Brazil and Russia: comparative analysis

Brazil & Russia

Russia is the world's largest country, situated in the northernmost part of Eastern Europe and Asia. It spans from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Bering Sea in the east. Climatically, most of Russia is considered to be either continental or subarctic climate. Summers are short and cool, winters long and cold. Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest in the world. Because the country has significant north-south geography, the climate ranges from equatorial in the north to temperate in the far south. Much of the country is considered to have a tropical climate.

Russia

Brazil

CIA World Factbook)

Russia's limited climate gives it a relatively small selection of flora and fauna for a nation its size. The country is dominated by birch forests that are some of the largest in Europe and is home to many species of large mammals. Brazil is home to the world's greatest biodiversity, in particular in the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest forest.

Both Brazil and Russia are among the world's most populous nations. Brazil, with 198 million people, ranks 5th while Russia, with 140 million people, ranks 9th. Brazil's population is multiethnic stew. Many Brazilians have Portuguese ancestry. Others are descended from slaves, are Amerindian or have German or Italian heritage. Many Brazilians are of mixed ancestry. The basic Russian ethnic group is homogenous and accounts for nearly 80% of that country's population. As with Brazil, Russia is home to many ethnic groups. In Russia, however, these groups are larger, more clearly defined and more integrated into political life. Many of the major groups -- the Tatars, the Chuvash, the Bashkir, the Tuvans, the Buryats and others have their own republics. There are also isolated minorities of Ukrainians, Germans, Koreans and Chinese, the latter two along the Asia frontier.

Both nations are so-called 'second world' nations, emerging economies that share characteristics with both the developed and developing worlds. Russia, for example, has a very high literacy rate (99.6%), whereas Brazil has only a moderate one (88.6%). Neither country has a favorable life expectancy. Brazil ranks just 121st in the world, while Russia fares even more poorly at 162nd. Thus, while both have growing economies, both lag the West in human development measures. A key measure of human development is wealth distribution, measured by the GINI index. Brazil's GINI index is 56.7; Russia's is 41.5. This demonstrates that will Russia has a wealth distribution closer to that of the west, while Brazil has a wealth distribution score typical of the Third World. Russia's score, however, is weakening whereas Brazil's is improving.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's economy has become increasingly oriented towards oil and gas exploitation. The country's GDP is the 7th largest in the world at $2.2 trillion, and has grown rapidly in the past decade. Russia faces major issues, however. The country has significant security concerns in the Caucasus Mountain region, an ethically and politically fractured area of strategic importance as a transit point for Caspian oil to the West. Russia is also stricken by high rates of poverty outside of its major cities and a sharply reduced industrial capacity. While the nation's development has revitalized Moscow and St. Petersburg, the benefits have not trickled through the rest of the country.

Brazil's economy is the tenth largest in the world at just under $2 trillion. Brazil's economy has also grown rapidly in recent years. Brazil's economic drivers remain resource exploitation, including mining and agriculture. The country is developing significant manufacturing capacity, however, in an attempt to diversify its economy. Brazil's main economic problems are related to its volatility. The country's currency and stock market are unstable and its debt burden is high, at 38.8% of GDP (compared to 6.5% of GDP for Russia).

Russia has a strong education system, which can be an asset for economic development. If will need to spend its oil and gas revenues wisely, but Russia can leverage the quality of its education and its access to both European and Asian markets to develop manufacturing and service sector industries. For Brazil, that nation needs to take a leading role in the economic development of South America. There is significant potential for Brazil to diversify away from resources, including banking, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, services and tourism.