Government and Politics of Brazil

Government Type

federative republic

Administrative Divisions

26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Legal System

based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2023); Vice President Geraldo ALCKMIN (since 1 January 2023); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2023); Vice President Geraldo ALCKMIN (since 1 January 2023); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 2 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2026, with a runoff in late October 2026 if necessary); runoff election held 30 October 2022 election results: in runoff election 30 October 2022, Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) elected with 50.9% of the vote; Jair BOLSONARO (PL) 49.1%

Legislative Branch

Bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and the federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Câmara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms). Elections: Federal Senate - last held on 2 October 2022 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2026 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 2 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2026). Election results: Federal Senate - seats by party following the 2022 elections - PSD 14, MDB 10, PT 9, Progressistas 7, Podemos 6, União Brasil 6, PSDB 4, PDT 4, PRD 4, Republicans 3, PL 3, Solidariedade 3, PSB 3, PSOL 1, Rede 1, Avante 1, PPS 1, Cidadania 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - PL 99, União Brasil 59, PT 68, PP 47, MDB 42, PSD 42, Republicanos 41, PDT 17, Podemos 14, PSDB 13, Solidariedade 10, Avante 7, PSB 14, PSOL 12, PCdoB 6, Patriota 4, others 18; note - party affiliations and coalition alignments frequently shift between elections.

Judicial Branch

Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed “for life,” judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70

Political Parties

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Flavio de CASTRO MARTINEZ]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Liberal Front Party or PFL [Senator Jorge BORNHAUSEN]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Worker's Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

Head of State

President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA

Head of Government

President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

Elections

Federal Senate - last held on 2 October 2022 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2026 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 2 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2026).

Election Results

Federal Senate - seats by party following the 2022 elections: PSD 14, MDB 10, PT 9, Progressistas 7, União Brasil 6, Podemos 6, PSDB 4, PDT 4, PRD 4, Republicanos 3, PL 3, Solidariedade 3, PSB 3, PSOL 1, Rede 1, Avante 1, Cidadania 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party following the 2022 elections: PL 99, PT 68, União Brasil 59, PP 47, MDB 42, PSD 42, Republicanos 41, PDT 17, PSB 14, Podemos 14, PSOL 12, PSDB 13, Solidariedade 10, Avante 7, PCdoB 6, Patriota 4, others 18; note - party affiliations and coalition alignments frequently shift between elections, and individual legislators often migrate between parties during legislative terms, making real-time seat counts subject to change.

Constitution

5-Oct-88

Independence

7 September 1822 (from Portugal)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 7 September (1822)

International Organization Participation

AfDB, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto ABDENUR chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700 FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John DANILOVICH embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000 FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Recife

Capital City

Brasília

Location

15 47 S, 47 55 W

Time Difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Brazil has four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands

History

name bestowed on the new capital of Brazil upon its inauguration in 1960; previous Brazilian capitals had been Salvador from 1549 to 1763 and Rio de Janeiro from 1763 to 1960

U.S. Embassy Brasilia SES 801 - Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 3 Telephone: 011-55-61-3312-7000 Emergency after-hours telephone: 011-55-61-3312-7400 Facsimile: 011-55-61-3312-7676 Consular Agency in Brasilia's Consular District: Manaus Consular Agency Edificio Atrium, Suite 306 Rua Franco de Sá, 310 69.079-210 Manuas AM Brazil Telephone: 011-55-92-3611-3333 U.S. Consulate General Recife Rua Goncalves Maia, 163, Boa Vista Telephone: 011-55-81-3416-3050 or 011-55-81-3416-3080 Emergency after-hours telephone: 011-55-81-3416-3060 (guard booth) or 011-55-81-9916-9470 (after hours duty phone) Facsimile: 011-55-81-3231-1906 Consular Agency in Recife's Consular District: U.S. Consular Agency Fortaleza Avenida Santos Dumont 2828, Aldeota, Suite 708 Telephone 011-55-85-3021-5200 Fascimile: 011-55-85-3021-3888 U.S. Consulate General Rio de Janeiro Avenida Presidente Wilson, 147, Castelo Telephone: 011-55-21-3823-2000 Emergency after-hours telephone: 011-55-21-3823-2000 Facsimile: 011-55-21-3823-2093 Consular Agency in Rio de Janeiro's Consular District: U.S. Consular Agency Salvador da Bahia Avenida Tancredo Neves, 1632, Caminho das Arvores, Salvador Trade Center - Torre Sul, Room 1401 Telephone: 011-55-71-3113-2090/2091/2092 U.S. Consulate General Sao Paulo Rua Henri Dunant, 500, Chacara Santo AntonioTelephone: 011-55-11-3250-5000 Emergency after hours telephone: 011-55-11-3250-5373 Facsimile: 011-55-11-3250-5159 Consular Agency in Sao Paulo's Consular District: U.S. Consular Agency Porto Alegre Avenida Assis Brasil 4320 Store 84 (Boulevard Strip Mall) Parque Sao Sebastiao 91110-000 Porto Alegre, RS Telephone 011-55-51-3226-3344

Military Branches

Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB)

Service Age and Obligation

18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 9-12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in the early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps