Long-form name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Type: federal republic; democratically elected president since March 1985

Capital: Brasilia

Administrative divisions: 23 states (estados, singular--estado), 3 territories* (territorios, singular--territorio), and 1 federal district** (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa*, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal**, Espirito Santo, Fernando de Noronha*, 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; note--the 1988 Constitution proposes to change Amapa and Roraima from territories to states, to subsume Fernando de Noronha under Pernambuco, and create a new state of Tocantins from part of Goias

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

Constitution: 5 October 1988

Legal system: based on Latin codes; dual system of courts (state and federal); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

Branches: strong executive; bicameral legislature (National Congress), composed of Senate and Chamber of Deputies; 11-member Supreme Court

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jose SARNEY Costa (acting President on 15 March 1985 and President since 22 April 1985)

Suffrage: compulsory between ages 18-70; voluntary 16-17, and over 70

Elections: congressional and gubernatorial elections held November 1986; in June 1988 constitutional convention confirmed retention of a presidential system and approved a presidential term of five years

Political parties and leaders: Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Ulysses Guimaraes, president; Liberal Front Party (PFL), Marco Maciel, president; other parties--Workers Party (PT), Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Democratic Workers Party (PDT), and Social Democratic Party (PDS); Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB); Communist parties legalized in March 1985--Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) and Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB)

Voting strength: (November 1986 congressional elections) PMDB 55%, PFL 27%, PDS 7%, leftist opposition parties (PT, PDT, PCB) 11%

Communists: about 30,000

Other political or pressure groups: left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are critical of government's social and economic policies

Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcilio Marques MOREIRA; Chancery at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-2700; there are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, and New York, and Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Avenida das Nocoes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal (mailing address is APO Miami 34030); telephone Õ55å (6) 321-7272; there are US Consulates General in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and Consulates in Porto Alegre and Recife

Flag: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto @m5ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

NOTE: The information regarding Brazil on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brazil Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brazil Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.