Economy

Brazil is a dynamic economic and communications center boasting three harvests a year and the largest population of cell phone users on the planet. It also has a growing population of Internet users, and has become the world's fastest-growing computer market and a major producer of computer software.

Brazil is the most industrialized country in Latin America. Major manufactured products include motor vehicles, aircraft (including the internationally popular EMB-120 Brasilia commuter turboprop, and EMB-145 regional jetliner), helicopters (Brazil has the world's seventh largest helicopter fleet), electrical and electronic appliances, textiles, garments, and footwear.

Brazil is the world's largest producer of bananas, coffee, and orange juice. It has the world's largest iron mine and vast stores of precious minerals. It is the world's largest exporter of iron and a major exporter of steel. The country possesses enormous natural resources, including the world's largest rain forest.

Its major trading partners are the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada. Exports represent 7.3 percent of Brazil's gross domestic, and industry accounts for about 41 percent, a pattern found in some developed countries. Brazil now counts on services for 48 percent of its GDP.

The country's vast river systems serve not only as a transportation network but also as an energy source. Brazil's hydroelectric plants provide 94 percent of the country's electricity. Its huge dams, including Itaipu, easily the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, generate vast amounts of hydroelectric power (a potential of at least 106,500 megawatts).