Brazil

Quick Facts

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Local name

Brasil

Capital

Brasilia

Government

Federal Republic

Nationality

Brazilian

Population

184,000,000

Languages

Portuguese

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Currency

Brazilian Real (BRL)

Calling Code

+55

Time Zone

UTC -2 to -5

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Introduction

Lencois water fall

© All Rights Reserved hayden111

Brazil is undoubtedly one of South America's finest destinations. From the dense jungles enveloping the mighty Amazon, to the mountainous terrain on the southern coastline, to the many miles of beautiful sandy beaches, Brazil has something for everyone. But beyond its natural beauty, the Brazilian people and their culture is what makes Brazil a great destination. The four day festivities of the world-renowned Carnival, held around late-February, are a fantastic attraction for many travellers. Although Brasilia is the capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro (The River of January) is often considered the heart of the country.

Brief History

It remains somewhat of a shiboleth that Brazil was 'discovered' by the Portuguese in the 1500's because unlike many of the other Andean tribes Brazils indigenous people have left little evidence of their existence.

On the 22nd of May 1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral led the colonisation of Brazil by the Portuguese. During the first century of occupation the major export was Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata) giving the country its name. However the Portuguese interest in the country was fairly slack which led to successive attempts by the French and Dutch to invade. The Dutch sacked Bahia in the 1600's and successfully captured Salvador, they formally withdrew in 1661 after successfully occupying the Nordeste for about 30 years.

Interestingly Brazil is one of only two countries among the 'new worlds' that housed an effective legal monarchical state (the other was Mexico), for a period of almost 90 years. Brazil's capital city — Rio de Janeiro — was from 1808 to 1821 the head of the Portuguese empire. The monarchy was deposed on November 15, 1889 by a Republican military coup led by general Deodoro da Fonseca, who became the country's first de facto president through military ascension. In 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers.

Geography

Brazil extends over 8.5 million square kilometers, occupying just under half (47%) of the area of Latin America. This includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paolo. It borders with Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Its coastline is 7,491 Km and its highest point is Pico da Neblina (3,014 m).

Terrain is mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and a coastal belt.

Resources

Land use is composed of; arable land: 5%, permanent crops: 1%, permanent pastures: 22%, forests and woodland: 58%, other: 14%. Natural resources include bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Main agricultural products include coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef and main industries in textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment.

Regions

Brazil is divided into 26 states (known as estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal) in five main regions:

• North: Acre, Amapa, Amazonas, Para, Rondonia, Roraima, Tocantins.
• Northeast: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceara, Maranhao, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe.
• Central-west: Brasilia (FD), Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul.
• Southeast: Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo.
• South: Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina.

Cities

• Brasilia - The nation's capital.
• Curitiba
• Manaus - Capital of the Amazon.
• Recife
• Rio de Janeiro - The second largest city in Brazil.
• Salvador
• Sao Paulo (City) - Brazil's largest city.

Sights and Activities

Devil's throat

© All Rights Reserved monkyhands

Iguazu Falls

Bordering Brazil and Argentina, Foz de Iguassu comprise of 275 waterfalls which cascade along the cliff edges for some 2700 metres, falling from heights of up to 80 metres. For more information, have a look at the Iguazu Falls article.

Pantanal

The Pantanal is the world's largest continuous wetland with a total area of more than 200,000 square kilometers. Over half of the Pantanal is located in Brazil which also offers the best opportunities for a visit to this paradise full with animals. For more details about visiting this amazing place read the Pantanal article.

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest contains over half of the rainforest in the world and is by far the largest rainforest with about 7 million square kilometers. The area actually containing forest is slightly smaller and is divided by 9 countries of which Brazil has the largest part. For more information about the lungs of our planet, read the Amazon Rainforest article.

Chapada Diamantina National Park

The Chapada Diamantina National Park is unique, wonderful and natural. It boasts beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, canyons and a big natural swimming pool. Enjoy reading the full Chapada Diamantina National Park article for your options to visit the main sights.

Teatro Amazonas

Manaus

© All Rights Reserved sawalrath

Teatro Amazonas, in English Amazon Theatre, is an amazing opera house built in the city of Manaus. Built in a Renaissance style this opera house took seventeen years to build, with construction being completed in 1895. The money for the theatre was funded by the massive rubber boom in the late 19th and early 20th century. The decadence in this build is outrageous with roofing tiles, furniture and murals of the meeting of the waters from Alsace and Paris. From Italy came Carrarra Marble for the stairs, statues and columns, also 198 chandeliers, including 32 made from Murano glass in Venice. Pretty much everything was imported from Europe, including the bricks, except the wood. The theatre was recently fully restored back to its previous grandeur.

