Summary on Brazil Brazil is the
most important Latin American market with 182 million inhabitants and a GIP of 720 billion
US$.
It is a federation of 27 States, grouped in 5 regions (in
economic and not administrative terms) where each State has a certain fiscal independence,
however observing the same national constitution.
The political capital, Brasilia, founded in 1960, is
located in the Centre-West region of the Country. The economic and cultural capital is
São Paulo, which concentrates 19 million inhabitants (in its grand metropolis) and 39
million in the whole State.
The other main cities of the country are Rio de Janeiro
(8,0 million), Salvador (3,3 million), Belo Horizonte (3,0 million), Curitiba (2,2
million), Recife (2,0 million) and Porto Alegre (1,8 million).
President Lula, of the Labour Party, has taken office in
January 2003 and was re-elected in 2006. Despite of his leftist origins, his economic
policy is conservative and follows the same lines as that of his predecessor Fernando
Henrique Cardoso. The Real was revalued after 12 months at around € 1 = R$ 2,75 and
the inflation rate was reduced to 4% per year.
A few standards
> Monthly minimum salary : R$ 350, i.e. around 130 € (in São Paulo, a worker
never receives less than R$ 600 or 220 €).
> Social Charges : around 55% over a salary of R$ 1.500 (but up to 200% on the lower
salaries).
> Bilingual management assistant (English and Portuguese) : R$ 2.500 or 900 € per
month.
> Worker of the automobile area : R$ 1.000 or 360 € per month (and charges at
100%)
The common market of the south cone, MERCOSUR, has, as its
members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela will be integrated within a few
months; Bolivia and Chile are also associated members. This is the origin of the fourfold
increase of the Argentina/Brazil trade in 4 years.
Brazil is one of the important partners of French and is
ranked just below China in terms of imports. France is the tenth investor in Brazil,
behind the United States of America.
The Brazil in Wikipedia
Monthly Reports - June 2010 ; May 2010 ; April 2010 (all texts in french) |
