Regions of Brazil
Brazil is a of 26 and one which contains the , . The states are subdivided into . States are based on historical, conventional borders and have developed throughout the centuries; though some boundaries are arbitrary.
The national territory was divided in 1969 by the (IBGE), for demographic and statistical purposes, into five main regions: , , , and .
Language
Portuguese is the only official language of Brazil. It is spoken by nearly the entire population and is the only language used in , , and for all business.
has had its own development, influenced by the and . Due to this, the language is somewhat different from that spoken in and other Portuguese-speaking countries, mainly for phonological and orthographic differences, similar to the difference between and .
Minority languages are spoken as well, in different parts of Brazil. Some of these are spoken by indigenous peoples. 180 are spoken in remote areas. Others are spoken by immigrants and their descendants. There are also important communities of speakers of and in the south of the country, both largely influenced by the Portuguese language.
Climate
There are five climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. The seasons are the reverse of those in Europe and the United States. Cities such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia, on the plateau, have a mild climate with temperatures averaging 19°C.
Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Natal and Salvador on the coast have warmer climates balanced by the Trade Winds. Rio, for example, has an average temperature of around 26°C, which will climb to over 38°C during the summer months.
In the southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts of the US and Europe, with frosts occurring in the winter months (July to August). And temperatures can fall below freezing. But summers are hot.
Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat, temperatures rarely rise above 32°C, and days are generally warm, wet and humid. The region has two seasons: a rainy season (November to May) and not-so-rainy season (June to October).
Religion in Brazil
in is very diversified, although over seventy percent of the population declared being . About ninety percent of Brazilians declare some sort of religion.
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74% of Brazilians (about 139 million) declared being followers of ;
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15.4% (about 28 million) declared being followers of ;
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7.4% (about 12 million) consider themselves , or having no religious affiliation;
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1.3% (about 2.2 million) are followers of ;
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0.3% are followers of African traditional religions such as and ;
- 1.7% are members of other religions.
Among the field of "other religions" were (415,000), (300,000), and (27,000).
In the same field were those who practice a mixture of different religions, such as Catholicism, Candomblé, and indigenous American religions.
Brasilia
The federal capital of Brazil is a new city of approximately 1 million people. It is notable as a planned city and considered to be a masterpiece of modern architecture and art, and is recorded in the World Heritage. It was designed in 1956 by urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer.
The Brazilian government and other important buildings, such as headquarters of Brazilian companies are all in Brasilia.
Places to visit in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
is a city you must visit. One of the best ways to appreciate the setting is by going up Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pao de Acucar), where you'll get a fantastic view of Rio and Guanabara Bay. Across the Bay, you will also see the famous Rio- bridge. Some people also say that Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) has a better view than Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf). So it might be a good idea to try both.
Sao Paolo
Sao Paulo is the largest city in South America and the third more populous city of the world, with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is the economical capital of Brazil and a very busy place. There are many culture parks and museums.
Food in Sao Paulo is the best in the country. If you are there and like to eat meat, make sure you try the rodizios (barbecue) or feijoada (pork and beans - served only on wednesdays and saturdays). The pizzas are also extremely tasteful and you must try them.
Iguaçu
The Iguaçu is located on the border between Argentina and Brazil; this is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. It is 80 meters high and 2,700 meters in diameter and surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest with over 2,000 species of plants and numerous wildlife including: tapirs, giant anteaters, howling monkeys, ocelots, coatimundi and jaguars.
The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian : Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; : Selva Amazónica or Amazonía) is a in the of . The area, also known as Amazonia, the Amazon jungle or the Amazon Basin, encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion ), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres), located within nine nations: (with 60 percent of the rainforest), (with 13 percent of the rainforest, second after Brazil), , , , , , , and . States or departments in four nations bear the name after it. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of in the world.
Sports
is the most popular sport in Brazil. The is currently ranked second in the world according to the . They have been victorious in the tournament a record five times, in , , , and .
, , , and also attract large audiences. Though not as regularly followed or practiced as the previously mentioned sports, , , , and have found a growing number of enthusiasts over the last decades. Some sport variations have their origins in Brazil.
In martial arts, Brazilians have developed , which is a fighting sport, but it is also like a dance. This was made by the Brazilians, when it was a colony of Portugal and they were not allowed to learn any fighting sports. So they thought if it is a fighting sports which looks like dancing, it might be ok.
Carnival
Carnaval, is an annual celebration in Brazil, held forty days before and marking the start of Lent. Carnival in is known worldwide for the parades with sambas in and is one of the world’s major tourist attractions. In other regions such as and (and throughout Brazil), Carnival takes on a unique regional flavor. Carnival celebrations in Brazil feature locally-originating traditions and music