Explore Brazil

Written by: Natalie Yao

Geography

As the largest country in South America, Brazil has many different landscapes from rugged hills to long coastal plains. Yet, the most well known and popular landscapes are the forests, more specifically the Amazon Forest. The Amazon is the world’s second largest forest,, with the second longest river, the Amazon River, cutting through it, spanning 4,250 miles. Temperatures in Brazil are also very different depending on the area or region. For example, in the forest it is always around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy, but coastal areas are normally 57 degrees and sometimes reaches freezing temperatures.

The shape of Brazil is like a triangle with one side of it being a 4,500 mile long coastline. Since Brazil is so huge, it also has many neighboring countries. In fact, Brazil borders every country in South America except for Chile and Ecuador! Some of their neighbors include: Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, and many more!

People and Culture

The population of Brazil is very diverse, meaning that many different ethnicities live there. Most people are descendants of Indigenous people, the Portuguese, and Africans who were brought by slavery. However, there is a growing population of Italian, Japanese, and German people who migrated there. The official language of the nation is Portuguese, a result of colonization from Portugal in the 1800s. The dominant religion among Brazilians is Roman Catholicism, yet many people still practice Indigenous and African beliefs. Most Brazilians prefer to live in cities over rural areas, the most populated of them being Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the capital Brasília.

Brazilian culture is known for being very lively and filled with music and dancing. Their most popular music is the bossa nova, and dance being the samba and capoeira. The nation is also very famous for their amazing Carnival celebrations. Soccer is a very important part of Brazilian sport and it is the most popular sport there. As a matter of fact, Brazil holds the world record for the most World Cup titles won by a country at five wins. 

Food in Brazil is also a huge part of their culture because it is influenced by all the different people that live there. For example, there are many African flavors in dishes with coconut and shrimp and Indigenous influence is shown in the use of local fruits and vegetables. Some of the common ingredients used are rice, beans, beef, pork, and passionfruit.

Popular dishes include:

• Arroz com Feijão: a simple dish of rice and beans that is a staple in Brazilian daily life

• Pão de Queijo: fluffy cheese bread made from cassava flour

• Feijoada: bean stew with pork and is Brazil’s national dish

• Brigadeiros: sweet chocolate balls made of cocoa and condensed milk

National Symbols

• National Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileiro

• National Flower: The Yellow îpe tree

• National Bird: Rufous bellied thrush

• National Tree: Brazilwood