Brazil

The Brazil Country Profile presents a country that is the ninth richest economy in the world, yet, which is in terms of human development, one of the poorest. It provides a concise account of the historical and political background to Brazil, where for 500 years the rich and powerful have fought ruthlessly to defend the status quo, but where a growing popular movement is working for sustainable change.

Much of this Country Profile is told through the personal testimonies of Brazilians themselves. Traveling widely, the author talked to people on farms and on street corners; in rainforests and shantytowns; at football matches and carnival celebrations. These people talk about their lives and their hopes for the future in this diverse and contradictory nation.