Located on the east-central part of South America, and covering an area of 8.5 million square-km (3,290,000 square-miles), Brazil borders on all the other nations of the continent except Ecuador and Chile. But its largest neighbor is really the South Atlantic, with 7,400 km (4,500 miles) of beaches, beaches, and more beaches - most of which have fine, white sand.
Whereas Spanish America split into some 20 countries upon independence, Portuguese America became a single nation: Brazil. Natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves and cyclones are unknown in this immense country. Perhaps that explains why Brazilians are so pleasant, their rhythms and music so lively, and holidays and festivals so numerous: they occur throughout the year and culminate in the famous Carnival, a colorful festival that touches almost all the country's 140 million inhabitants. Here is a summary of Brazil:
Area: 8,511,965 square-km (3,286,470 square-mile)
Location: Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world. It occupies half of South America, where it neighbors French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Colombia, and Venezuela on the north; Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay on the west; Uruguay and Argentina on the south; and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Brazil's Atlantic coastline stretches for 7,408 km (4,603 miles).
Climate: Tropical and semitropical through almost the entire country.
Type of Government: Federal Republic
Flag: Green with a yellow polygon and blue circle in the middle. Twenty seven white stars are inside the blue circle (one for each state), laid out like the stars in the Brazilian skies. In the center of the circle are inscribed the words "Ordem e Progresso" - Order and Progress.
Population: 141,302,000
Currency: Real (R$)
Language: Portuguese
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, followed by Protestants and Spiritualists.
Sports: Soccer is by far the most widely-practiced and enjoyed national sport. Brazil is the world leader in soccer,
having been the only country in the world to have won the World Cup
four times.
History: Brazil was discovered in 1500 by a Portuguese navigator, Pedro Alvares Cabral. Its independence was proclaimed on September 22, 1822. From 1549 to 1763 Brazil's capital was Salvador, in the state of Bahia. In 1763 it moved to Rio de Janeiro, until it was moved to Brasilia, a city made just for that purpose, in 1960.
Holidays: Jan.1, Carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, Apr. 21,
May 1, Corpus Christi, Sep. 7, Oct. 10, Nov. 2, Nov. 15, and Dec. 25.
Chief Crops: Coffee, cotton, soybean, sugarcane, cocoa, rice, corn, and fruits.
Minerals: Iron, chrome, manganese, nickel, tin, beryl, quartz, titanium, mica, diamond, gold, precious stones, coal,
bauxite, tungsten, and oil.
Industries: Steel, automobiles, chemicals, ships, shoes, paper, home appliances, and machinery.
Best time to visit: Anytime...all the time!!!
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