“As a multi-ethnic country, of great cultural diversity and global interests, Brazil seeks the interaction of cultures and respects plurality of ideologies and of political systems.” President Dilma Rousseff Brasilia, April 20, 2011 Brazil is a continental size country. It has the world’s longest Atlantic coast and, with almost 191 million inhabitants1, the planet’s fifth largest population2. It is a great producer of renewable and non-renewable energy, from animal and vegetal protein. It owns large potable water reserves, huge biodiversity and vast mineral resources. The recent discoveries of pre-salt layer oilfields have raised the country to a new level in oil and natural gas reserves and production. Rated as the world’s sixth largest world economy by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)3, Brazil has increasingly reached expressive levels of development, while striving to eradicate poverty and reduce social inequality. Brazilian democracy is consolidated, free elections are a current procedure, there is growing public interest in the preparation and demand for public policies, and there is a commitment to fighting corruption and respecting human rights. Over the last years, Brazilian foreign policy has projected values and interests within the framework of global governance. Brazil has developed its own foreign agenda with greater autonomy to define priorities for its progress as a nation. This heritage requires defense. Brazil considers itself a friend of peace and is considered as such internationally, but it cannot do without its dissuasive military capacity and preparation for defense against foreign threats. It is not possible to assert that cooperation shall always prevail over conflict in the international arena. This chapter shall introduce some elements of the Brazilian state, which have immediate implications for National Defense. 1 IBGE — 2010 Census. 2 United Nations Population Fund — Report on World Population Situation 2011. 3 World Economic Outlook. 2012. DEFENSE WHITE PAPER 15 CHAPTER 1 — THE BRAZILIAN STATE AND NATIONAL DEFENSE THE BRAZILIAN STATE AND NATIONAL DEFENSE