Country · Americas
Brazil
Federative Republic of Brazil
Brazil is a country in South America. About 209.5 million people live there, in an area of 8 515 767 square kilometres. Its capital city is Brasília.
Picture credit: Rafaelbyphoto (CC BY 4.0) · ThaisOliveiraSilva84 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · ThaisOliveiraSilva84 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Arturdiasr (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Cayambe (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Brazil?
Brazil lies in South America, on the continent of Americas.
It sits in the southern half of the world, roughly 1 113 km from the equator.
Its coastline is about 7 491 km long.
It shares a border with 10 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
How big is Brazil?
Brazil covers 8 515 767 square kilometres.
That is about 8.5 times the size of Egypt.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 5th largest.
Spread everybody out evenly and you get about 24.6 people on every square kilometre.
That is emptier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in Brazil?
About 209.5 million people live in Brazil.
That is the 6th biggest population in the world.
People here speak Portuguese.
They pay with the Brazilian real (R$).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 63 years.
The land of Brazil
The land of Brazil sits on average 320 metres above sea level.
Its coast runs for about 7 491 km. Walking it end to end, at twenty kilometres a day, would take roughly 375 days.
It lies inside the tropics, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes Brazil different?
A dish the country is known for: Feijoada.
Websites from here often end in .br.
Brazil and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about 28 live in Brazil.
It takes up about 6.4 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Americas the country ranks 3rd of 35 by size, and 2nd by population.
Brazil and its neighbours
Brazil is about 3.1 times the size of Argentina, its largest neighbour.
More people live in Brazil than in Argentina — 209.5 million against 44.5 million.
Nature and animals
Of the animals on this site, 34 live wild in Brazil: Jaguar, Brown-throated sloth, Nine-banded armadillo, Toco toucan, Scarlet macaw, Green iguana and more. The highest mountain in the country is Pico da Neblina, at 2 995 metres. The longest river in the country is the Amazon. The largest lake in the country is Lagoa Mirim. And one of the wonders of the world stands here: Christ the Redeemer.
Jaguar
Brown-throated sloth
Nine-banded armadillo
Toco toucan
Scarlet macaw
Green iguana
Goliath birdeater
Dog
Capybara
Chicken
Puma
Domestic pig
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons under free licences — every credit is on the page itself and in the picture credits.
Where this country lands in the record lists
How big is Brazil compared with the United States?
- The United States and Brazil are almost the same size: 9 372 610 km² against 8 515 767 km². See both on one map
- Brazil is about 35 times as big as the United Kingdom: 8 515 767 km² against 242 900 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of Brazil?
The capital of Brazil is Brasília. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in Brazil?
About 209.5 million people live in Brazil, which makes it the 6th most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border Brazil?
How big is Brazil?
Brazil covers 8 515 767 square kilometres, making it the 5th largest country in the world. That is about 8.5 times the size of Egypt.
What is the highest mountain in Brazil?
The highest mountain in Brazil is Pico da Neblina, 2 995 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in Brazil?
The longest river in Brazil is the Amazon. The whole river measures about 6 400 kilometres, and part of that course runs through the country.
What is the largest lake in Brazil?
The largest lake in Brazil is Lagoa Mirim. The whole lake covers about 3 750 km², and part of it belongs to neighbouring countries.
Which continent is Brazil in?
Brazil is in Americas, in the part called South America.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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