Brazil

Officially the Federative Republic of Brazil. Brazil is dominated by the Amazon Basin, with the world's largest rainforest, and Central Highlands. The country consists of dense forest, semiarid land, rugged hills, rolling plans and a long coastal strip. The principal mountain range, Serra do Mar, runs along the Atlantic coast.

Climate: varies from mostly tropical in north, where it is seldom cold, to more temperate in south, where it snows in some places; wide range of subtropical variations.

Population: 160,960,881

Languages: Portuguese, official language, spoken by all but a few isolated Amerindians, who retain their languages, and immigrants who have not yet acquired proficiency in Portuguese. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America.

Capital: Brasília

Independence: September 7, 1822 (from Portugal)