|
|
| |
COUNTRY NAME
- Conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
- Conventional short form: Brazil
- Local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
- Local short form: Brasil
BRAZIL CAPITAL CITY
- Brasília is the capital city of Brazil.
BRAZIL CURRENCY
- Real is the official currency of Brazil.
ETYMOLOGY OF BRAZIL
- Brazil derives its name from “pau-brasil”, a red dye discovered by Portuguese explorers.
- The dye was produced from the wood of a native plant.
HISTORY OF BRAZIL
- The nomadic Tupí-Guaraní Indians were the original inhabitants of the region.
- Adm. Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed the territory on the behalf of Portugal in 1500.
- Portuguese colonization began in 1532.
- The region became a royal colony in 1549.
- During the Napoleonic Wars, King João VI set up his court in Rio de Janeiro.
- His son, King Pedro I, declared Brazil as an independent nation on Sept. 7, 1822.
- Pedro I abdicated in 1831 and his five-year-old son, Pedro II, became emperor in 1840.
- Pedro II was abdicated in 1889 following a military revolt.
- Brazil was under military dictatorship until a revolt permitted civilian presidents to take over.
- Brazil sided up with the Allies and declared war on Germany during the World War I.
- Brazil again cooperated with the Allies during the World War II.
- Brazil participated in the invasion of Italy after declaring war on the Axis powers.
- Brazil had a series of military governments after a military coup in 1964.
- Gen. João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo took over as president in 1979.
- He pledged a return to democracy in 1985.
- Tancredo Neves became the first civilian president since 1964 on Jan. 15, 1985.
- In Jan. 1999, Brazil was drastically affected by the Asian economic crisis.
- In Jan. 2003, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became Brazil's first working-class president.
- On November 8, 2008, a new oil field called “Tupi” was discovered.
- The country was hit by a dengue epidemic in January 2008.
DEMOGRAPHICS OF BRAZIL
- Brazil's population is a mixture of several racial and ethnic groups.
- The ethnic distribution of the population is as follows:
- Whites: 49.7%
- Pardo (brown): 42.6%
- Black: 6.9%
- Asian: 0.5%
- Amerindian: 0.4%
- Most Brazilians are descendants of Indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonists, and African slaves.
- Large numbers of European and Asian people migrated to Brazil in the 19th century.
- In the early 20th century, people from Japan and the Middle-East also arrived.
- Brazil has the largest population of Italian origin outside of Italy.
- Brazil also has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
- Genetically, most Brazilians have European, African, and Amerindian ancestry.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AT BRAZIL
- Brazil is ruled by a federal republic government.
- Administrative divisions comprise of twenty six states and one federal district.
- Independence Day (7 September 1822) is observed as a national holiday.
- The Constitution was founded on 5 October, 1988.
- The legal system is based on Roman codes.
- Brazil has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
- The president is the chief of state and head of government.
- The Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president.
- The president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term.
- The Legislative branch is represented by a bicameral National Congress consisting of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
- The Judicial branch is represented by the Supreme Federal Tribunal or STF, the Higher Tribunal of Justice and Regional Federal Tribunals.
BRAZIL CULTURE
- Brazil is the only Latin American country that has Portuguese influence on its language and culture.
- The Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Catholic religion, and the colonial architectural styles in Brazil.
- Brazilian society is a blend of various ethnicities and cultures.
- Brazilian culture has elements of European, African, and Indigenous cultures and traditions.
- Italian, German, and other European immigrants have also contributed to the culture and society of Brazil.
- Amerindian peoples also influenced Brazil's language and cuisine.
- Some African influences can also be seen in the language, cuisine, music, dance, and religion.
- Brazilian literature dates back to the 16th century.
- Brazilian cuisine is diverse and varied across different regions and communities.
- Traditional music styles are samba, bossa nova, forró, frevo, pagode, and many others.
- Classical music is an important part of Brazilian culture.
- Brazil has also contributed significantly to international art and cinema.
- The festival of Carnival is marked by spectacular street parades and vibrant music.