Other Sights and Activities

• Beaches - Brazil has a fine beach life with many great beaches between Fortaleza and Salvador in the northeast and not to forget the Ipanema and Copacobana beaches in Rio de Janeiro. Jericoacoara near Fortaleza is a famous small fishing village with a relaxed atmosphere.
• Ouro Preto - Together with Olinda, this southern town is one of the finest examples of towns with colonial style architecture and just like its northern counterpart on the UNESCO list.

Salvador - Pelourinho Square, "Rosario dos Pretos" Church

© All Rights Reserved mig13

• Salvador de Bahia - Home to a mix of African, European and indigenous people and famous for its Carnival. It has some fine colonial buildings including churches as well.
• Brasilia - The capital is not as often visited as Rio or Sao Paulo, but has some very fine modern architecture.
• Olinda - Located close to Recife in the northeast, this is probably one of the best examples of colonial style buildings, combined with great coastal scenery. Many of the buildings date back to the 16th and 17th centuries and the town is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Fernando de Noronha - An UNESCO sight with fine beaches, marine wildlife and great landscapes to admire.

Events and Festivals

Carnaval

Brazil has one of the largest Carnaval celebrations in the world. It is held the 4 days before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. The celebrations happens in almost every city and town and is a mixture of Christian, Pagan and Native Brazilian traditions. Just be ready to dance and have a crazy time! The most extreme Carnaval cities are Rio De Janeiro, Bahia, Recife, Ouro Preto, Mariana and Diamantina. Remember that Carnaval is different in every city and to really experience the festival it is best to go to different cities every year.

Other Events and Festivals

Weather

Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, more than 60 percent of the population live in areas where altitude, sea winds, or cold polar fronts moderate the temperature. There are five climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi arid, highland tropical, and subtropical.

The hottest part of Brazil is the northeast where, during the dry season, between May and November, temperatures may reach above 38 °C. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, mean temperatures range from 23 °C to 27 °C. Inland, on higher ground; temperatures are lower, ranging from 18 °C to 21 °C. South of Rio, the seasons are more noticeable and the annual range of temperature greater. The average temperature for this part of the country is in the range between 17 °C and 19 °C.

Rainfall

Brazil's most intense rainfall is found around the mouth of the Amazon River (around Belém), and also in the upper regions of Amazônia where more than 2,000 mm (78 inches) of rain falls each year. The rest of the country has moderate rainfall of between 1,000 and 1,500 mm (39 to 59 inches) a year, most of which falls in the summer, between December and April with winters tending to be dry.

Getting There

Brazil shares borders with 10 countries. Travelling overland from all of these countries except Suriname is possible. Many people arrive by air as well and Brazil has international airports all over the country.

By Plane

If arriving by air, there are a few airports which will likely be your starting point in Brazil. These are Sao Paulo International Airport (GRU) in Guarulhos, 25 km from Sao Paulo and Galeao International Airport (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro.

Although Varig is the national flag carier, TAM Airlines is the biggest Brazilian airlines with flights from several cities in Europe, North America and South America.

Foreign airlines serving these cities directly from Europe are Air France, KLM and TAP Portugal. The latter has direct flights to Brasilia, Recife and other cities in Brazil as well.

From North America most cities mentiond above are served by several airlines as well. Also, unlike flights from Europe, it is possible to fly directly into Manaus, for example from Miami.

Within the region, GOL has an extensive network of destinations. In the north there are several airlines serving The Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) from for example Belem and Manaus. Airlines among which to search are Meta and Suriname Airways.

By Train

There are no direct train connections from neighbouring countries into and out of Brazil. There is, however, the option to travel to Bolivia from Corumba and take the train from Quijarro to Santa Cruz, also known as the Death Train.

