Brazil | History, Map, Culture, Population, & Facts | Britannica

Brazil, country of South America that occupies half the continent’s landmass. It is the fifth largest country in the world, exceeded in size only by Russia, Canada, China, and the United States, though its area is greater than that of the 48 conterminous U.S. states. Brazil faces the Atlantic Ocean along 4,600 miles (7,400 km) of coastline and shares more than 9,750 miles (15,700 km) of inland borders with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador—specifically, Uruguay to the south; Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia to the southwest; Peru to the west; Colombia to the northwest; and Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana to the north. Brazil stretches roughly 2,700 miles (4,350 km) from north to south and from east to west to form a vast irregular triangle that encompasses a wide range of tropical and subtropical landscapes, including wetlands, savannas, plateaus, and low mountains. Brazil contains most of the Amazon River basin, which has the world’s largest river system and the world’s most-extensive virgin rainforest. The country contains no desert, high-mountain, or arctic environments.

Brazil is the fifth most-populous country on Earth and accounts for one-third of Latin America’s population. Most of the inhabitants of Brazil are concentrated along the eastern seaboard, although its capital, Brasília, is located far inland, and increasing numbers of migrants are moving to the interior. Rio de Janeiro, in the eyes of many of the world, continues to be the preeminent icon of Brazil. The country’s burgeoning cities, huge hydroelectric and industrial complexes, mines, and fertile farmlands make it one of the world’s major economies. However, Brazil struggles with extreme social inequalities, environmental degradation, intermittent financial crises, and a sometimes deadlocked political system.

Quick Facts See article: flag of Brazil Audio File: National anthem of Brazil Head Of State And Government: President: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Show more) Capital: Brasília (Show more) Population: (2026 est.) 222,968,000 (Show more) Currency Exchange Rate: 1 USD equals 5.515 Brazilian real (Show more) Form Of Government: multiparty federal republic with two legislative houses (Federal Senate [81]; Chamber of Deputies [513]) (Show more) Official Language: Portuguese (Show more) Official Religion: none (Show more) Official Name: República Federativa do Brasil (Federative Republic of Brazil) (Show more) Total Area (Sq Km): 8,510,418 (Show more) Total Area (Sq Mi): 3,285,872 (Show more) Monetary Unit: real (R$; plural reais) (Show more) Population Rank: (2025) 7 (Show more) Population Projection 2030: 224,304,000 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Mi: (2026) 67.9 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Km: (2026) 26.2 (Show more) Urban-Rural Population: Urban: (2018) 86.6% Rural: (2018) 13.4% (Show more) Life Expectancy At Birth: Male: (2022) 72 years Female: (2022) 79 years (Show more) Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate: Male: (2022) 94% Female: (2022) 95% (Show more) Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000): (2023) 1,959,785 (Show more) Gni Per Capita (U.S.$): (2023) 9,280 (Show more) Officially: Federative Republic of Brazil (Show more) Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil (Show more) See all related content Show More

Brazil is unique in the Americas because, following independence from Portugal, it did not fragment into separate countries, as did British and Spanish possessions in the region. Rather, it retained its identity through the intervening centuries and a variety of forms of government. Because of that hegemony, the Portuguese language is universal except among Brazil’s Indigenous peoples, especially those in the more-remote reaches of the Amazon basin. Today more than 200 Indigenous languages are spoken across Brazil, reflecting the country’s linguistic diversity. Such languages as Tucuna, Kaingang, and Guarani Mbyá are still spoken, particularly in the Amazon region, where many communities have preserved their linguistic traditions despite centuries of external pressure.