ncludes
Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 83.3% male: 83.3% female: 83.2% (1995 est.)

Government Brazil

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

Government type: federative republic

Capital: 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 election results: Fernando Henrique CARDOSO reelected
president; percent of vote - 53% 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 6 October 2002) cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president 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

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 r