Brazil is the largest and most populated country in South America. It is the fifth largest in the world, with an estimated population of approximately 186,000,000 people. Brazil borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and the French departement of French Guiana (which is every South America nation except Ecuador and Chile). Brazil was named for the Brazilwood tree, a highly valued resource for early colonists. Brazil is home to both agricultural lands and rainforests. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. As a former colony of Portugal, Portuguese is the official language. Since 1985, Brazil has been considered a democracy. Brazil is characterized by the extensive low-lying Amazon Rainforest in the north and a more open terrain of hills and low mountains to the south. Several mountain ranges, approximately 2,900 meters (9,500 ft) high, are found along the Atlantic seacoasts. The highest peak is Pico da Neblina; major rivers include the Amazon, which is the largest (by volume), and the second longest, river in the world. There are rivers and waterfalls throughout the country; the climate is predominantly tropical, with little seasonal variation. Although the sub-tropic south is more temperate, it occasionally experiences frost and snow. Precipitation is abundant in the humid Amazon Basin, but more arid landscapes are found as well, particularly in the northeast. A number of islands in the Atlantic Ocean are part of Brazil: Saint Peter and Paul Rocks; Rocas Atoll; Fernando de Noronha; and Trindade and Martim Vaz.

Fortaleza

Manaus

Natal

Recife