- The Carnival is an annual celebration held forty days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent.
- The Carnival is celebrated throughout Brazil with distinct regional characteristics.
- The most spectacular celebrations take place in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, and Olinda.
- Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festival).
- Religion is much diversified in Brazil.
- The Roman Catholic Church is the dominant religion.
- Brazil is the largest Catholic nation in the world.
- Protestants, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists are also gradually rising in number.
- Traditional African beliefs have combined with Catholicism to create Afro-Brazilian religions such as Macumba, Candomblé, and Umbanda.
- Amerindians practice a wide variety of indigenous religions and traditions.
- The Muslim population in Brazil consists of mostly Arab immigrants.
- Buddhism, Judaism and Islam are also followed by a few people.
ECONOMY OF BRAZIL
- Brazil has large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors.
- Brazil is the richest among all South American countries.
- Wages and the rate of employment have increased steadily since 2004.
- Commodity-driven current account surpluses and sound macroeconomic policies have favor economic growth.
- It has also caused a reduction in public debts and real interest rates.
- A floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and a tight fiscal policy are the key components of the economic program.
- Productivity gains and high commodity prices contributed to an increase in exports.
- In 2006, Brazil shifted its debt burden towards real denominated and domestically held instruments.
- The GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 was $1.836 trillion.
- 9.3% of the population is unemployed.
- 31% of the population is below poverty line.
- Agricultural produce consists of coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus and beef.
- The main industries are textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts and other machinery and equipment.
- Export commodities include transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee and autos.
- Import commodities include machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts and electronics.
INFRASTRUCTURE OF BRAZIL
- Telecommunication system is well established and widespread.
- Mobile cellular subscription is rapidly gaining popularity.
- Brazil has 1365 AM, 296 FM and 161 shortwave radio broadcast stations.
- There are 138 television broadcast stations in all.
- Internet facilities are well developed and readily available.
- Brazil has 4,263 airports of which 718 have paved runways.
- The country also has 16 heliports.
- Railways span over a distance of 29,295 km.
- Roadways cover an area of 1,751,868 km.
- Waterways are 50,000 km long and are located in remote areas.
- The merchant marine is equipped with 135 ships.
- The major ports and terminals are located at Guaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, Sao Sebastiao and Tubarao.
EDUCATION IN BRAZIL
- The Federal Constitution and the 1996 General Law of Education in Brazil (LDB) are responsible for the education system.
- The new Constitution reserves 25% of state and municipal taxes and 18% of federal taxes for education.
- Both public and private school programs are available in Brazil.
- The overall literacy rate was estimated to be 88% in 2003.
- The youth literacy rate was 93.2% in 2003.
- Higher education starts with undergraduate or sequential courses.
- These courses may offer different specialist choices in academic or vocational subjects.
- Students also have an option to pursue Stricto Sensu or Lato Sensu postgraduate courses.
BRAZIL NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES
Brazil is surrounded by:
- Atlantic Ocean (east)
- Venezuela (north)
- Suriname (north)
- Guyana (north)
- French Guiana (north)
- Colombia (northwest)
- Bolivia (west)
- Peru (west)
- Argentina (southwest)
- Paraguay (southwest)
- Uruguay (south)
BRAZIL GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS
- Brazil is located in Eastern South America.
- Its east coast borders the Atlantic Ocean.
- Brazil’s geographical coordinates are 10 00 S, 55 00 W.
- The country covers a total area of 8,511,965 sq km.
- The coastline is 7,491 km.
- The climate is tropical across most regions of the country.
- The Southern region has temperate climate.
- The terrain comprises mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north along with some plains, hills and mountains.
- The coastal belt is narrow.
- The highest point is Pico da Neblina standing at 3,014 m.
- Natural resources include bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower and timber.
- 6.93% of the land is arable.
- Natural hazards include recurring droughts in northeast.
- Floods and occasional frost are common in the south.
- Deforestation in the Amazon Basin and endangered indigenous species are the major environmental concerns.
