Brazil

57.2% —or about 477,698,000 hectares—of Brazil is forested. Of this, 87.1% —or roughly 415,890,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Brazil lost an average of 2,681,400 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 0.52%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change increased by 22.0% to 0.63% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Brazil lost 8.1% of its forest cover, or around 42,329,000 hectares. Brazil lost -44,623,000 hectares—0—of its primary forest cover during that time. Deforestation rates of primary cover have decreased 9.7% since the close of the 1990s. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 interval, Brazil lost 8.3% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Brazil has some 3636 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 28.9% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 6.6% are threatened. Brazil is home to at least 56215 species of vascular plants. 3.9% of Brazil is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

Brazil Environmental profile | Brazil pictures

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

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Brazil: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 835,556,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 477,698,000 Percent Forest Cover 57.17% Primary Forest Cover (ha) 415,890,000 Primary Forest, % total forest 87.06% Primary Forest, % total land 49.77% Other wooded land (ha) - Brazil : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 98% Subtropical (% forest area) 2% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Brazil: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) 415,890,000 87.1% Modified natural (ha | %) 56,424,000 11.8% Semi-natural (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) 5,384,000 1.1% Production plantation (ha | %) - - Brazil: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 520,027,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 493,213,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 477,698,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (2,681,400) -0.52% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (3,103,000) -0.63% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (42,329,000) -8.14% Change in rate (%) 22.01% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) 460,513,000 Primary 2000 (ha) 433,220,000 Primary 2005 (ha) 415,890,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (2,729,300) -0.59% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (3,466,000) -0.80% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (44,623,000) -9.69% Change in rate (%) 34.99% OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) 5,070,000 Other 2000 (ha) 5,279,000 Other 2005 (ha) 5,384,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 20,900 0.41% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 21,000 0.40% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 314,000 6.19% Change in rate (%) -3.50% TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 514,957,000 Other 2000 (ha) 487,934,000 Other 2005 (ha) 472,314,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (2,702,300) -0.52% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (3,124,000) -0.64% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (42,643,000) -8.28% Change in rate (%) 22.01% Brazil: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 415,890,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) - Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 415,890,000 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 49.77% Brazil: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 5.5% Protection (%) 17.8% Conservation (%) 8.1% Social Services (%) 23.8% Multiple Services (%) 44.8% None of Unknown (%) - Brazil: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) 0.01% Insects (ha) 0.01% Diseases (ha) 0.00% Other (ha) - Brazil: Protected areas 5 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 8 World Heritage sites, 2004 17 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 3.9% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 2.45% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 1.39% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 14.08% Brazil: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 695 endemic species 454 threatened species 24 Birds total species 1712 endemic species 207 threatened species 120 Mammals total species 578 endemic species 131 threatened species 74 Reptiles total species 651 endemic species 258 threatened species 22 Wildlife diversity total species 3636 endemic species 1050 threatened species 240 Brazil: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Number of Native tree species Native tree species 7,880 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 34 Endangered 100 Vulnerable 187 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 56215 Number endemic 0 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 381 Brazil: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 79,219 Below-ground biomass (M t) 22,017 Dead wood (M t) 6,359 Total (M t) 107,595 Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 38,480 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 10,855 Carbon in dead wood (M t) 3,056 Carbon in litter (M t) 1,958 Soil