Flourishing Southlands (Geopolity)

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Seventh Federative Republic of Brazil
Brasil
Fs flag.png
Flag
Motto: Ordem e Progresso
Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileiro
BRA orthographic.svg
CapitalBrasília
Largest citySão Paulo
Official languagesPortuguese
Recognised regional languagesApalaí, Arára, Bororo, Canela, Carajá, Carib, East Pomeranian, English, German, Guarani, Italian, Japanese, Kaingang, Lombard, Nadëb, Neapolitan, Nheengatu, Pirahã, Polish, Romani, Spanish, Terena, Ticuna, Tucano, Tupiniquim, Ukrainian, Venetian, Wanano, Ye'kuana
Ethnic groups
45.3% Mixed
43.5% White
10.2% Black
0.6% Indigenous
0.4% East Asian
Demonym(s)Brazilian
GovernmentFederal presidential republic
• President
Franco dos Santos
• Commander-in-Chief
Diogo da Silva Telo e Meneses
• Vice President
Adrião Coutinho
LegislatureBrazilian People's Congress
Population
• FY7 (??? April 2024) estimate
???
GDP (nominal)FY7 (??? April 2024) estimate
• Total
$2,560,015,778,738 USD
• Per capita
$11,427.75 USD
HDI (2022)0.760
high
CurrencyBrazilian real (BRL)
ISO 3166 codeBR

The Seventh Federative Republic of Brazil is a hybrid regime located in South America. It is the world's fifth-largest country by area, and seventh-largest by population. Its capital is Brasília, located in the Distrito Federal, and its most populous city is São Paulo. It is extremely rich in natural and human resources, thanks to its megadiversity and a history of mass centripetal immigration. This has consequently allowed it to become one of the world's major breadbaskets and largest economies.

Brazil is an emerging middle power. It is a member of the Global Security Association (GSA), and holds chairmanship over the United Assembly of Nations (UAN).

Etymology

The word 'Brazil' is likely sourced from brazilwood, known in Portuguese as Paubrasilia. Its wood can be powdered into a vibrant red dye, which contributed to its overharvesting by European traders. The tree is now all but extirpated, and replanting efforts have yielded little fruit. Brazil is consequently the only country in the world to be named after a dye.

History

Prehistory

Discovery and colonization

Europeans arrive

Independence

Independence as Empire

Republican era

Overthrow of Pedro II

Contemporary era

See also: Brazilian RP Archive (Geopolity)


Government and politics

Brazil is a presidential federation, currently governed by a semi-democratic military junta known as the Brazilian Restoration and Salvation Council (BRSC). The BRSC is headed by a Commander-in-Chief, who leads the Armed Forces, and a President, who oversees the day-to-day administration of the country. The constitutional distribution of power is lopsided towards the Commander-in-Chief. Civilian control of the military and the separation of powers is token to nonexistent.

Executive

The BRSC discharges all executive functions of government, and is comprised of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of the Exterior, Ministry of Human Capital, Ministry of Regulations and Social Protection, Ministry of Justice, and the Brazilian Armed Forces.

Despite the vast array of legal powers at its disposal, the BRSC's competences are quite limited:

  • Foreign affairs
  • Defence
  • Unemployment protection (via Trabalho Para Todos)
  • National development (via Trabalho Para Todos)
  • Welfare (via Bolsa Familia)
  • Healthcare
  • Education
  • Federal law enforcement and incarceration
  • Federal taxation
  • Federal technical and trade standards

The other powers of government reside with local authorities, which include:

  • Regional development
  • Public transport
  • Welfare (via local initiatives)
  • Healthcare (via local initiatives)
  • Education (via local initiatives)
  • State law enforcement and incarceration
  • Firefighting and ambulance services
  • State taxation
  • Business licencing
  • Industrial policy and subsidies
  • Indigenous and women's affairs
  • Human and labour rights protection
  • Arts, culture, and recreation
  • Waste management and recycling
  • Property registration
  • Statistics and census-taking
  • Gaming control
  • Animal and pest control
  • Inspections and certification
  • Environmental conservation and protection
  • Resource management
  • Export credit
  • Public debt financing

