Brazil

With a population of 189 million and Gross Internal Product (GIP) of about US$ 800 billion, the Brazilian economy is one of the greaters and most dynamic of the world.

Gross Internal Product

• the GIP in 2005, estimative: US$ 802 billions
• Growth in relation to 2004: 2,2%

Beyond being one of the main world-wide suppliers of farming products, as soy, bovine and birds meats, sugar, coffee and orange, Brazil possesses a modern industrial base and sufficiently diversified. It manufactures and exports a big variety of products, since shoes and towels until computers and jat planes. Brazilian companies also act internationally in the engineering, financial services and telecommunications sectors, among others.

Sectorial distribution of the GIP

• Agriculture: 9%
• Industry: 37%
• Services: 54%

Brazil occupies a privileged space in natural resources terms. It, not only makes use of one of the biggest fresh water reserves of the world and the biggest tropical forest, the Amazônia, but also it is rich in biodiversity, cultivating land and ores. Therefore, also it is owner of some of the most beautiful landscapes of the planet.

For its market and exporting sector potential, Brazil comes attracting significant flows of foreign investment (US$ 13 billion in 2005). In lastest years, Brazil has been, among other developing countries, the second bigger receiver of foreign direct investment after China.

Brazilian foreign commerce

• Exportations in 2005: US$ 118 billion
• Growth in relation 2004: 23%
• Importation in 2005: US$ 74 billion
• Growth in relation 2004: 17%

Main destinations of the Brazilian exportations

• European Union: 26%
• United States: 18%
• Latin America: 16%
• Asia: 22%

The macroeconomic stability, the fiscal balance, the foreign commerce flow increase and the availability of foreign investments constitute basic requirements for the magnifying of Country’s productive capacity, allowing lots of jobs creation and better distribution of income, among the Brazilian population. For this reason, these are some of the main objectives of our governing.

For more information about the Brazilian economy, you it can consult the Department of State, BNDES and Central Bank websites.

Ceará

The State has been detached, in the Country, by a successful rationalization and modernization of the public administration politics.

In 2004, the State of Ceará’s GIP accumulated the sum of R$ 27,3 billion, presenting the following division:

• Farming: 6.5%
• Industry: 45.5%
• Services: 48.1%

Between 1985 to 2000, the State’s growth average was about 3,6% per year, when Brazil’s growth average was about 2,5%.

The social pointers had advanced in 1992 to 2002 period. The State’s basic education school tax, in accordance with the Geography and Statistics Brazilian Institute - IBGE, passed from 66,6% to 92,7%.

Infantile mortality, withdrew from 64,1 to 39,8 deaths for a thousand inhabitants, as the data of the Health Department. Still in this period, the Ceará passed from the 23th. to 19th place in the Human Development Index- IDH among the Brazilian states.

Rio Grande do Norte

Farming and the mining activities constitute the base of the State of Rio Grande do Norte economy.

Agriculture
In agriculture it is distinguished the pineapple production, sugar cane, beans, maize, cassava, coconut and cashews’ chestnut.

Cattle
The cattle includes bovine flocks and swine and ovine creations.

Extractivism
The mineral wealth represents the most significant potential in available natural resources field.

Amongst identified and explored mineral occurrences in the State, there are reserves of xylite (tungsten ore), plaster or crude gypsum, calcareous rock, marble, monazita and beryl. The salt mines wealth turned the marine salt extration one of the region basis economy.

The oil reserves had allowed a 4,5 million m³ volume of exploration in 1992.
The Atlantic coast still offers excellent conditions for fishing, wide practised in the region, which consists in a important source of income for a considerable population parcel.

Industry
In the industrial sector, it is distinguished the ceramics production, as well as the textile and confections industry.