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Welcome to Brazil. Located in South America, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country, occupying almost half of the South American continent and bordering every country in it except for Chile and Ecuador. Brazil is the home of many famous sites, such as the Amazon rainforest, Rio de Janeiro, and Carnival. The richness and diversity of Brazil's fauna is astounding. The country ranks first in the world for numbers of species of primates, amphibians and plants; third for bird species; and fourth for species of butterflies and reptiles. The climate in Brazil is varied. Depending on location, it can be hot and humid or cool and breezy, but overall the climate is mild throughout the country. |
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| The culture of Brazil is also very diverse. The country has been shaped not only by the Portuguese, who gave the country its religion and language, but also by the country's native Indians, the considerable African population, and other settlers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Forged by music and religion the culture is robust and well known for having fun and showing the beauty in things. |
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Brazil is officially a Catholic country, but in practice the country's religious life incorporates Indian animism, African cults, Afro-Catholic syncretism and Kardecism, a spiritualist religion embracing Eastern mysticism, which is gaining popularity with Brazilians.
The primary language of Brazil is Portuguese, although it is infused with many words from Indian and African languages, it is spoken by all Brazilians. There are varying accents and dialects through the different regions of the country. |
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| Brazilian cuisine is wild and flavor filled. Specialties include moqueca, a seafood stew flavored with dendê oil and coconut milk; caruru, okra and other vegetables mixed with shrimp, onions and peppers; and feijoada, a bean and meat stew. On many street corners in Bahia, women wearing flowing white dresses sell acarajé, beans, mashed in salt and onions and then fried in dendê oil. The fried balls are filled with seafood, manioc paste, dried shrimp, pepper and tomato sauce. These and many other delights will be sure to satisfy even the most demanding appetites. |
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| While in Brazil be sure to take in all that this wonderful country has to offer. Rich in culture there is always a reason to celebrate, although Carnival is the biggest celebration, there are many other celebrations in Brazil. |
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| Full country name: |
República Federativa do Brasil |
Area:
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8,514,215 sq km (3,286,487 sq mi) |
| Population: |
175 million |
| Capital city: |
Brasília |
| People: |
55% European descent, 38% mulatto, 6% African descent (according to the 1980 census). In reality, these figures are skewed by whiteness being equated with social stature in Brazil. |
| Languages: |
Portuguese |
| Religion: |
70% Roman Catholic; also a significant proportion who either belong to various cults or practice Indian animism |
| Government: |
Federal republic |
Head of State:
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| GDP: |
US$650 billion |
GDP per head:
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US$4060 |
Inflation:
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8% (1999) |
| Major industries: |
Textiles, shoes, chemicals, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, motor vehicles and parts, arms, soya beans, orange juice, beef, chicken, coffee, sugar |
| Major trading partners: |
EU, Central and South America, Asia, USA |
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