Brazilian military figures
Data: www.cia.gov/cia/publications (2006/10) and IRC Americas Program Special Report (2007).

Brazil is the only South American military force with the real capacity to intervene in other countries, with air-transport divisions. And is the only Latin American country that has a strategic defense plan and advanced military nuclear potential. (Secret nuclear bombs tested in 1982 and 1984).

It is also the only country in the region that has a business community with interests different from those of the rest of the world business community.

It is the tenth-largest industrial power in world, and it has managed to design its own military strategy for autonomous defense, which centers around controlling the Amazon. Brazil is a democratic, capitalist and christian country.

Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower-availability: males age 19-49: 45,586,036 females age 19-49: 45,728,704 (2005 est.)

Military manpower-fit for military service: males age 19-49: 33,119,098 females age 19-49: 38,079,722 (2005 est.)

Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males age 18-49: 1,785,930 females age 19-49: 1,731,648 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures-dollar figure: $15.94 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.3% (2005 est.)

Modern army

Total armed forces Active: 637,800 (133,500 conscripts).
Terms of service: 12 months (can be extended by 6 months).
Reserves: trained first-line: 1,115,000; 400,000 subject to immediate recall. Second-line: 225,000. 220,000 (incl 126,500 conscripts);

HQ: 7 Military Comd, 12 Military Regions.; 8 div (3 with Region HQ); 1 armd cav bde (mech, 1 armd, 1 arty bn); 3 armd inf bde (each 2 inf, 1 armd, 1 arty bn); 4 mech cav bde (each 3 inf, 1 arty bn). 12 motor inf bde (26 bn); 1 mtn bde; 2 "jungle" bde (7 bn); 1 frontier bde (6 bn); and others.