Some powers have also been spun off to private entities, such as:

  • Social housing (built and managed by Casa Brasil)
  • Pensions and superannuation (administered by the Fundo de Previdência Obrigatório)
  • Postal services (administered by the now-privatised Correios)
  • Railways (operating via a franchising model)

Legislature

See also: the Brazilian People's Congress

The Brazilian People's Congress (BPC) is Brazil's national legislature, replacing the National Congress of Brazil. It was formerly named the Technical Legislative Board (TLB), which was comprised of experts, professionals, and academics retained on an ad hoc basis. Legislation was proposed by members of the general public, and subsequently scrutinized by a body of experts whose field corresponds with the proposal's subject matter. The TLB was technicratic but unwieldy, prompting the BRSC to reform it into a more permanent, specialised lawmaking body.

The BPC is comprised of 300 Congressional Deputies (CDs), of whom 100 are directly elected by the public, 100 are sourced from professional bodies and organisations, and 100 are appointed by the BRSC. This allows the three key sectors of society - the people, business, and government - to be politically represented.

Judiciary

Brazil's legal system is based on continental, and more specifically, the Portuguese civil law tradition. Most, if not all, Brazilian laws are codified, with very little resort to law reports or case authorities. Stare decisis is not practiced, though general interpretive guidance may be sought from the judgments of senior courts. The judiciary is comprised of career judges, who are appointed after passing entry exams. This stands starkly in contrast with the judiciaries of the Anglosphere, where judges are nominated from a pool of experienced practitioners, typically Senior Counsel or King's Counsel, before they are appointed.

The judiciary of Brazil is divided vertically (between the federal and state-level courts) and horizontally (between different specialised areas). The federal judiciary is comprised of the following organs:

  • the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), which disciplines judicial officers and promotes reform
  • the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), the court of final appeal on constitutional matters
  • the Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ), the court of final appeal on non-constitutional matters
  • the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), the court of final appeal on electoral law
  • the Tribunal Superior do Trabalho (TST), the courts of final appeal on labour law
  • the Superior Tribunal Militar (STM), the court of final appeal on military justice
  • the Tribunais Regionais Federais (TRF), the court of appeal on general martters for their respective regions
  • the Tribunais Regionais do Trabalho (TRT), the court of appeal on labour law for their respective regions
  • the Tribunal Regional Eleitoral (TRE), the court of appeal on electoral law for their respective regions

The state judiciary is comprised of the following organs:

  • the Tribunal de Justiça (TJ), the court of appeal for their respective states
  • the Vara, the court of first instance for their comarca

Military

See also: the Brazilian Armed Forces

Economy

The economy of Brazil is historically one of the largest and most significant in the Southern Hemisphere, with a nominal GDP of $2,560,015,778,738 USD, and GDP per capita of $11,427.75. It is classed as a developing country with a mixed economy, though the privatisation campaign undertaken by President Franco dos Santos is projected to further reduce the state's footprint in the market.

Brazil was one of the fastest-growing economies in the world from 2000 to 2012, with averaging at 5% GDP growth per annum. This was interrupted by a decade of economic recession and stagnation that lasted until the Brazilian Restoration and Salvation Council's seizure of power. Economic prospects have since recovered following reforms and Brazil's entry into the GSA economic area, though it is unclear whether this upward trajectory will be sustained far into the future.

Agriculture

Mining

Manufacturing

Financial services

Arts and culture

Tourism

Energy

Logistics

Notable companies

Currency

The official currency of Brazil is the Brazilian real (BRL), replacing the cruzeiro real in 1994. It is issued by the Banco Central do Brasil, minted by the Casa da Moeda do Brasil, and subdivided into 100 centavos.

The Common Overseas Convertible Currency (COCC/CCC) is used GSA-wide as a reserve currency for intra-alliance exports, imports, and investments.


See Also