 Brazil |
Only smaller
than Canada, Russia and the USA, Brazil is the 5th country in the world in territorial
extension with 8.514.215,3 km², and the equivalent of 5.120 thousand square
miles. This represents almost half of South America.
Subdivided into five
regions – North, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and South – the Brazilian
nation borders with eleven countries in South America except for Chile and Ecuador.
Discovered by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral, on April 22, 1500,
Brazil was a Portuguese colony until September 4, 1822, at which date gained
its political and administrative independence.
In
1889, it became a Federal Republic.
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Today,
Brasil is divided in 26 States, a Federal District (Brasilia) and
over
5.500 cities.
Internationally
known by its daring architecture, Brasilia is the capital of Brazil.
The
government
system is presidential, in which the president is elected directly by the
people for a four year term. The States are administered by Governors, and
the cities by mayors, also with a four year term. In both cases, re-election
is possible for one more term of the same duration.
Brazil grows each day.
Positioned in 9th place at the world rank, the Brazilian economy is expanding
very fast. The country is the largest producer of coffee, sugar and iron
minerals in the world.
The Brazilian states located on the East and South
Region, which received the first immigrants (Italian, Portuguese, Japanese,
Spanish, English, Dutch, African, etc.) are more economically developed.
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The
people are happy, outgoing, hospitable, in a good mood, without
prejudice, graceful on their way of dressing, talking and communicating.
The tourist is always welcome, regardless of where it comes from.
A Brazilian person is characterized by a strong artistic vein,
demonstrated through the richness of its music, dance, theater,
folklore, art craft, etc.
The country’s richness are also
revealed through its rich gastronomy, marked by the influence of
its Europeans colonizers and African slaves, especially the BBQ
(churrasco, usually served on a all-you-can-eat system, including
an enormous variety of meats and salads), feijoada (black beans
with beef and pork meat, rice, collard greens, farofa, oranges
and served with a famous drink “caipirinha” (cachaça,
sugar and lime juice), fish soup, seafood dishes and others.
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(*) Picture
kindly furnished by Manaustur - Municipal Foundation of Tourism,
Official Tourism Dept. of the City of Manaus.
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