Brazil's 2010 presidential election will go to a runoff Oct. 31 after Workers Party candidate Dilma Rousseff failed to win a majority. Rousseff, who finished with 46.9 percent of the vote to Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra's 32.6 percent, has the advantage of riding on the popularity of outgoing president Luiz Inacio Da Silva in the final round. Regardless of the results, the election marks a transfer of power at a historic peak in Brazil's economic and political power. After decades of wrenching boom-bust cycles, Brazil now has a strong foundation for long-term growth. The above chart shows an emerging, relatively diversified economy, which will aid Brazil as it seeks to solidify its gains. However, Brazil still struggles to move away from its commodity-export-driven economic model. After two generations of industrializing, commodity-related products still comprise two-thirds of Brazil's exports.
