As a
nation of 196 million people, Brazil is the world’s number 5 most populous
country – making it hugely appealing for inwards investment – due to the sheer
size of its internal consumer market and its rapidly growing middle class. Unlike
other parts of South America, Brazil is categorised by a secure and stable
political system and is a secular democracy. Similar to the Western
democracies, it has a separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers,
at federal, state and municipal levels.