Brasilia

Administrative divisions: 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

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Constitution: 5 October 1988

Legal system: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

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

Executive branch: 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%

Legislative branch: 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