BRAZIL FREEDOM
- Brazil gained complete independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822.
NOTABLE PEOPLE FROM THE BRAZIL COUNTRY
Film Industry:
- Ana Paula Arósio
- Antônio Fagundes
- Bruna Lombardi
- Cacilda Becker
- Daniel Benzali
- Daniele Suzuki
- Débora Nascimento
- Denise Fraga
- Giovanna Antonelli
- Jéssica Sodré
- José Lewgoy
- José Wilker
- Juliana Didone
- Juliana Silveira
- Lucélia Santos
- Malu Mader
- Carmen Miranda
- Marco Nanini
- Maria Fernanda
- Maria Fernanda Cândido
- Maria Flor
- Marilia Gabriela
- Marilia Pera
- Matheus Nachtergaele
- Miguel Falabela
- Murilo Benicio
- Oscarito, actor
- Paola Oliveira
- Paulo Autran
- Paulo Satinho
- Procópio Ferreira
- Ranieri Gonzalez
- Regina Duarte
- Renato Aragão
- Reynaldo Gianecchini
- Rodrigo Hilbert
- Rodrigo Santoro
- Ronald Golias
- Selton Melo
- Seu Jorge
- Silvia Pfeifer
- Sônia Braga
- Tarcisio Meira
- Taís Araújo
- Teresa Seiblitz
- Vanessa de Oliveira
- Vera Fischer
- Viétia Zangrandi
- Xuxa
- Cleyde Yaconis
- Leonardo Villar
- Natalia Timber
- Gloria Menezes
- Beatrice Segal
- Noel Silva
- Gianfrancesco Guarnieri
- Raul Cortez
Architects and urbanists:
- Roberto Burle Marx
- Lúcio Costa
- Oscar Niemeyer
- Ruy Ohtake
- Affonso Eduardo Reidy
- Paulo Mendes da Rocha
- João Batista Vilanova Artigas
Artists, painters and sculptors:
- Anita Malfatti
- Alfredo Volpi
- Almeida Junior
- Antonio Francisco Lisboa "O Aleijadinho"
- Arnaldo Angeli Filho
- Cândido Portinari
- Carlos Gomes Lacerda
- Celso Rodrigues (born 1980), art director
- Cybèle Varela
- Frans Krajcberg
- Glauco
- Guto Lacaz, painter
- Hélio Oiticica
- Iberê Camargo
- Laerte Coutinho
- Lasar Segall
- Leonardo Mereu
- Lina Bo Bardi
- Lygia Clark
- Lygia Pape
- Manabu Mabe
- Mario Gruber
- Mauricio de Sousa
- Victor Meirelles
Film directors:
- Alberto Cavalcanti
- Annibal Requião
- Anselmo Duarte
- Bruno Barreto
- Fernando Meirelles
- Glauber Rocha
- Guel Arraes
- Hector Babenco
- Humberto Mauro
- José Mojica Marins
- Walter Salles
Explorers and discoverers:
- Cândido Rondon
- Orlando Villas Boas
- Amyr Klink
- Sydney Possuelo
Musicians and Singers:
- Adoniran Barbosa
- Airto Moreira
- Almir Sater
- André Matos
- Antonio Carlos Jobim
- Arnaldo Antunes
- Arnaldo Baptista (born 1948)
- Ary Barroso (1903–1964)
- Baden Powell (1937–2000)
- Bebel Gilberto
- Bidu Sayão (1902–1999)
- Caetano Veloso (born 1942)
- Carla Maffioletti
- Carlinhos Brown
