Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is globally known for many reasons, varying from its sizzling Copacabana beach to its immense Maracana stadium. It is revered as the birthplace of world-famous soccer players such as Pele, Garrincha, Tostao, Socrates, and Ronaldo, and envied for its eye-popping carnival suits and mesmerizing samba dancers, but there is much more to this country. When considered from a business perspective, Brazil surfaces as one of the four most promising global economies, along with the other BRIC nations of Russia, India, and China, but how much of this vibrant economic picture is true? Having gained independence in the 19th century, there is much to be said about Brazil's current internal economic climate and social system. This chapter takes a less-traveled road in its review of Brazil. By examining this nation from the inside out, a less frequently presented, vulnerable image of this gigantic country is presented. Brazil's relationships with multinationals and with trading partners are reviewed against the backdrop of its lacking growth in national standard of living and its poor primary education system. Brazil is reviewed as the home of impressive industries, its ongoing technological dependency on other nations, and its performance as a supplier of natural resources to many industrial powers.