The largest country in South America, Brazil is only slightly smaller than the U.S. at 3.3 million sq. miles. The population is just under 200,000,000. Unlike the U.S., though, nearly half the population lives in a half dozen of its cities, the largest being Sao Paulo. A very large portion of Brazil, nearly a third, is undeveloped Amazon jungle and rain forest.

The country's dynamic economy is widely diversified and like the U.S. spans mining, agriculture, high tech and banking. In 2007 the country became the 6th largest economy in the world.

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. Following the course of many South American countries, Brazil was ruled by a military regime until 1985, when the military ceded power to civilian rulers. Today it has a robust democracy dominated by progressive policies.