About Brazil

Undoubtedly Brazil is Latin America's largest country in land terms covering almost half (47.3%) of South America's territory, totalling an area equivalent to 8,547,403 square kilometres. It is the world's fifth largest country, following the Russian Federation, Canada, China, and the United States. Except for a minor number of islands, the Brazilian territorial extension has been uninterrupted and continuous. The Equator line crosses the northern country, next to Macapá, while the Capricorn Tropic crosses the southern country, next to São Paulo.

Brazil's east-west territorial extension (4,319.4 km) is almost equivalent to its widest north-south distance (4,397.7 km). Brazil borders with ten other countries: the French Guyana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, and Colombia at north; Uruguay and Argentina at south; and Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru at west. Ecuador and Chile are the only two countries of South America with which Brazil makes no frontiers. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the entire Brazilian east cost, forming a scenic coast – line 7,367-km long.

Portuguese is the mother language, although very different from that spoken in remoter areas, the basic semantics are the same. A comparison can be made with the English spoken by American and English people: each one has its own regional characteristics.

Many Brazilians also speak German and Italian, especially in southern cities, thanks to the positive influence of colonization.

Brazil is one of the few places in the world that provides the same welcoming atmosphere to newcomers as they do to the Brazilians. This is totally due intermarriages between the Portuguese colonial masters, native Indians, whites and blacks brought in from West Africa in 1500 to work as slaves on the sugar-cane and coffee plantations.

A slavery society was then conceived, which never succeeded in eliminating an already traditional custom and that could be evidenced in the off-springs from white and black people, black and Indians, mulattos and white people, white people and Indians. Following three hundred years of Portuguese colonial domination, Brazil gained independence in 1822. Although they maintained a monarchical system of government, this was changed when slavery was abolished in 1888.

Since then Brazil has enjoyed the rigours of a military style of government that has not been without its difficulties. When the Brazilians obtained independence from their Portuguese masters, they developed an identity, bonding them in such a way that neither divisions nor internal political disputes can destroy them. Brazilian politics, society and life-style underwent considerable change when in 1985 after fifty years populist and military rule the military regime peacefully ceded control to civilian rule and the country has continued to develop in steady fashion. Although there is a high proportion of unequal income distribution, the country is striving to reduce the disparities, for all Brazilians to enjoy the good life.