Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America.
It also has the most robust economy on that continent. The people are
wonderful; their culture is replete with great music, dance, and art; their
cuisine is delicious, and their hospitality is unequaled. They work hard and they play hard. They are blessed with some of the finest beaches in the world.
A Bit About Brazil
Despite their many blessings, there is great poverty in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities
in the world but it has some of the poorest and most violent slums. São Paulo is the largest and most important
financial center in South America but it too has extremely poor and violent slums. Some of the poorest people in the country can be found living in the shadows of the opulent beach-front resort hotels in the northeast of Brazil.
The structure of the federal government of Brazil is similar to that of the United States, with its
Três Poderes...the Executive, Legislative, and Judical branches. Everyone between the ages of
18 and 70 is required to vote in all elections. The capital city of Brazil is Brasilia, a relatively new city
built specifically to house the seat of government. The design of Brasilia as conceived by city planner,
Lúcio Costa, is the shape of an airplane. Oscar Niemeyer, the world renowned architect, designed most of the government buildings.
Some basic facts:
Geographic Center of Brazil: 10 degrees South of the Equator, 55 degrees W of Prime Meridian
Population: 186,000,000 Land Area: 8.5 million sq. Km. - slightly smaller than U.S.
Borders with every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador.
Official Language: Portuguese
Flag: Green with yellow diamond in center bearina a blue celestial globe with 25 stars (one for each state and the
Federal District. The globe has a white band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO
Currency: Real (approximately 2.25 reals per dollar) Cellular Phones in Use: 46 million (in 2003)
Official Name: Republica Federativa do Brasil (Federative Republic of Brazil)
Click the map at left for more detailed maps and project location
