BRICS is an international political organization of leading emerging economies. As of 2012, its five members include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are mainly developing or newly industrialized countries. They all exert significant influence on regional and global affairs.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), BRICS, covering more than 40 percent of the world's total population and a quarter of the land, is estimated to have a combined nominal GDP of $13.6 trillion in 2011, accounting for 19.5 percent of the world's total.
(Source: China.org.cn)