carbon (M t) 50,289 Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 -376,499 2000-2005 -698,892 Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 0.16 2000-2005 -0.35 Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 168,091 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 122,385 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 290,476 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) n.s. Plant products 2005 Food (t) 348,249 Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) 1,194 Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) 3,221 Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) 111,663 Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) 2,460 Other plant products (t) 289,928 Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) - Hides, skins and trophies (units) - Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Other edible animal products (t) - Other non-edible animal products (t) - Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (US$) $2,897,019,000 Wood fuel (US$) $942,020,000 Non-wood forest products (US$) $193,131,000 Total value (US$) $4,032,170,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $8 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed - Brazil : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 134,473 Imports 0 Exports 0 Consumption 134,473 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 102,994 Imports 18 Exports 885 Consumption 102,127 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 21,200 Imports 139 Exports 2,009 Consumption 19,330 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 6,283 Imports 153 Exports 1,760 Consumption 4,676 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 7,390 Imports 422 Exports 2,579 Consumption 5,233 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 7,354 Imports 509 Exports 452 Consumption 7,411 Brazil: Environment Environment - current issues deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; 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 Environment - international agreements 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 Natural hazards recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south Brazil: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 6.96% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 92.15% (2001) Natural resources bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber Brazil: Economy Economy - overview: Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average, only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed more robust growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; in 2003 to 2005, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports, and Brazil in 2005 surpassed the previous year's record export level. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's small (but growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable. GDP - per capita $8,500 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 2.6% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 10%, industry: 39.4%, services: 50.6% (2005 est.) Industries textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment Economic aid - recipient $30 billion (2002) Debt - external $211.4 billion (30 June 2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 22% (1998 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 20%, industry 14%, services 66% (2003 est.) Brazil: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 186,112,794 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 1.06% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 22.0 Percent rural (2003) 16.9% Median age (years) total: 27.81 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.93 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census) Largest Cities in Brazil Cities and urban areas in Brasil with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Sao Paulo Brazil 10057700 18505100 Rio de Janeiro Brazil 6029300 11246600 Salvador Brazil 2539500 3173500 Belo Horizonte Brazil 2307800 4413800 Fortaleza Brazil 2230800 2976200 Brasilia Brazil 2089500 2089500 Curitiba Brazil 1642300 2835000 Manaus Brazil 1524600 1524600 Recife Brazil 1464100 3439500 Porto Alegre Brazil 1355100 3646400 Belem Brazil 1344900 1912600 Goiania Brazil 1132600 1706300 Guarulhos Brazil 1096800 1096800 Campinas Brazil 993200 1365500 Nova Iguacu Brazil 959100 959100 Sao Goncalo Brazil 921000 921000 Sao Luis Brazil 871800 1133800 Maceio Brazil 850500 963300 Duque de Caxias Brazil 797700 797700 Natal Brazil 737900 1097000 Sao Bernardo do Campo Brazil 714100 714100 Teresina Brazil 705900 949600 Campo Grande Brazil 685800 685800 Osasco Brazil 669700 669700 Santo Andre Brazil 665600 665600 Joao Pessoa Brazil 614900 934900 Jaboatao Brazil 613200 613200 Contagem Brazil 566300 566300 Sao Jose dos Campos Brazil 565400 794300 Ribeirao Preto Brazil 526600 789900 Sorocaba Brazil 516400 624500 Uberlandia Brazil 514400 514400 Cuiaba Brazil 502500 730900 Aracaju Brazil 479900 741000 Niteroi Brazil 467300 467300 Sao Joao de Meriti Brazil 460600 460600 Juiz de Fora Brazil 456800 456800 Belford Roxo Brazil 450600 450600 Londrina Brazil 449400 656100 Feira de Santana Brazil 447800 447800 Joinville Brazil 435800 435800 Santos Brazil 423200 1556700 Ananindeua Brazil 418500 418500 Campos Brazil 378800 378800 Maua Brazil 375200 375200 