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

BR

federative republic

Brasilia

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

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

5 October 1988

based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

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

chief of state: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1 January
1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO (since 1
January 1995); Vice President Marco MACIEL (since 1 January 1995);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 4 October 1998
(next to be held NA October 2002)
election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected president;
percent of vote - 53%

bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional
consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; three
members from each state or federal district elected according to the
principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected
after a four year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year
period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513
seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Federal Senate - last held 4 October 1998 for one-third of
Senate (next to be held NA October 2002 for two-thirds of the Senate);
Chamber of Deputies - last held 4 October 1998 (next to be held NA
October 2002)
election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PMDB 27, PFL 20, PSDB 16, PT 7, PPB 5, PSB 3, PDT 2,
PPS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PFL 106, PSDB 99, PMDB 82, PPB 60, PT 58, PTB 31, PDT 25, PSB
19, PL 12, PCdoB 7, other 14

Supreme Federal Tribunal, 11 judges are appointed for
life by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or
PMDB ; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Jose
Carlos MARTINEZ, president]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB
; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB
; Brazilian Progressive Party or PPB [Paulo
MALUF, president]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Joao AMAZONAS,
chairman]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT ;
Liberal Front Party or PFL ; Liberal
Party or PL ; Popular Socialist Party
or PPS ; Worker's Party or PT [Jose DIRCEU,
president]

left wing of the Catholic
Church, Landless Worker's Movement, and labor unions allied to leftist
Worker's Party are critical of government's social and economic
policies

AfDB, BIS, CCC, ECLAC, FAO,
G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM
(observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador Rubens Antonio BARBOSA
chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 238-2700
FAX:  (202) 238-2827
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony S. HARRINGTON
embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito
Federal Cep 70403-900 Brazil
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): Recife

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)