By Car

By Bus

There are many options to get into Brazil by bus from neighbouring countries directly.
Argentina
From Argentina, the most used crossing is the Puerto Iguazu - Foz do Iguacu crossing and further south there is the Paso de los Libres to Uruguaiana crossing. Both are served by direct buses from Buenos Aires. From Buenos Aires, there are direct buses to Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Curitiba, Sao Paul and Rio de Janeiro. The latter takes 46 hours!
Bolivia
The main crossing with Bolivia is at Corumba, opposite the Bolivian town of Quijarro (see train above). This one is particularly interesting when you want to visit the southern Pantanal. At the northern Pantanal section it is best to travel from Caceres towards the Bolivian border town of San Matias, which is about 2 hours. There are also daily direct connections from Caceres all the way to Santa Cruz in Bolivia.
In the extreme west there is a crossing from Brasileia to Cobija in Bolivia. It is about 4,5 hours by bus from Rio Branco in the Acre State.
Chile
There are direct buses from Santiago in Chile to Curitiba (52 hours), Porto Alegre (36 hours), Sao Paulo (56 hours) and Rio de Janeiro (72 hours!).
Colombia
Crossing is between Tabatinga and Leticia in Colombia.
French Guiana
Crossing is between Oiapoque and Saint Georges in French Guiana.
Guyana
Crossing is between Bonfim and Lethem in Guyana.
Paraguay
The main crossings are between Foz do Iguacu and Ciudad del Este and between Ponta Pora and Pedro Juan Caballero.
Peru
Not many border crossings, but the best is in the south of Peru between Inapari and Assis Brazil. Also possible by boat (see below).
Uruguay
Most used crossing between Chuy and Chui, border is at the main street in this twin town. Other crossings are Rio Branco - Jaguarao, Isidoro Noblia - Acegua, Rivera - Santana do Livramento, Artigas - Quarai, and Bella Union - Barra do Quarai. Direct buses travel between Montevideo and Porto Alegre (12 hours), Florianopolis (19 hours) and Curitiba (24 hours).
Venezuela
To and from Venezuela , the main crossing is between Pacaraima and Santa Elana de Uairen in Venezuela. There are direct connections between Manaus and Boa Vista in Brazil to Ciudad Bolivar further north in Venezuela.

By Boat

Peru and Colombia
The Amazon functions as the riverine highway of Brazil and many neighbouring countries. Although there are no scheduled services to other countries, you can travel the entire lenght from Belem in the east to the border with Colombia and Peru in the west on many boats. Accommodation is usually in hammocks and it is a great way to experience local Amazonian life. The border is also called the triple frontier and from here on you can travel the Amazone even further into Peru to the city of Iquitos and even Pucallpa.
Bolivia
Boats also cross the river Rio Mamore from Guajara-Mirim (Rondonia) to Guayaramerin in Bolivia. This crossing is about 5,5 hours from Porto Velho. You can reach this crossing as well from Trinidad in Bolivia by boat, which takes 5 days and is a very adventurous off the beaten track experience.
Peru
Not many border crossings, but the best is in the south of Peru between Inapari and Assis Brazil by ferry across the Rio Acre.

Getting around

By Plane

Because of the size of Brazil many travellers make the choice to fly between cities, particularly into Manaus for access to the Amazon as the road through the central states has been closed for several years. There are about 30 airports across Brazil offering domestic flights and a handful of these are international. Rio de Janeiro's Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport is the main international airport in Brazil with dozens of international and domestic airlines offering services.
Domestic business is dominated by GOL, TAM and Varig and cheap flights can best be obtained while inside the country.
Other airlines, operating flights to smaller places include TRIP Linhas Aereas, Rico and Ocean Air.

By Train

There are few existing trainlines in Brazil. Still, there are several scenic tourist lines which are definately worth a try. These include the scenic Serra Verde Express which operates between Curitiba and the port city of Paranaguá. Stops include Morretes and Marumby State Park and although it is only 100 kilometres the landscape and scenery is spectacular.

By Bus

Brazil boasts some of the best buses in South America. Prices vary generally as a function of distance and journey length. There are dozens of companies in the country but you can start checking Expresso Brasileiro and AutoViacao. Some buses travel from south all the way north to places like Belem and can take over 3 days! It is better to either break up your trip, or look for cheaper deals regarding flights, as prices of long distance buses can add up.

By Car

Travelling around by car is getting more and more popular in Brazil, especially in the coastal areas. Although road conditions vary widely throughout Brazil, roads are generally in a relatively good condition, but not all and not everywhere! The government offers an up to date online service for checking road conditions^[1]. Driving behaviour of the Brazilians and busy traffic in certain parts of Brazil are certainly worth thinking twice before you rent a car, but don't let this scare you too much. Many cities and airports have facilities, with both local and international agencies like Hertz and Avis renting cars. Remember that 21 is the minimum age to be able to rent a car.