- Carmen Monarcha
- Cartola
- Cazuza (1958–1990)
- Chico Buarque (born 1944)
- Chico César (born 1964)
- Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847–1935)
- Cláudia Leitte (born 1980)
- Djavan
- Dudu Nobre
- Ed Motta
- Eleazar de Carvalho
- Eliana Pittman (born 1945)
- Elis Regina (1945–1982)
- Eloy Fritsch
- Eloy Sforcin
- Elza Soares
- Erasmo Carlos
- Ernesto Nazareth
- Fabrizio Moretti (born 1980)
- Fernando Cutait
- Flavio Barollo
- Flora Purim
- Flávio Venturini
- Frank Solari
- Frejat
- Gal Costa (born 1945)
- Geraldo Vandré
- Gilberto Gil (born 1942)
- Guilherme Arantes
- Gustavo Assis-Brasil
- Helena Meireles (1924–2005)
- Hermeto Pascoal
- Igor Cavalera
- Ivan Lins
- Jacob do Bandolim
- Jair Oliveira
- Jair Rodrigues
- Jorge Ben Jor (born 1942)
- João Gilberto
- João Gordo
- Joao MacDowell
- Kelly Key
- Lenine
- Luciana Mello
- Luiz Gonzaga
- Marcelo D2
- Maria Rita
- Marina Lima
- Marisa Monte
- Max Cavalera
- Milton Nascimento
- Nelson Gonçalves (1919–1998)
- Noel Rosa (1910–1937)
- Oswaldo Vecchione
- Paula Lima
- Pitty
- Pixinguinha (1893–1973)
- Porfirio Martins (~1880-~1940)
- Rafael Rabello (1962–1995)
- Raul Seixas (1945–1989)
- Renato Monterisi de Almeida
- Renato Russo
- Renato Teixeira
- Rita Lee (born 1947)
- Roberto Carlos
- Rogério Duprat
- Sergio Mendes (born 1941)
- Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (born 1949)
- Sérgio Dias
- Taiguara (1945–1996)
- Tim Maia
- Tom Zé (born 1936)
- Toquinho
- Vinicius de Moraes
- Waldir Azevedo
- Wanessa Camargo
- Zeca Pagodinho
- Zé Keti
Sports
- Acelino Freitas (Popó) - Boxer
- Álvaro Alfonso Miranda Neto - Olympic show jumping bronze medalist
- Amyr Klink - Sailor
- Anderson Varejao - Basketball player
- Ayrton Senna - Formula 1 driver
- Bob Burnquist - skateboarder
- Cafu (born 1970) - Football player
- Daniele Hypolito - Gymnast
- Deco - Football player.
- Diego Hypolito - Gymnast
- Daiane dos Santos - Gymnast
- Eder Jofre - Boxer
- Emerson Fittipaldi - Formula 1 and Indy Car driver
- Falcão - Football player
- Falcão - Futsal player
- Felipe Massa - Formula 1 driver
- Garrincha - Football player
- Giba - Volleyball player
- Giant Silva - Wrestler and MMA fighter
- Gustavo Endres - Volleyball player
- Gustavo Kuerten - Tennis player
- Henrique Mecking - Chess player
- Hélio Castroneves - Indy Car driver
- Hortência - Basketball player
- Jade Barbosa - Gymnast
- Jaime Sunye Neto - Chess player.
