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Capital of Brazil: Brasília — Facts & 5-Question Quiz

The capital of Brazil is Brasília. Brazil sits in South America, has a population of 215,313,498, and uses the BRL. Official languages include Portuguese.

Quick facts

  • Capital: Brasília
  • Continent: South America
  • Population: ~215,313,498
  • Area: 8,515,767 km²
  • Population density: 25.3 people per km²
  • Official language: Portuguese
  • Currency: BRL
  • ISO code: BR

How big is Brazil?

By population, Brazil ranks 7th in the world, holding roughly 2.71% of all people on Earth. By land area it ranks 5th.

Those two numbers rarely match, and the gap between them is the interesting part. Brazil has 25.3 people per square kilometre, which is about 2.3 times below the world average of 59.4. It is more spacious than its population alone would suggest.

Within South America, Brazil is the most populous country of 12.

Countries of a similar size

The two countries closest to Brazil in population are Nigeria (218,541,212) and Pakistan (235,824,862).

By land area, its closest counterparts are Australia (7,692,024 km²) and China (9,596,961 km²).

Comparisons like these are worth more than raw figures when you are trying to remember them. A number on its own is hard to hold; a number next to a country you already have a feel for is much easier.

Language and currency

Portuguese is spoken officially in 9 countries in this dataset, including Angola, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, and 3 others.

Brazil uses the BRL, and it is the only country that does, which makes the currency name a reliable one-to-one clue.

How to remember Brazil

Brasília is a planned capital, founded on 21 April 1960 to replace Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo and Rio are bigger, but the capital is the city named after the country: Brazil, Brasília. For the flag, a yellow diamond on green, with a starry blue globe in the middle.

The flag of Brazil: green, yellow, blue and white

🇧🇷 The flag is a green flag with a large yellow diamond holding a blue globe of 27 white stars, crossed by a white band with the motto 'ORDEM E PROGRESSO' (Order and Progress). Green stands for the forests and yellow for mineral wealth. The stars show the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, when the republic was declared, with one star for each state and the Federal District.

Region and neighbours

Brazil is the largest country in South America, covering roughly half of the continent, with a long Atlantic coast on the east and most of the Amazon basin. It shares land borders with 9 countries: Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. It also borders French Guiana, an overseas region of France.

Three facts about Brazil

  1. Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.
  2. About 60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil.
  3. Brazil's men's football team has won the World Cup a record five times.

Sources: Wikipedia: Brazil, Wikipedia: Flag of Brazil, Wikipedia: Brasília, CIA World Factbook.

Quiz yourself on Brazil

Brazil capital quiz

  1. What is the capital of Brazil 🇧🇷?

    • Brasília
    • Sucre
    • Lima
    • Paramaribo
    Show answer

    Brasília

  2. What is the capital of Colombia 🇨🇴?

    • Brasília
    • Montevideo
    • Bogotá
    • Paramaribo
    Show answer

    Bogotá

  3. What is the capital of Argentina 🇦🇷?

    • Georgetown
    • Caracas
    • Paramaribo
    • Buenos Aires
    Show answer

    Buenos Aires

  4. What is the capital of Peru 🇵🇪?

    • Buenos Aires
    • Sucre
    • Caracas
    • Lima
    Show answer

    Lima

  5. What is the capital of Venezuela 🇻🇪?

    • Caracas
    • Santiago
    • Montevideo
    • Asunción
    Show answer

    Caracas

Brazil in South America

The largest countries by population sharing this continent are Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela.

If you are learning capitals region by region — far more effective than working alphabetically — South America is the block Brazil belongs to, and its neighbours are the ones worth learning alongside it.

Try the Country to Capital Quiz, or the harder reverse direction. There is also a full country profile for Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Brazil?

The capital of Brazil is Brasília.

What is the population of Brazil?

About 215,313,498, making it the 7th most populous country in the world.

How big is Brazil?

8,515,767 square kilometres, ranking 5th by land area, at a density of 25.3 people per square kilometre.

What currency does Brazil use?

The BRL, which no other country uses.

What are the colours of the Brazil flag?

The flag of Brazil is a green flag with a large yellow diamond holding a blue globe of 27 white stars, crossed by a white band with the motto 'ORDEM E PROGRESSO' (Order and Progress). Green stands for the forests and yellow for mineral wealth. The stars show the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, when the republic was declared, with one star for each state and the Federal District.

Which countries border Brazil?

Brazil shares land borders with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. It also borders French Guiana, an overseas region of France.

How can I remember the capital of Brazil?

Brasília is a planned capital, founded on 21 April 1960 to replace Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo and Rio are bigger, but the capital is the city named after the country: Brazil, Brasília. For the flag, a yellow diamond on green, with a starry blue globe in the middle.

More capitals to learn

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