Compare-cabana

THE notion that Brazil is in the vanguard of a group of emerging countries on their way to economic superpower-dom is so widely accepted as to have become trite. But how far along this road is Brazil? One way to get a quick answer is to compare Brazilian states with countries. The map below presents country equivalents for every state in terms of GDP, GDP per person and population. It throws up some curiosities: who knew that Alagoas, a state in the north-east that is currently more famous for its murder rate than for its magnificent beaches, has the same GDP per person as China? It also suggests that even the comparatively rich states in the south and south-east have some way to go before they can be compared with wealthy places in the northern hemisphere. The gauchos of Rio Grande do Sul will not necessarily be delighted to learn that GDP per person in their state is close to that of Gabon.

See our other "country equivalents" interactive maps:

American states as countries

Chinese provinces as countries

Indian states and territories as countries