BRL to HKD Live Rate

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

10 00 S, 55 00 W

22 15 N, 114 10 E

South America

Southeast Asia

total: 8,515,770 sq km

land: 8,358,140 sq km

water: 157,630 sq km

note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

country comparison to the world: 6

total: 1,108 sq km

land: 1,073 sq km

water: 35 sq km

country comparison to the world: 184

total: 16,145 km

border countries (10): Argentina 1,263 km, Bolivia 3,403 km, Colombia 1,790 km, French Guiana 649 km, Guyana 1,308 km, Paraguay 1,371 km, Peru 2,659 km, Suriname 515 km, Uruguay 1,050 km, Venezuela 2,137 km

total: 33 km

regional border(s) (1): China 33 km

7,491 km

733 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

territorial sea: 12 nm

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

mean elevation: 320 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Pico da Neblina 2,994 m

mean elevation: NA

elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

agricultural land: 32.9%

arable land 8.6%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 23.5%

forest: 61.9%

other: 5.2% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 5%

arable land 3.2%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 0.9%

forest: 0%

other: 95% (2011 est.)

54,000 sq km (2012)

10 sq km (2012)

the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro

population fairly evenly distributed

recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south

occasional typhoons

deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; illegal wildlife trade; illegal poaching; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador; most of the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, extends through the west central part of the country; shares Iguazu Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Argentina

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands

six times the size of Washington, DC

207,353,391 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

7,191,503 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 100

noun: Brazilian(s)

adjective: Brazilian

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger

adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)

Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4% (2016 est.)

Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language)

note: less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.)

Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3%

note: many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation (2016 est.)

Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition. Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country. The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population. Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty. More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas (slums).

Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination. After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation. Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals. Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population. The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class. Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.

total dependency ratio: 43.8

youth dependency ratio: 32.4

elderly dependency ratio: 11.4

potential support ratio: 8.7 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 35.9

youth dependency ratio: 15.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.7

potential support ratio: 4.8 (2015 est.)

total: 32 years

male: 31.1 years

female: 32.8 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 102

total: 44.4 years

male: 43.5 years

female: 45 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

0.73% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 140

0.32% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

14.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

8.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro

population fairly evenly distributed

urban population: 86.2% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 100% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.64% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Sao Paulo 21.066 million; Rio de Janeiro 12.902 million; Belo Horizonte 5.716 million; BRASILIA (capital) 4.155 million; Fortaleza 3.88 million; Recife 3.739 million (2015)

Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.74 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

44 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 102

total: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 20.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 92

total: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 216

total population: 74 years

male: 70.5 years

female: 77.7 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 128

total population: 83 years

male: 80.4 years

female: 85.9 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

1.75 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 163

1.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 221

80.2% (2013)

74.8% (2012)

8.3% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 51

1.85 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

1.91 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)

5.33 beds/1,000 population (2016)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 87% of population

total: 98.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 13% of population

total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 88% of population

rural: 51.5% of population

total: 82.8% of population

unimproved:

urban: 12% of population

rural: 48.5% of population

total: 17.2% of population (2015 est.)

0.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 60

830,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

NA

14,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

NA

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease: schistosomiasis

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

22.1% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 82

2.2% (2007)

country comparison to the world: 121

5.9% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 49

3.3% of GDP (2017)

country comparison to the world: 124

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.6%

male: 92.2%

female: 92.9% (2015 est.)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2014)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2014)

total: 16.1%

male: 13.8%

female: 21.2% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

total: 9.9%

male: 10.9%

female: 8.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 129

29.8 years (2008 est.)

conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil

conventional short form: Brazil

local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil

local short form: Brasil

etymology: the country name derives from the brazilwood tree that used to grow plentifully along the coast of Brazil and that was used to produce a deep red dye

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin)

local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin)

abbreviation: HK

etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

federal presidential republic

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

name: Brasilia

geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W

time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February

note: Brazil has three time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands

26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, 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, Tocantins

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

none (special administrative region of China)

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July (1997) is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988; amended many times, last in 2016 (2016)

history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law

amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

civil law; note - a new civil law code was enacted in 2002 replacing the 1916 code

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

see China

voluntary between 16 to 18 years of age, over 70, and the illiterate; compulsory between 18 to 70 years of age; note - military conscripts by law cannot vote

