Flag Coat of arms Motto Ordem e Progresso  (Portuguese) "Order and Progress" Anthem Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Capital Brasília 15°45'S, 47°57'W Largest city São Paulo Official languages Portuguese Demonym Brazilian Government Presidential Federal republic  -  President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva  -  Vice President José Alencar Gomes da Silva Independence from Portugal   -  Declared September 7, 1822   -  Recognized August 29, 1825   -  Republic November 15, 1889  Area  -  Total 8,514,877 km² (5th) 3,287,597 sq mi   -  Water (%) 0.65 Population  -  2007 estimate 190,010,647 (5th)  -  2000 census 169,799,170   -  Density 22 /km² (182nd) 57 /sq mi GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate  -  Total $1.803 trillion (9th)  -  Per capita $9,488 (68th) GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate  -  Total $1.067 trillion (10th)  -  Per capita $5,717 (64th) Gini? (2004) 54  HDI (2004) 0.792 (medium) (69th) Currency Real (R$) (BRL) Time zone BRT (UTC-2 to -5 (officially -3))  -  Summer (DST) BRST (UTC-2 to -5) Internet TLD .br Calling code +55 Brazil (IPA: /b??.z?l/), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil or República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info), is a country in South America.[1] It is the fifth-largest country by geographical area, the fifith most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,367 kilometres.[1] It borders Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the department of French Guiana to the north, Uruguay to the south, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, and Colombia to the northwest.[1] Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Penedos de São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade e Martim Vaz and Atol das Rocas.[1][2] Brazil was colonized by Portugal from 1500 until its independence in 1822. The republican system has been adopted since 1889, although its parliament dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified. Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federative Republic.[3] The Federation is formed by the indissoluble association of the States, the Federal District, and the Municipalities.[3] There are currently 26 States and 5,564 Municipalities.[4] Brazil is the world's 9th largest economy in terms of purchasing power and the 10th largest economy at market exchange rates. Brazil has a diversified middle-income economy with wide variations in development levels, with mature manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors. Technology and services also play an important role in the economy, and are growing rapidly. Brazil is a net exporter, having gone through free trade and privatization reforms in the 1990s. Brazil's economy outweighs that of any other Latin American country.[5][6] A pluralistic and multi-ethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.