Brazil’s Flag
About Brazil (一)
Brazil is the largest country in Latin America.
It spreads across almost half (47.3%) of South
America, and occupies a total area of
8,547,403.5 km. It is the fifth largest country in
the world after Canada, the Russian Federation,
China and the United States. Except for a small
number of islands, Brazil is a single and
continuous landmass. The Equator crosses
through the Northern region, near Macapa, and
the Tropic of Capricorn cuts through the South
of the country, near São Paulo.
Brazil’s Map
About Brazil (二)
Brazil’s east to west extension (4,319.4 km) is
almost equivalent to the distance from north to
south (4,394.7 km). The country borders French
Guiana, Suriname, Guiana, Venezuela and
Colombia to the north; Uruguay and Argentina
to the south; Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru to the
west. Ecuador and Chile are the only two
countries on the South American continent that
do not border Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean extends
along the country’s entire eastern coast,
providing 7,367 km of coastline.
Brazil’s Climate
The climate is predominantly tropical with
some variation according to the region. The
average annual temperature in the north is 28º C
and 22º C in the south.
Brazil’s Time Zones
Because of its continental dimensions Brazil
has 4 time zones. The official time is Brasília time
and it corresponds to 3 hours less than GMT.
From September to February the clocks are put
forward one hour in most Brazilian States.
Brazil’s Language
The official language is Portuguese; the
accent and the intonation, however, are very
different from what one hears in Portugal and
other former Portuguese colonies. Some
people say that Brazilians speak “Brazilian”,
just like Americans can say they speak
“American”, and not English. And there are
also many Brazilians who are descendants of
immigrants and who speak German and Italian,
especially in towns in southern Brazil.
Brazil’s Races
The mixture of races has made Brazil a
culturally rich. This miscegenation began with
the Indian, the African and the Portuguese, but
soon after, immigrants from around
the world began to arrive: Europeans
, Asians, Jews and Arabs.
Brazil is one of the last places on
Earth where no one is a foreigner, where one
can change one’s destiny without losing one’s
identity and where each and every Brazilian has
Brazil’s Democracy
Brazil has been a Republic since 1889. Throughout
this entire period, the country actually experienced
little more than thirty years of democracy (19461964 and from 1985 to the present). Brazilian
democracy was won back after 21 years of a military
dictatorship
The strength of the Congress is actually so great
that not even the military dictatorship of the 1960s
could do without it. There have been national
elections in Brazil since 1823. And these elections
have been open to voters in a manner almost
unheard of even for European democracy standards.
Brazil’s Food
Brazilian cuisine, like Brazil itself,
varies greatly by region. The natural crops
available in each region add to their singularity.
Brazilian cooking has many similarities with
that of its South American neighbors. The food of
Brazil spans a unique mix of cultures and cuisines.
The original population contributed popular
ingredients like cassava and guaraná. African
slaves influenced the cuisine of the coastal states,
especially Bahía. A Portuguese heritage is
reflected in various dishes around the country.
Brazil’s Carnival
A festival that takes place annually in Brazil.
People from all around the world flock to the
streets of Rio de Janiero to share in the
celebration with locals known as Cariocas.
Starting the Friday before Ash Wednesday, seven
weeks before Easter Sunday, Rio de Janerio hosts
many festivities that occur
throughout the city complete
with music, parades, dancing
, and renowned Carnival balls.
Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest
Art Deco statue in the world as well as the second
largest statue of Jesus Christ. It is 39.6 meters
tall, including its 9.5 meters pedestal, and 30
meters wide. It weighs 635 tons and is located at
the peak of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain in
the Tijuca Forest National Park
overlooking the city. A symbol
Of Christianity, the statue has
become an icon of Rio and Brazil.
Brazil’s Sport
Sports in Brazil are those that are widely
practiced and popular in the country, as well as
others which originated there or have some
cultural significance. The Brazilian people are very
involved in sports. Football is the most popular
sport in Brazil. One of the most influential
Brazilian football players is
Pele, widely considered as
the best football player
of all time. P.S.Information from:
http://www.braziltour.com/sobrebrasil/sobrebrasil.html