BRAZIL
BRAZIL
The Federative Republic of Brazil is the country with the earliest following of dazed travellers -5 centuries of intoxicating its visitors with its beauty and riches. The venue for the Ms. Universe 2011, Brazil possesses a way of life that transcends beaches, bikinis, bikini waxes, and beauties for which it is known for. The Carnaval is but an example that your Brazilian holiday vacation need not revolve around diving and dipping in water. There’s a spectacularly unique cultural heritage to explore. The flag of Brazil portrays the country in a nutshell. Brazil is truly vivid with a colourful multi-spectrum for a culture and expresses a diversity and freedom to be and do anything, while at the core of the Brazilians they uphold a rightful adage, the motto Ordem e Progresso – Order and Progress, if you have not guessed. More importantly, it is the Brazilians’ energy, passion, and zest for life that makes it totally alluring and mandatory for everyone to see.
GEOGRAPHY
With an area of 8,514,877 sq km, Brazil (10 00 S, 55 00 W) is the largest country in South America and the world’s 5th largest country in the world, nurturing similarly the 5th largest population. Brazil is so huge, it shares common borders with almost every country in S. America except Ecuador and Chile. The large size and varied climate of Brazil and its Atlantic islands gives the nation its diverse geographical features.
Brazil’s terrain is flat to rolling from the north toward the centre, and highlands, hills, and mountains saturate the areas toward the border. The southeast facing the Atlantic is generally rugged with masses of mountains and ridges. The highest point of entire Brazil is the Pico da Neblina at 2,994 m and the lowest, the Atlantic Ocean.
CLIMATE
The climate in Brazil is highly diversified with 5 major climatic subtypes: tropical, subtropical, temperate, semi-arid, and highland tropical. Most of Brazil is tropical though and in the south, it is temperate. As a prime winter destination for a bulk of Europeans and due to the Carnaval in December, the period from December to March is the peak season. The low season on the other hand is the period between May and September. Yet, any time is good for a vacation in Brazil because of the favourable weather. However, Brazil also experiences recurring droughts in the northeast and floods in the south.
PEOPLE
With a colossal area, little wonder the Brazilian population is also among the biggest in the world constituting a population of 203 million with the most diverse ethnic backgrounds. It is 5th in the world for its population size. Between 1808 to 1972, an estimate of 5 million from 60 different countries, especially Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and the Middle East migrated to Brazil. Thus, majority of the current populations of Brazil are white (about 92 million) , brown or multiracial (about 83 million), black (about 13 million), Asian (about 1.1 million), and Amerindians (about 536,000). Other studies reveal that about 85%-95% of Brazilians are of indigenous descent. Brazil is also believed to have the largest number of uncontacted people, specifically, 67 uncontacted tribes.
LANGUAGE
Language is also a Brazilian thing that’s also huge and diverse. There are around 240 identified individual languages in Brazil. Of that number, 181 are living langues and 55 have no known speakers. PORTUGUESE is both the national and official language at the same time. Besides indigenous languages, immigrant languages are rich as some are taught in Brazil, comprising GERMAN, SPANISH, JAPANESE, KOREAN, ITALIAN, IRISH GAELIC, CATALAN-VALENCIAN-BALEAR, LATVIAN, UKRANIAN, LITHUANIAN, etc. ENGLISH is not widely spoken save for touristy areas.
RELIGION
Brazil is predominantly Christian nation with the world’s largest Catholic population. Around 70% follow Roman Catholicism, 20% adhere to Protestantism, and 1.22% to other Christian denominations. Kardecist Spiritism is another religious belief practised by 1.22% of the populace that claim to teach Christian doctrine but suspect to much speculation. Bantu/Voodoo, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam have been welcome in Brazil for some time now.
ATTRACTIONS
Come and visit Brazil with its display of diversity and long famous attractions. Known for its triumphant football legacy, the wild Carnaval, the massive Jesus the Redeemer statue, the Ipanema beach, the Iguaçu falls and plenty other attractions, Brazil is no nube. There is virtually a place to see and a thing to do in every locale here. Off the road travel is made even more exciting with all the hidden jewels that await discovery like the ocean beaches and caves in Sao Paolo, the islands in Manaus, the street markets in Rio de Janeiro, and the neighborhood in Salvador de Bahia.
Brazil has a spot for everything crucial to a progressing country, optimistic people, thriving wildlife and nature, and revolutionary technology. Jump start at the capital Brasilia, the third in the history of Brazil after Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia, which is always the consummate place for introduction and finale of a Brazilian trip as it breaks the “cultural” ice for any traveller. The only city in the world built in the 20th century to be awarded Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Brasilia was initially realized as part of an urban planning and repopulating concept of the interior, while bringing in music performances, movie festivals, political events, cultural and exhibits, and architectural structures -Oscar Niemeyer’s especially.
True to its upsized proportions, also a must-see is the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon that contains a third of the earth’s living species and is crossed by 10 of the world’s 20 biggest rivers, including the Amazon River. You will find much to your amazement in the Amazon. And perhaps it can even be as fun as watching a football game in Rio’s Maracanã Stadium, also the largest stadium in the world when it was built. In Brazil, it does not matter really what the place but the company, and Brazilians are one of the best people in the world with, similarly, the most big-hearted ones too.
FOOD
Sharing the same philosophy as travelling, in cuisine, going off the beaten path means doing it local-style. Brazil is gastronomically ready to respond to tourism with its cornucopia of offerings to the visitors from the local’s famed hole-in-the-wall diners to Michelin star dining or experience at least. Brazilian cuisine is distinctive and diverse while also sharing common qualities with other South American cuisines. Some of the Brazilian food are regional. But in general, Brazilian food is hot, sweet, sour, spicy, and salty, meaning it does not really cater to a specific taste bud.
This becomes obvious once you’ve had a taste of barbecued meats or churrasco, meat and bean stew or feijoada, seafood stew or moqueca, shrimps in manioc paste and rice or vatapá that’s eaten with deep-fried balled beans or acarajé, and a dish of porkchops, rice, bean paste, and collard greens known as Virado à Paulista. German, Lebanese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish cuisines are extra gastronomic exploits in this nation. And within these influences is a literal melting pot of the all flavours of the world. Brazil has no reservations when it comes to food and everything else, except for drugs and alcohol. With Brazilian portions and proportions this massive, no one comes home from this holiday less of a winner or less hotter.
Josh Boorman
Editor-in-chief
Backpacking Addictz
Twitter: @backpackaddictz
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