Country profile: Brazil

Brazil is South America's largest and most influential country and takes up almost half the continent. The economic giant is one of the world's biggest democracies.

It includes much of the world's biggest rain forest around the Amazon, whose exploitation has become a major environmental worry.

Brazil: FACTS

• Full name: Federative Republic of Brazil
• Population: 182.8 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Brasilia
• Largest city: Sao Paulo
• Area: 8.55 million sq km (3.3 million sq miles)
• Major language: Portuguese
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 74 years (women)
• Monetary unit: 1 real = 100 centavos
• Main exports: Manufactured goods, iron ore, coffee, oranges, other agricultural produce
• GNI per capita: US $3,460 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .br
• International dialling code: +55