18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials

chief of state: President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 31 August 2016); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 31 August 2016); Vice President (vacant)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5 October 2014 with runoff on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018)

election results: Dilma ROUSSEFF reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Dilma ROUSSEFF (PT) 51.6%, Aecio NEVES (PSDB) 48.4%

note: on 12 May 2016, Brazil's Senate voted to hold an impeachment trial of President Dilma ROUSSEFF, who was then suspended from her executive duties; Vice President Michel TEMER took over as acting president; on 31 August 2016 the Senate voted 61-20 in favor of conviction and her removal from office; TEMER is serving as president for the remainder of ROUSSEFF's term, which ends 1 January 2019

chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

head of government: Chief Executive Carrie LAM (since 1 July 2017)

cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

election results: Carrie LAM elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM 777, John TSANG 365, WOO Kwok-hing 21, invalid 23

note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the Election Committee to 1,200 members

description: bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members each from 26 states and 3 from the federal district directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 8-year terms, with one-third and two-thirds of the membership elected alternately every 4 years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

elections: Federal Senate - last held on 5 October 2014 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2018 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 5 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018)

election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 5, PSDB 4, PDT 4, PSB 3, DEM (formerly PFL) 3, PT 2, PSD 2, PTB 2, PP 1, PR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 70, PMDB 66, PSDB 54, PSD 37, PP 36, PR 34, PSB 34, PTB 25, DEM (formerly PFL) 22, PRB 21, PDT 19, SD 15, PSC 12, PROS 11, PCdoB 10, PPS 10, PV 8, PHS 5, PSOL 5, PTN 4, PMN 3, PRP 3, PEN 2, PTC 2, PSDC 2, PTdoB 1, PSL 1, PRTB 1

description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; five at large “super-seat” members directly elected by all of Hong Kong’s eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (next to be held in September 2020); note - by-election to be held on 11 March 2018 to fill 4 seats left vacant after 4 legislators were removed from office

election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 36.0%; pro-Beijing 40.2%, localist 19.0%, other 4.8%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 23 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, Professional Commons 2, Labor 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, other democrats 3), localists 6 (ALLin HK 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, other localist 1), non-aligned independent 1; note - 2 localists were barred from taking office in November 2016 and 4 pro-democracy legislators were removed in July 2017

highest court(s): Supreme Federal Court or Supremo Tribunal Federal (consists of 11 justices)

judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president and approved by the Federal Senate; justices appointed to serve until mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts: Tribunal of the Union, Federal Appeals Court, Superior Court of Justice, Superior Electoral Court, regional federal courts; state court system

highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent judges and 1 non-permanent judge

judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Brazilian Communist Party or PCB [Ivan Martins PINHEIRO]

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER]

Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Cristiane BRASIL]

Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]

Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Marcos Antonio PEREIRA]

Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Aecio NEVES]

Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Carlos Roberto SIQUEIRA de Barros]

Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO]

Christian Social Democratic Party or PSDC [Jose Maria EYMAEL]

Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]

Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]

The Democrats or DEM [Jose AGRIPINO] (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL)

Free Homeland Party or PPL [Sergio RUBENS]

Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz PENNA]

Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Eduardo MACHADO]

Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB [Luis Henrique de Oliveira RESENDE]

National Ecologic Party or PEN [Adilson Barroso OLIVEIRA]

National Labor Party or PTN [Jose Masci de ABREU]

National Mobilization Party or PMN [Telma RIBEIRO dos Santos]

Party of the Republic or PR [Alfredo NASCIMENTO]

Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto Joao Pereira FREIRE]

Progressive Party or PP [Ciro NOGUEIRA]

Progressive Republican Party or PRP [Ovasco Roma Altimari RESENDE]

Republican Social Order Party or PROS [Euripedes JUNIOR]

Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS]

Social Democratic Party or PSD [Guilherme CAMPOS]

Social Liberal Party or PSL [Luciano Caldas BIVAR]

Socialism and Freedom Party or PSOL [Luiz ARAUJO]

Solidarity or SD [Paulo PEREIRA DA SILVA]

United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU [Jose Maria DE ALMEIDA]

Workers' Cause Party or PCO [Rui Costa PIMENTA]

Workers' Party or PT [Rui FALCAO]

parties:

ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups)

Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [LO Wai-kwok]

Civic Party [Alvin YEUNG]

Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election)

Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai]

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king]

Democratic Party [WU Chi-wai]

