This is Brazil
Brazil is one of the most exciting counties in the world. This vast country covers half the continent of South-America. Its landmass is nearly as large as Europe and bigger than the United States without Alaska. Brazil has a fabulous variety in landscapes, climates and people. Thousands of immigrants from all over the world have chosen to life in Brazil, resulting in an exuberant cultural wealth.
Fast facts about Brazil
- Full name: República Federativa do Brasil (Federative Republic of Brazil)
- Population: 188.224.589 (IBGE, 2007)
- Area : 8.55 million km2 (3.3 million sq miles)
- Capital: Brasília
- Largest city: São Paulo
- Number of states: 26 and one Distrito Federal (Federal District)
- Official language: Portuguese
- Religion: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Afro-Brazilian cults (Macumba or Candomblé) 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census). The figure for Afro-Brazilian cults is an underestimation: Macumba and Candomblé are mostly practiced by members of other religions.
- Life expectancy: 71.9 years; 68.2 years (men), 75.8 years (women) (IBGE, 2005)
- Population below poverty line: 31% in 2005 (CIA World Factbook 2007)
- Literacy: 86.4% of the population older than 15 years (CIA World Factbook 2007)
- Internet users: 25.9 million in 2005 (CIA World Factbook 2007)
- Monetary unit: real (1 real = 100 centavos )
- Main exports: Manufactured goods, iron ore, coffee, oranges, soya beans, other agricultural produce
- Gross National Income per capita: US $3,460 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .br
- International dialling code: ++55
Geography
Brazil belongs to the 5 largest countries of the world. It covers an area of more than 8,5 million km². It is the largest country of South-America, comprising more than half of this continent. Distances are enormous: 4320 km from North to South and 4326 km from West to East. Brazil has boundaries with all South American countries except for Chile and Ecuador. Its capital is Brasília. The country is subdivided in 26 states and a Federal District. Read more on the geography of Brazil.
Climate
Because of its size, Brazil stretches over various climate zones. In the Amazon, it is always warm and it rains throughout the year. The South has a subtropical climate. In the extreme southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, it may even snow during an exceptional winter. Read more on the Brazilian climate.
Wildlife
The Brazilian wildlife is unique and it is still unspoiled in many areas. About 20% of the world's biodiversity is found in this country. This includes about 50000 species of plants, thousands of species of birds, millions of insects and rare mammals. Important landscapes are the Amazon, the Cerrado, the Pantanal and the Mata Atlântica. Read more on wildlife in Brazil.
Travel
The largest country of South America has a lot to offer the traveller, varying from beautiful beaches to the enormous Amazon forest and from big, modern cities to old colonial towns. The principal means of transport are car, bus and airplane. Read more on travelling to Brazil.
Population
The Brazilian population is estimated at 188 million people (2007) and it is growing rapidly at a rate of 10 million people per 3 year. The population originates from a mixture of Europeans, Africans and Amerindians. Read more on the population of Brazil.
Language
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil but the Brazilian Portuguese is different from the Portuguese of Portugal. Read more on the Portuguese from Brazil.
Culture
The Brazilian culture results from a mixture of European, Amerindian, African and Asian cultures. Customs and rituals from various parts of the world have blended into a new culture that is typically Brazilian. At nowadays, the level of mixture is that high that cultural differences exist mainly between regions. Read more on Brazilian culture.
Religion
Traditionally, Brazil is a predominantly Catholic country but Protestantism is expanding rapidly. Some Amerindians practise their own ancient religions. Except for that, it has a number of cults from African origin. Read more on religion in Brazil.
Flag
The Brazilian flag is green with a large yellow rhombus in the centre. In this yellow rhombus is a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars. Each star represents one of the states and the Federal District. The stars are arranged according to the night sky of Rio de Janeiro at the day of independence. On the globe is a white band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress). Read more on the Brazilian Flag.
National Anthem
The national anthem is called Hino Nacional do Brasil . Many foreigners confuse the melody of Aquarela do Brasil with the Brazilian National Anthem. Read more on the Hino Nacional do Brasil.
|
|