By Boat

Although in most parts of Brazil, you will just be fine travelling around by land or plane, the Amazon is the place where you really need a boat to get to most places, unless you want to take flights all the time.
You have a choice of taking slowboats to most places and several fast boats to a few places as well, although these only travel between Manaus, Tefé and Tabatinga in western direction and to Santarem in eastern direction.

Slow boats travel across the Amazon River between Belem and Tabatinga on the border with Peru and Colombia. It takes around a week downstream but over one and a half upstream to cover the route.
Other options include routes between Manaus and Porto Velho in the south along the Rio Madeira and north from Manaus to São Gabriel da Cachoeira travelling along the Rio Negro. The first takes about 4 days, the second almost a week!

On all these boats you have a choice to spend the nights in a hammock or for a little bit more you can get a cabin, sometimes with airconditioning, usually only with a fan. In the latter case, it can become very hot in the cabins, so travel like the locals do and learn to sleep in a hammock, enjoying the fresh nightly air.

Other options outside the Amazon include ferries by Barcas S/A between Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, and between Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande

Red tape

Travellers from the following countries will be granted a 90 day visa on arrival in Brazil: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Holland, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Malta, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican and Venezuela.

US citizens and others will be required to obtain visas from Brazillian consulates before travelling to Brazil. Depending on previous travel you may be required to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate on entry.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Brazil's currency is the Brazilian Real (BRL) (pronounced 'hay-AHL'), plural Reais ('hay-EYES'). The subunit is called centavo(s) (cents). There are notes for R$1, R$2, R$5, R$10, R$20, R$50 and R$100^[2]. Coins vary in size and colour and come in 1 centavo, 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 25 centavos, 50 centavos and R$1. BRL1 is roughly 0.55 USD/0.4 EUR/0.27 GBP (check Oanda for up to date conversions).

Use of travellers cheques is restricted and must be exchanged. Exchange centres can be found across Brazil in all major cities called 'casas de cambio. Holders of major credit cards can use most major ATMs to access accounts and withdraw cash (other transactions limited).

Work

Study

Language

Related article: Portuguese phrasebook

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil.

Eat

Brazil is a huge country with vary diverse cuisine depending on the area in the country. Some of the more common food may seem a bit boring, especially in the poorer areas of the country. The national dish is Feijoada (Meat Stew) and might be a bit much for some tourists because of its use of organs and other innards.

A must try for people that eat meat is Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco), which is amazing. The different kinds of meat are cooked on a spears and waiters bring the spears to you and pull off pieces of food. On each table will be a little card that is green on one side and red on the other. As long as the green side is up more meat will be brought to you. This is always an all you can eat kind of meal. The restaurants that specialize in this form of cooking are called churrascarias and can be found anywhere in the country, even at truck stops.

Fast Food

Large chains have started to dominate the country nationwide. One of the most well known is Bob's, which is similar to McDonalds although a little better. Habib's is also common and is a Middle Eastern fast food chain found in most of the country. Chains like Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut have started to appear although not super common. Most Brazilians do not like touching there food and will eat finger food with napkins and even use a fork to eat french fries.

Tipping

It is common among locals to tip 10% of the bill. Some this 10% will be included in the bill, although it is not mandatory to pay it. It is actually a customers legal right to ignore the tip if they think they got bad service. If eating at a restaurant regularly it is best to make friends with a waiter by giving a larger tip and in the long run get better service. Some restaurants do not allow the waiters to keep the tip, therefore it might be better to slip the tip to the waiter discreetly while leaving, in cash, so he or she may keep it.

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

A big concern of many travellers to Brazil is safety and the subject is often contentious and opinions widely varied. Major cities like Rio, Salvador and Recife have significant reputations for being dangerous in terms of street crime. Rio in particular has unfortunately an increasing problem with violent crime and many sites will advise caution is exercised when considering it as a destination and also when travelling around in the city, particularly on buses.

The skewed distribution of income in Brazil (one of the most unequal in the world) may be partially responsible for an endemic and increasing problem of non-political crime and like any location in which crime is high tourists and travellers may be targets. However this should by no means deter travellers from choosing Brazil as a destination as behaving cautiously and with a certain degree of common sense will reduce any serious risks. This includes things like not carrying around large amounts of cash or flashing expensive cameras. It is also recommended that walking the streets at night in major cities is avoided unless in groups.

Keep Connected

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