Diadema Brazil 373300 373300 Olinda Brazil 369500 369500 Vila Velha Brazil 367000 367000 Aparecida de Goiania Brazil 365500 365500 Carapicuiba Brazil 353900 353900 Sao Jose do Rio Preto Brazil 353200 353200 Florianopolis Brazil 351800 712000 Caxias do Sul Brazil 350700 350700 Serra Brazil 345700 345700 Campina Grande Brazil 342000 516700 Piracicaba Brazil 330000 330000 Cariacica Brazil 325800 325800 Bauru Brazil 322500 322500 Betim Brazil 320100 320100 Canoas Brazil 316200 316200 Sao Vicente Brazil 314900 314900 Moji das Cruzes Brazil 313300 313300 Jundiai Brazil 312000 312000 Pelotas Brazil 310200 310200 Vitoria Brazil 306200 1412700 Montes Claros Brazil 304800 304800 Macapa Brazil 301600 301600 Anapolis Brazil 297400 297400 Maringa Brazil 294800 294800 Franca Brazil 293000 293000 Itaquaquecetuba Brazil 292300 292300 Porto Velho Brazil 292000 292000 Guaruja Brazil 282900 282900 Ponta Grossa Brazil 277200 277200 Petropolis Brazil 276400 276400 Paulista Brazil 273200 273200 Ribeirao das Neves Brazil 271300 271300 Foz do Iguacu Brazil 269100 583500 Blumenau Brazil 261500 261500 Limeira Brazil 256400 256400 Uberaba Brazil 251200 251200 Volta Redonda Brazil 249600 458400 Governador Valadares Brazil 243900 243900 Caucaia Brazil 242700 242700 Novo Hamburgo Brazil 241300 241300 Suzano Brazil 241000 241000 Rio Branco Brazil 240500 240500 Taubate Brazil 239900 239900 Cascavel Brazil 239000 239000 Santa Maria Brazil 238400 238400 Vitoria da Conquista Brazil 234600 234600 Viamao Brazil 230400 230400 Varzea Grande Brazil 227000 227000 Caruaru Brazil 225800 225800 Imperatriz Brazil 222600 222600 Barueri Brazil 222200 222200 Gravatai Brazil 221800 221800 Boa Vista Brazil 221100 221100 Ipatinga Brazil 219000 219000 Embu Brazil 213500 213500 Juazeiro do Norte Brazil 212800 212800 Praia Grande Brazil 209100 209100 Sumare Brazil 205600 205600 Taboao da Serra Brazil 205500 205500 Mage Brazil 204400 204400 Mossoro Brazil 202200 202200 Santa Luzia Brazil 200900 200900 Sao Leopoldo Brazil 199600 199600 Marilia Brazil 198900 198900 Itabuna Brazil 196800 196800 Sao Jose dos Pinhais Brazil 196800 196800 Presidente Prudente Brazil 196000 196000 Jacarei Brazil 195200 195200 Sao Carlos Brazil 192900 192900 Santarem Brazil 192300 192300 Alvorada Brazil 192200 192200 Americana Brazil 189100 189100 Sete Lagoas Brazil 188300 188300 Colombo Brazil 187400 187400 Divinopolis Brazil 184400 184400 Rio Grande Brazil 183900 183900 Maracanau Brazil 181800 181800 Itaborai Brazil 181400 181400 Sao Jose Brazil 180700 180700 Araraquara Brazil 180000 180000 Petrolina Brazil 176600 176600 Itapevi Brazil 175200 175200 Santa Barbara d'Oeste Brazil 173200 173200 Rio Claro Brazil 170900 170900 Passo Fundo Brazil 170100 170100 Aracatuba Brazil 169000 169000 Barra Mansa Brazil 168000 168000 Cachoeiro de Itapemirim Brazil 167400 167400 Hortolandia Brazil 166200 166200 Camacari Brazil 164000 164000 Ilheus Brazil 160500 160500 Lages Brazil 159600 159600 Arapiraca Brazil 159000 159000 Criciuma Brazil 158700 158700 Cotia Brazil 157900 157900 Indaiatuba Brazil 155700 155700 Nova Friburgo Brazil 155500 155500 Nilopolis Brazil 155200 155200 Dourados Brazil 155100 155100 Ferraz de Vasconcelos Brazil 150200 150200 Itajai Brazil 148700 148700 Rondonopolis Brazil 148600 148600 Palmas Brazil 148400 148400 Guarapuava Brazil 146100 146100 Francisco Morato Brazil 144700 144700 Chapeco Brazil 143700 143700 Sobral Brazil 143100 143100 Luziania Brazil 142900 142900 Sao Caetano do Sul Brazil 142300 142300 Nossa Senhora do Socorro Brazil 141500 141500 Maraba Brazil 140700 140700 Cabo de Santo Agostinho Brazil 139100 139100 Po�os de Caldas Brazil 137000 137000 Ibirite Brazil 136600 136600 Camaragibe Brazil 136500 136500 Itapecerica da Serra Brazil 136400 136400 Juazeiro Brazil 133800 133800 Macae Brazil 132200 132200 Parnaiba Brazil 130600 130600 Jequie Brazil 130000 130000 Itu Brazil 129900 129900 Castanhal Brazil 128800 128800 Paranagua Brazil 128600 128600 Queimados Brazil 128000 128000 Sapucaia Brazil 125800 125800 Barreiras Brazil 125700 125700 Angra dos Reis Brazil 125500 125500 Pindamonhangaba Brazil 124700 124700 Sabara Brazil 123200 123200 Mogi Guacu Brazil 121700 121700 Uruguaiana Brazil 121000 121000 Teresopolis Brazil 119600 119600 Parnamirim Brazil 119000 119000 Lauro de Freitas Brazil 118600 118600 Itapetininga Brazil 117600 117600 Timon Brazil 117500 117500 Braganca Paulista Brazil 117000 117000 Patos de Minas Brazil 116700 116700 Alagoinhas Brazil 116200 116200 Rio Verde Brazil 113600 113600 Cachoeirinha Brazil 112700 112700 Cubatao Brazil 112500 112500 Jau Brazil 112000 112000 Barbacena Brazil 110300 110300 Araguaina Brazil 110000 110000 Caxias Brazil 109300 109300 Cabo Frio Brazil 109200 109200 Varginha Brazil 108600 108600 Botucatu Brazil 108300 108300 Ribeirao Pires Brazil 108200 108200 Pinhais Brazil 108100 108100 Catanduva Brazil 107500 107500 Garanhuns Brazil 106800 106800 Santa Rita Brazil 106300 106300 Jaragua do Sul Brazil 105900 105900 Palhoca Brazil 105800 105800 Teixeira de Freitas Brazil 105500 105500 Conselheiro Lafaiete Brazil 104200 104200 Franco da Rocha Brazil 104200 104200 Pouso Alegre Brazil 103800 103800 Apucarana Brazil 103600 103600 Teofilo Otoni Brazil 103600 103600 Vitoria de Santo Antao Brazil 103300 103300 Resende Brazil 103100 103100  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com