Demosisto [Nathan LAW]

Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei]

Labor Party [Steven Kwok Wing-kin]

League of Social Democrats or LSD [Avery NG Man-yuen]

Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan]

Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung]

New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee]

People Power or PP [Raymond CHAN]

Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang]

others:

Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK]

Professional Teachers Union or PTU

note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, NWSC, PP, Professional Commons, PTU; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; localist - ALLinHK, CP, Democracy Groundwork, Demosisto; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Landless Workers' Movement or MST [Joao Pedro STEDILE]

other: industrial federations; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China)

Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong

Civic Act-up (pro-democracy)

Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Albert HO] (pro-China)

Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council or HKTUC (pro-democracy)

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce or HKGCC

Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union or HKPTU [FUNG Wai-wah]

AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, BRICS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador Sergio Silva do AMARAL (since 16 September 2016)

chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700

FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC

none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities

commissioner: Clement C.M. LEUNG

office: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] 202 331-8947

FAX: [1] 202 331-8958

HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael MCKINLEY (since 19 December 2016)

embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia

mailing address: Unit 7500, DPO, AA 34030

telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000

FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136

consulate(s) general: Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo

chief of mission: Consul General Kurt W. TONG (since 27 August 2016); note - also accredited to Macau

consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong

mailing address: Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006

telephone: [852] 2523-9011

FAX: [852] 2845-1598

green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress); the current flag was inspired by the banner of the former Empire of Brazil (1822-1889); on the imperial flag, the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil, while the yellow stood for the Habsburg Family of his wife; on the modern flag the green represents the forests of the country and the yellow rhombus its mineral wealth (the diamond shape roughly mirrors that of the country); the blue circle and stars, which replaced the coat of arms of the original flag, depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889 - the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has changed with the creation of new states and has risen from an original 21 to the current 27 (one for each state and the Federal District)

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, and Vanuatu

red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

Southern Cross constellation; national colors: green, yellow, blue

orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white

name: "Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem)

lyrics/music: Joaquim Osorio Duque ESTRADA/Francisco Manoel DA SILVA

note: music adopted 1890, lyrics adopted 1922; the anthem's music, composed in 1822, was used unofficially for many years before it was adopted

note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world, but is recovering from a recession in 2015 and 2016 that ranks as the worst in the country’s history. Falling commodity prices reduced export revenues and investment, which weakened the Brazilian real and cut tax revenues. The weaker real made existing public debt, which was largely denominated in foreign currency, more expensive. Lower tax revenues strained the government budget.

Economic reforms, proposed in 2016, aim to slow the growth of government spending and reduce barriers to foreign investment. Government spending growth helped to push public debt to 78% of GDP at the end of 2017, up from 50% in 2012. Policies to strengthen Brazil’s workforce and industrial sector, such as local content requirements, may have boosted employment at the expense of investment.

Former President Dilma ROUSSEFF was impeached and convicted in August 2016 for moving funds among government budgets; the economy has also been affected by multiple corruption scandals involving private companies and government officials. Sanctions against the firms involved — some of the largest in Brazil — has limited their business opportunities, producing a ripple effect on associated businesses and contractors. In addition, investment in these companies has declined because of the scandals.

Brazil is a member of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), a trade bloc including Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. After the Asian and Russian financial crises, Mercosur adopted a protectionist stance to guard against exposure to the volatility of foreign markets. Brazil and its Mercosur partners have pledged to open the bloc to more trade and investment, but changes require approval of all five members, which makes policy adjustments too difficult to enact.

Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.

Excess liquidity, low interest rates and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly. The lower and middle-income segments of the population increasingly find housing unaffordable.

Hong Kong's open economy has left it exposed to the global economic situation. Its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment makes it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy.

The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. After peaking in 2014, overall tourist arrivals dropped 2.5% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. The tourism sector rebounded in 2017, with visitor arrivals rising 3.2% to 58.47 million. Travelers from Mainland China totaled 44.45 million, accounting for 76% of the total.

The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the preferred business hub for renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts, RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong, RMB trade settlement is allowed, and investment schemes such as the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) Program was first launched in Hong Kong. Offshore RMB activities experienced a setback, however, after the People’s Bank of China changed the way it set the central parity rate in August 2015. RMB deposits in Hong Kong fell from 1.0 trillion RMB at the end of 2014 to 559 billion RMB at the end of 2017, while RMB trade settlement handled by banks in Hong Kong also shrank from 6.8 trillion RMB in 2015 to 3.9 trillion RMB in 2017.

Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 50% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 66% of the exchange's market capitalization.

During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, which took effect in March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision. On the basis of the Guangdong Agreement, the Agreement on Trade in Services signed in November 2015 further enhanced liberalization, including extending the implementation of the majority of Guangdong pilot liberalization measures to the whole Mainland, reducing the restrictive measures in the negative list, and adding measures in the positive lists for cross-border services as well as cultural and telecommunications services. In June 2017, the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement) were signed under the framework of CEPA.

Hong Kong’s economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Stock Connect the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and the Bond Connect scheme are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland’s capital markets and have reinforced Hong Kong’s role as China’s leading offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes such as ETF Connect (for exchange-traded fund products) are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities. In 2017, Chief Executive Carrie LAM announced plans to increase government spending on research and development, education, and technological innovation with the aim of spurring continued economic growth through greater sector diversification.

$3.219 trillion (2017 est.)

$3.195 trillion (2016 est.)

$3.314 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 9

$453 billion (2017 est.)

$437.5 billion (2016 est.)

$428.8 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 44

$2.081 trillion (2017 est.)

$334.1 billion (2017 est.)

0.7% (2017 est.)

-3.6% (2016 est.)

-3.8% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 192

3.5% (2017 est.)

2% (2016 est.)

2.4% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

$15,500 (2017 est.)

$15,500 (2016 est.)

$16,200 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 107

$61,000 (2017 est.)

$59,400 (2016 est.)

$58,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 18

16.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 119

24.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

26.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

household consumption: 63.5%

government consumption: 19.9%

investment in fixed capital: 16.6%

investment in inventories: 0%

exports of goods and services: 11.8%

imports of goods and services: -11.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 66.6%

government consumption: 10%

investment in fixed capital: 22.3%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 191.9%

imports of goods and services: -191.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 6.2%

industry: 21%

services: 72.8%

(2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.1%

industry: 7.2%

services: 92.7% (2017 est.)

coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish

textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

1% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 167

3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

111.6 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

3.965 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

agriculture: 10%

industry: 39.8%

services: 50.2%

(2016 est.)

manufacturing: 3.8%

construction: 2.8%

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: 53.3%

financing, insurance, and real estate: 12.5%

transport and communications: 10.1%

community and social services: 17.1%

note: above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)

13.1% (2017 est.)

11.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

2.6% (2017 est.)

2.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

3.7%

note: approximately 4% of the population are below the "extreme" poverty line (2016 est.)

19.6% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 41.6% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

49.7 (2014 est.)

55.3 (2001 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

53.7 (2011 est.)

53.3 (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

revenues: $726.6 billion

expenditures: $749 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $66.19 billion

expenditures: $62.86 billion (2017 est.)

34.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

19.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

-1.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

1% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

78.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

43.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

calendar year

1 April - 31 March

3.7% (2017 est.)

8.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 145

2% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

13.75% (31 December 2016 est.)

14.25% (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

0.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 133

48.7% (31 December 2017 est.)

52.1% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

5.1% (31 December 2017 est.)

5% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

$106.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$106.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

$310.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$285.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

$761.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$727.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$1.736 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.613 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

$2.237 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.138 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

$719.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$676.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$490.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$843.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.02 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$3.185 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.233 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.101 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$-28.99 billion (2017 est.)

$-23.53 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 196

$10.06 billion (2017 est.)

$14.88 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$215.4 billion (2017 est.)

$184.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

$540 billion (2017 est.)

$502.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles

electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, watches and clocks, toys, "jewelry, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials"; Hong Kong plays an important role as entrep?t to the Chinese mainland; in 2017, 58% of Hong Kong’s re-exports originated in mainland China, and 54% were destined for the Chinese mainland

China 19%, US 12.6%, Argentina 7.3%, Netherlands 5.6% (2016)

China 54.3%, US 8.5%, India 4.1% (2016)

$151.9 billion (2017 est.)

$139.4 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$561.4 billion (2017 est.)

$520.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics

raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)

US 17.6%, China 16.9%, Argentina 6.7%, Germany 6.6%, South Korea 4.4% (2016)

China 45.5%, Taiwan 9.8%, South Korea 6.7%, Japan 6.3%, US 4.4% (2016)

$377.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$365 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

$398.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$386.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$554.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$551.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

$494.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$505.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$828.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$763.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

$1.901 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.786 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$327.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$319.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$1.806 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.723 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

reals (BRL) per US dollar -

3.21 (2017 est.)

3.49 (2016 est.)

3.49 (2015 est.)

3.33 (2014 est.)

2.35 (2013 est.)

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

7.8 (2017 est.)

7.76 (2016 est.)

7.76 (2015 est.)

7.75 (2014 est.)

7.75 (2013 est.)

population without electricity: 800,000

electrification - total population: 99.5%

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 97% (2013)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

559.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

35.75 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

500.6 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

41.74 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

219 million kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 74

1.205 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

34.64 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

11.62 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

155.6 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

12.63 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

25.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 189

100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

1.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

59.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 180

16% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 45

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 187

2.515 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

518,800 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

350,100 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

13 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

2.899 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 156

3.102 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

388,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

269,400 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

9,625 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

559,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

332,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

20.41 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

43.4 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

4.49 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

100 million cu m (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

18.98 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

429.9 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

535 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

90 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

total subscriptions: 41,842,233

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

total subscriptions: 4,318,346

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

total: 244,067,356

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

total: 17,584,969

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 245 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

general assessment: good working system including an extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations

domestic: fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less-expensive mobile-cellular technology has been a major driver in expanding telephone service to the lower-income segments of the population with mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 120 per 100 persons

international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Americas-1, Americas-2, Atlantis-2, GlobeNet, South America-1, South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus, and UNISUR that provide direct connectivity to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2016)

general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services

domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network

international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2015)

state-run Radiobras operates a radio and a TV network; more than 1,000 radio stations and more than 100 TV channels operating - mostly privately owned; private media ownership highly concentrated (2007)

4 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations; note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2018)

.br

.hk

total: 122,841,218

percent of population: 59.7% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

total: 6.066 million

percent of population: 85% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

number of registered air carriers: 9

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 443

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 102,039,359

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 149.393 million mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 7 (registered in China)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 253 (registered in China)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 41,867,157

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11.294 billion mt-km (2015)

PP (2016)

B-H (2016)

4,093 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 2

2 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 201

total: 698

over 3,047 m: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 27

1,524 to 2,437 m: 179

914 to 1,523 m: 436

under 914 m: 49 (2017)

total: 2

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

total: 3,395

1,524 to 2,437 m: 92

914 to 1,523 m: 1,619

under 914 m: 1,684 (2013)

13 (2013)

9 (2013)

condensate/gas 251 km; gas 17,312 km; liquid petroleum gas 352 km; oil 4,831 km; refined products 4,722 km (2013)

total: 29,849.9 km

broad gauge: 5,822.3 km 1.600-m gauge (498.3 km electrified)

dual gauge: 492 km 1.600-1.000-m gauge

standard gauge: 194 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 23,341.6 km 1.000-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 9

total: 1,580,964 km

paved: 212,798 km

unpaved: 1,368,166 km

note: does not include urban roads (2010)

country comparison to the world: 4

total: 2,100 km

paved: 2,100 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 174

50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2012)

country comparison to the world: 3

total: 766

by type: bulk carrier 14, container ship 16, general cargo 48, oil tanker 37, other 651 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 28

total: 2,576

by type: bulk carrier 1,142, container ship 471, general cargo 226, oil tanker 346, other 391 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 9

major seaport(s): Belem, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao

river port(s): Manaus (Amazon)

dry bulk cargo port(s): Sepetiba ore terminal, Tubarao

container port(s) (TEUs): Santos (3,780,000) (2015)

oil terminal(s): DTSE/Gegua oil terminal, Ilha Grande (Gebig), Guaiba Island terminal, Guamare oil terminal

LNG terminal(s) (import): Pecem, Rio de Janiero

major seaport(s): Hong Kong

1.32% of GDP (2016)

1.36% of GDP (2015)

1.33% of GDP (2014)

1.33% of GDP (2013)

1.38% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 88

Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil, MB, includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2011)

no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Command (2016)

18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 10-12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s, when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2012)

defense is the responsibility of China

uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; smuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Brazil's border region with Venezuela

Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods

refugees (country of origin): 52,622 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)

second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area

despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people