Brazil is an independent state in South America, and a member of the United Nations. Treaties and official documents call it Federative Republic of Brazil. Government sits in BrasÃlia.
The population is about 212.0 million, placing it 7th of 250 by population — between Nigeria above it and Bangladesh below. Among the 14 entries in South America it ranks 1st by area and 1st by population.
The land area is 8,515,767 km², which ranks it 6th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is a fraction smaller than the United States.
Brazil on the map
Its reference point sits at 10.0° south and 55.0° west, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 1,113 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
The equator passes across it. Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Christmas Island.
It borders 10 neighbours: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. The largest of them by area is Argentina, while the most populous is Colombia. Together those neighbours hold about 185.7 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Brazil
Density comes out at around 25 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Officially it is monolingual: Portuguese. Another 9 entries list Portuguese too — among them Angola, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Someone from Brazil is a Brazilian.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 2nd most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for 49% of everyone living in South America.
The practical details for Brazil
The currency is the Brazilian real (R$, BRL). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.
Its internet country code is .br. To phone it from abroad you dial +55. Standard country codes: br and BRA.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Brazil, the answer is BrasÃlia.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Brazil shares borders with 10 countries:
Fun facts about Brazil
- In land area it is a fraction smaller than the United States.
- The Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Population density works out at roughly 25 people per square kilometre.
- Ranked by land area, Brazil is 6th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Its full official name is Federative Republic of Brazil.
- Portuguese is official here and in 9 other entries worldwide.
- Within South America it is the 1st largest of 14.
- The Brazilian real is used here and nowhere else on this list.
Brazil — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Brazil?
- The capital of Brazil is BrasÃlia.
- Which countries border Brazil?
- Brazil borders 10 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Argentina is the largest of them by area.
- What language is spoken in Brazil?
- The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. It is also official in 9 other entries on this list.
- How big is Brazil?
- Brazil covers 8,515,767 km², ranking 6th of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than the United States.
- Where is Brazil located?
- Brazil is in South America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 10.0° south and 55.0° west, roughly 1,113 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- What is the population of Brazil?
- Brazil has a population of about 212.0 million, which makes it the 7th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Nigeria sits just above it and Bangladesh just below.
- What currency does Brazil use?
- Brazil uses the Brazilian real, written R$ (currency code BRL). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Is Brazil a country?
- Yes. Brazil is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
