Brazil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, federal republic, the largest nation in South America, occupying nearly one half of the entire area of the continent. It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by Uruguay; on the west by Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru; and on the north-west by Colombia.
Population
157,872,000
(1996 estimate)
Population Density
19 people/sq km
(48 people/sq mi)
(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
78% Urban
22% Rural
Largest Cities
Sao Paulo9,842,059
Rio de Janeiro5,547,033
Salvador2,174,072
Belo Horizonte2,060,804
(1993 estimate)
Ethnic Groups
22% Mulatto
15% Portuguese
12% Mestizo
11% Italian
11% black
10% Spanish
19% Other
including Germans, Japanese, and Native Americans
Languages
Official Language
Portuguese
Other Languages
Native American languages, German, Japanese, Italian
Religions
90% Roman Catholicism
6% Protestantism
4% Other
Native American languages, German, Japanese, Italian
Religions
90% Roman Catholicism
6% Protestantism
4% Other
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