Backgrounder: Basic facts about Brazil

BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao is to arrive in Brasilia on Wednesday to attend the second summit of the BRIC countries.

He will also pay a state visit to Brazil at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The following are some basic facts about Brazil:

Located in the northeastern part of the South American continent with an area of more than 8.5 million square km, Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, sharing borders with most countries in South America -- only Chile and Ecuador do not border Brazil. Brasilia serves as its capital.

Brazil has a population of 189.6 million, and Roman Catholicism is the country's dominant religion. Its official language is Portuguese.

Under the 1998 constitution, the legislative power of Brazil is exercised by the bicameral national congress, namely the Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies.

Executive power is exercised by the president, elected for a four-year term by direct ballot. The president is the constitutional head of state and commander-in-chief of the army. He also appoints and leads the cabinet.

Brazil is a member of the Rio Group, the South American Common Market, and the Group of 77.

The country boasts the largest river in the world by volume -- the Amazon River, and a majority of the 7.5-million-square-km Amazon rainforest.

As the biggest economic power in Latin America, Brazil has a developed agricultural industry, a sound industrial foundation and a full-fledged service industry.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the country's gross domestic product stood at 3.143 trillion reais (1.77 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2009.

Brazil's principal trading partners include China，the United States, Argentina, Germany and Japan.

China and Brazil forged diplomatic ties in August 1974. The two countries established a strategic partnership in 1993.