157,079,573 (1996).

18.4 per sq km.

Brasília.

1,821,946 (1996).

Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent and it is bordered to the north, west and south by all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador; to the east is the Atlantic. The country is topographically relatively flat and at no point do the highlands exceed 3000m (10,000ft). Over 60% of the country is a plateau; the remainder consists of plains. The River Plate Basin (the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, both of which have their sources in Brazil) in the far south is more varied, higher and less heavily forested. North of the Amazon are the Guiana Highlands, partly forested, partly stony desert. The Brazilian Highlands of the interior, between the Amazon and the rivers of the south, form a vast tableland, the Mato Grosso, from which rise mountains in the southwest that form a steep protective barrier from the coast called the Great Escarpment, breached by deeply cut river beds. The population is concentrated in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. São Paulo has a population of over 9 million, while over 5.5 million people live in Rio de Janeiro.

Federal Republic. Head of State and Government: President Henrique Cardoso since 1994.

The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterising each State. Spanish, English, Italian, French and German are also widely spoken, particularly in tourist areas. Three linguistic roots survive in the indigenous areas: Gê, Tupi-guarani, Aruak and Karib.

There is no official religion, but approximately 90% of the population adhere to Roman Catholicism. A number of diverse evangelical cults are also represented, as are animist beliefs (particularly spiritism, umbanda and candomblé