- Jairzinho - Football player
- Kaká - Football player
- Lars Grael - Olympic sailing champions
- Leandro Barbosa - Basketball player
- Maria Bueno - Tennis player
- Mauricio Gugelmin - Formula One and Champ Car driver
- Marcus Vinicius de Souza - Basketball Player
- Natália Falavigna - Taekwondo athlete
- Nenê - Basketball player
- Nelson Piquet - Formula 1 driver
- Nílton Santos - Football player
- Oscar Schmidt - Basketball player
- Pelé - Football player
- Robert Scheidt - Olympic sailing champion
- Romário - Football player
- Ronaldo - Football player
- Ronaldinho - Football player
- Royce Gracie - MMA fighter
- Renzo Gracie - MMA fighter
- Hélio Gracie - Co-founder of Gracie jiu-jitsu /MMA fighter
- Rickson Gracie - MMA fighter
- Carlson Gracie - MMA fighter
- Carlos Gracie - Father of Gracie Jiu Jitsu
- Crosley Gracie - MMA fighter
- Relson Gracie - MMA fighter
- Rubens Barrichello - Formula 1 driver
- Torben Grael - Olympic sailing champion
- Vanderlei de Lima - marathon runner
- Wanderlei Silva - MMA fighter
- Zico - Football player
Writers and poets
- Álvares de Azevedo (1831–1852)
- Alfredo D'Escragnolle Taunay (1843–1871)
- Alfredo Dias Gomes (1922–1999)
- Augusto dos Anjos (1884–1914)
- Antônio Gonçalves Dias (1823–1864)
- Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–1987)
- Cecília Meireles (1901–1964)
- Clarice Lispector (1925–1977)
- Eduardo de Paula Barreto (born 1963)
- Érico Verissimo (1905–1975)
- Fernando Sabino (1923–2004)
- Ferreira Gullar
- Haroldo de Campos (1929–2003)
- Holdemar Menezes (1921–1996)
- João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920–1999)
- João Guimarães Rosa (1908–1967)
- João Pedro Jorge
- Jorge Amado (1912–2001)
- José de Alencar (1829–1877)
- Julio Ribeiro
- Luis Fernando Veríssimo (born 1936)
- Lya Luft (born 1938)
- Machado de Assis (1839–1908)
- Manuel Bandeira (1886–1968)
- Maria Clara Machado (1921–2001)
- Mário de Andrade (1893–1945)
- Márcio Souza (born 1946)
- Menotti del Picchia
- Monteiro Lobato (1882–1948)
- Nelson Rodrigues (1912–1980)
- Regina Herkenhoff
- Oduvaldo Vianna Filho (1936–1974)
- Olavo Bilac (1865–1918)
- Otto Maria Carpeaux (1900–1978)
- Otto Lara Rezende
- Oscar Araripe
- Oswald de Andrade (1890–1954)
- Paulo Coelho (born 1947)
- Patrícia Galvão ("Pagu")
- Plínio Marcos (1935–1999)
- Raquel de Queiroz
- Vinícius de Morais (1913–1980)
- Luiz Duarte (born 1956)
- Nayahra Resende (born 1990)
BRAZIL COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR
- Brazil is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
- The Amazon Basin is home to several indigenous species of plants and animals.
- The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro attracts thousand of tourists from all across the world.
- “Christ the Redeemer” is the symbol of Brazilian Christianity and is included among the Seven Wonders of the World.
BRAZIL TOTAL POPULATION
- According to a 2008 census, the total population was estimated to be 191,908,598.
- Mortality rates are high due to the prevalence of AIDS.
- The annual population growth rate is 0.98% (2008 est.).
- Birth rate: 16.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- Death rate: 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
PREVIOUS RECORDS MEDALS FOR BRAZIL
- Brazil has been competing at the Summer Olympic Games since 1920.
- The country has participated every year except for the 1928 Games.
- Brazil has participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1992.
- Brazilian athletes have won a total of 76 medals.
- Sailing and volleyball are the main medal-producing sports.
Medals by Summer Games
| Games |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
| 1920 Antwerp |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| 1924 Paris |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1928 Amsterdam |
did not participate |
|
|
|
| 1932 Los Angeles |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1936 Berlin |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1948 London |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| 1952 Helsinki |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| 1956 Melbourne |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 1960 Rome |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 1964 Tokyo |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| 1968 Mexico City |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| 1972 Munich |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 1976 Montreal |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| 1980 Moscow |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| 1984 Los Angeles |
1 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
| 1988 Seoul |
1 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
| 1992 Barcelona |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| 1996 Atlanta |
3 |
3 |
9 |
15 |
| 2000 Sydney |
0 |
6 |
6 |
12 |
| 2004 Athens |
5 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
| Total |
17 |
21 |
38 |
76 |
Medals by summer sport
| Sport |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
| Sailing |
6 |
2 |
6 |
14 |
| Volleyball |
4 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
| Athletics |
3 |
3 |
7 |
13 |
| Judo |
2 |
3 |
7 |
12 |
| Shooting |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
|