: Brasilia

Administrative divisions: 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Constitution: 5 October 1988

Legal system: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age