Choose one country in the world and answer the following questions. i pickd Brazil - Essay Example

Brazil With a population of over 192 million and an area approximately 8.5 million square miles, Brazil occupies 5th place in the world both in geographical area and number of inhabitants. Most people reside in the south-central sector, which encompasses the industrial cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte. Dynamic urban growth has resulted in majority of the people moving to cities and towns in search of employment and better livelihoods, hence a large percentage of the population (85%) can be found in urban centers (Richard 28).

The official language is Portuguese, and although Brasilia is the capital city, Sao Paulo is the largest city in the country (as of 2012 its population stands at massive 11.2 million). Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Salvador are also hugely populated. The annual population growth rate currently stands at 1.17%- one of the fastest in the world. Life expectancy in Brazil is one of the highest in the world at 73.1 years, with an average annual income of $12,917; the GDP (nominal exchange rate) is $2.

5 trillion, while the GDP (purchasing power parity) is $2.3 trillion (Richard 52). Annual growth stands at 3.5% as of 2012. According to the Brazilian government’s 2011 statistics, 90.3% of the adult population is literate and the infant mortality rate is 22.5/1,000, representing 22.5 deaths per a thousand births. What surprised me most about Brazil is that the country’s land size and population just about matches that of the United States. Apart from this, I was also slightly taken aback to realize that Brazil actually manufactures its own aero planes and jets, being the fourth largest producer of commercial planes and jets in the whole world.

Something else which got me scratching my head is that it is also the only Latin American country to own, service and maintain its own aircraft carrier; I consider this to be quite an achievement. Compared to the United States, life in Brazil is cheaper, taking into consideration that both countries are large, populated and heavily industrialized (Richard 74). Just like the United States, the population is very diverse as it is composed of people of Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian Japanese and Middle Eastern heritage in addition to indigenous peoples.

Brazilians are hardworking and dedicated, but they are also one of the friendliest and fun loving people in the world. They lead lifestyles that can be considered liberal and free. According to Richard (105), 60% of the world’s largest tropical rainforest and ecosystem (the Amazon) is found in Brazil; the forest is home to the world’s greatest and largest biological diversity. Other ecosystems where biodiversity thrives include the Cerrado, Araucaria and Atlantic forests. It is estimated that there are over 4 million species of plants and animals in Brazil.

In addition to rare plants, animals include jaguars, pumas, bush dogs, ocelots, sloths, armadillos, anteaters, tapirs, peccaries, deer and new world monkeys. Richard (49) contends that despite this, the country’s natural heritage, habitats (such as the Amazon) and environmental stability are threatened by a number of factors which include invasive species, climate change, forest fires, agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, over-fishing, logging, resettlement, wildlife trade, water contamination and the development of infrastructure such as dams (the Belo Monte dam for example).

The last decade has seen the Brazilian government and other conservationists go to great lengths to preserve, conserve and protect its natural habitats and biodiversity (Richard 36). For example, military forces have been deployed in and around the Amazon to prevent further destruction by humans. On top of this, awareness and publicity has been created in order to educate people on the need and importance of protecting the environment and co-existing with wild animals and plants. Brazilians live sustainably, but cannot be said to be wholly sustainable.

For example, the country is one of the largest consumers of crude oil in the world, and it is heavily reliant on oil in order to power its huge economy. Industrialization has also made it one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions and other environmental polluters. The government as however tried to make sure that Brazilians live within the earth’s carrying capacity by adopting and implementing conservation measures, encouraging birth control, creating employment and improving healthcare (Richard 22).

Work CitedRichard, Christopher. Brazil. 3rd ed. New York: Benchmark Books, 2010. Print.