Capital: Brasilia
Location:
Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean (slightly smaller than the US).
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
Americans living in or visiting Brazil are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy or Consulates in Brazil and obtain updated information on travel and security within Brazil. The U.S. Embassy is located in Brasilia at Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3, telephone 011-55-61-321-7272, after-hours telephone 011-55-61-321-8230; web site at http//www.embaixada-americana.org.br. Consular Section public hours are 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon and 1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except Brazilian and American holidays. There are consulates in the following cities:
Recife:
Rua Goncalves Maia 163, telephone 011-55-81-3421-2441, after-hours telephone 011-55-3421-2641; web site at http://www.consulado-americano.org.br. Consular Section public hours are 8:00am-12noon and 1:00pm-4:00pm Monday through Friday except Brazilian and American holidays.
Rio de Janeiro:
Avenida Presidente Wilson 147, telephone 011-55-21-2292-7117, after-hours 011-55-21-2220-0489; web site at http://www.consulado-americano-rio.org.br. Consular Section public hours are 8:30am-11:00am and 1:00pm-3:00pm, Monday through Friday except Brazilian and American holidays.
Sao Paulo:
Rua Padre Joao Manoel 933, telephone 011-55-11-3081-6511, after-hours telephone 011-55-113064-6355; web site at http://www.consuladoamericanosp.org.br. Consular Section public hours are 8:30am-11:00am, Monday through Friday and 2:00pm-3:30pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday except Brazilian and American holidays.
Background:
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of the interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970s. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
Ethnic Groups:
White (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%
Language:
Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Currency:
BRL
real (BRL)
reals per US dollar - 2.06 (March 2007), 1.954 (January 2001), 1.830 (2000), 1.815 (1999), 1.161 (1998), 1.078 (1997), 1.005 (1996)
note: from October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float; since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar
Climate:
Mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Population:
174,468,575
note: Brazil took an intercensal count in August 1996 which reported a population of 157,079,573; that figure was about 5% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, which is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%
Medical:
Medical care is generally good, but it varies in quality, particularly in remote areas, and it may not meet U.S. standards outside the major cities.
The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. U.S. medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Further, U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. However, many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas, including emergency services such as medical evacuations.
Safety:
Political and labor strikes and demonstrations occur sporadically in urban areas and may cause temporary disruption to public transportation. All protests have the potential to turn violent. While it is unlikely that Americans would be targeted during such events, U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Brazil are advised to take common-sense precautions and avoid any large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest. Individuals and organizations with ties to extremist groups operate along the tri-border area between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Americans crossing into Paraguay or Argentina in that area may wish to consult the Consular Information Sheets for those countries.
Traffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Brazil is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Good to Fair
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Good to Fair
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Fair to Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance:
Poor
Road conditions in Brazil vary widely throughout the country. No U.S.-standard interstate highways exist. There are occasional stretches of modern divided highway, but signs, shoulders, exits and merge lanes all tend to be haphazard. There are many potholes, sometimes marked with a tree branch protruding from the hole, and surfaces are frequently uneven and bumpy. Many cities and towns have erected speed bumps, which are sometimes severe and may be unpainted and unmarked. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horse-drawn vehicles all can be encountered and pose hazards even on major routes. Travel after dark outside city centers is not recommended. Dirt roads are the rule in remote areas. These vary widely in quality and may quickly become more dangerous, even impassable, in rainy weather. Passenger car travel can be reasonably safe in most areas if one takes into account the above and exercises due prudence and caution. Passenger bus hijacking, usually non-violent, occurs at random from time to time and place to place, most commonly in the Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro metropolitan areas.
Most traffic accidents in Brazil are attributable to driver error, so great care should be taken by motorists and pedestrians alike. Brazil's inter-city roads are widely recognized as among the most dangerous in the world. The Federal Highway Police reported 120,000 accidents in 1998, but this is believed to be a very conservative figure. As is the case elsewhere in the region, poor driving skills, bad roads and a high density of trucks combine to make travel considerably more hazardous than in the United States. There are no laws requiring truckers to take mandatory rest stops, and they often drive for excessive periods of time. All major inter-city routes are saturated with heavy truck traffic, and, for the most part, have only two lanes. Road maintenance is inadequate. While the government is encouraging the development of a cargo railway network to relieve road congestion, currently there are few railroads, and passenger train travel is almost non-existent. Private cars and public buses are the main modes of inter-city road travel. Buses can range (depending on the route and the price one is willing to pay) from luxurious and well-maintained to basic and mechanically unsound.
The Federal Highway Police keeps updated statistics on particularly dangerous roads, including those where motorists are most likely to be subject to frequent robberies or carjacking. Although this information is not published or available on the web, they will make it available to anyone who inquires by phone. Their information number (direct dial from U.S.) is 011-55-61-447-2838.
Roadside assistance is available only very sporadically and informally and is usually provided through local private mechanics. There is a group called the "Angels of the Pavement" that provides roadside assistance on the main highway between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The fastest way to summon assistance in case of an emergency anywhere in the country is to dial 193, a universal number staffed by local fire departments. This service is in Portuguese only. Many motorists in major urban areas and more developed parts of the country carry cellular phones, and can be asked to assist in calling for help.
A new Brazilian highway code strengthening and consolidating Brazilian traffic laws entered into force on January 22, 1998. While the law establishes a system of sometimes severe penalties for a number of old and new traffic offenses, enforcement ranges from sporadic to non-existent, so motorists should not assume that others will necessarily follow even the most fundamental and widely accepted rules of the road. Some important local rules and customs include the following:
- Seat Belts: All states have seat belt laws, but enforcement varies from state to state.
- Child Car Seats: Some states require child car seats, but they are not universally available or affordable, and enforcement is also lax. As a result, most children are not secured in car seats.
- Speed Limits: The maximum speed limit on major highways is 66 mph. Lower limits are often posted in the major cities, depending on the road and the nature of the neighborhood. All speed limits are widely ignored, and motorists are rarely stopped for speeding. Some major cities such as Brasilia have marked electronic/photographic devices ("Fiscalisacao Electronica"), which verify speed and snap photos of violators' cars and license plates as a basis for issuing speeding tickets.
- Yielding the Right of Way: Drivers must yield the right of way to cars on their right. Stop signs are rarely enforced, so many motorists treat them as yield signs.
- Driving Under the Influence: Drivers are in violation of the law if blood/alcohol level reaches 0.6 percent.
- Turns on Red Lights: Not permitted, except for right turns where there is a sign with an arrow pointing right and the words "Livre a Direita".
- Penalties for Drivers Involved in an Accident Resulting in Injury or Death: In addition to possible criminal charges and penalties, compensatory and punitive damages may also apply.
- Local Driving Customs: Drivers often use flashes or wave a hand out of the window to signal other drivers to slow down.
For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, home page at http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html. For specific information concerning Brazilian driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please contact the Brazilian National Tourist Organization offices in New York via the Internet at http://www.embratur.gov.br. For additional information from other sources in Brazil about road safety and specific information about accident statistics, Brazilian driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please see the following web sites: http://www.dprf.gov.br (Brazilian Federal Highway Police, Portuguese only), and http://www.transportes.gov.br (Ministry of Transportation, Portuguese only).
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) separately assesses some foreign air carriers for suitability as official providers of air services. For information regarding the DOD policy on specific carriers, travelers may contact the DOD at telephone (618) 229-4801.
