Brazil has an adventure for everyone, and there’s much more than just soccer, samba, and sex. The fifth largest country in the world, the Federated Republic of Brazil is a sprawling landmass with superlative attractions to match its superior size: this is, after all, the home of the world’s largest rainforest, greatest waterfall, and wildest party, to name but a few. While it’s no surprise that a country of this size is not homogenous, the extent to which culture, society, geography, and climate vary within the country is astonishing. From long white beaches to ragged mountains, from lush rainforests to barren, arid plains, Brazil’s spectacularly scenic panorama is almost as breathtakingly diverse as the dances, festivals, and musical styles for which the country is globally renowned. Most of Brazil’s population clusters along a thin 7000km strip of Atlantic coast, which includes Carnaval capital Rio de Janeiro. However, the country’s attractions are spread out over the entire nation, from the colonial architecture of Ouro Preto to the futuristic design of Brasília, from the isolated beaches of Bahia to the wilderness of the Pantanal.
With an area of over 8,500,000 sq. km, Brazil is the world’s fifth largest nation, covering about 47% of South America’s continental area and sharing borders with all South American countries ...more
THE NORTHThe equatorial North is mainly composed of the Amazon Basin and is the country’s largest region, covering 45.3% of the national territory. The basin itself contains the world’s largest ...more
Ninety percent of Brazil’s landmass falls within the tropical zone, as the country is crossed by the equator in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. However, the nation’s climate ...more
Within Brazil’s diverse range of ecosystems is tucked away approximately one-fifth of the world’s flora and fauna. South America separated from the other continents over 100 million years ago ...more
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES (BEFORE 1500)Human inhabitation of the North American continent can be reliably established as far back as 50,000 BC, but the figures are less certain for South America in general ...more
Brazil’s first leftist president in over 40 years, Lula came to power on a tide of promises to cure the country’s major social and economic ills—particularly Brazil’s ever-growing ...more
Brazil’s art scene has always been an amalgam of different styles and influences, all of which have contributed to its vibrant current scene. During the colonial period, artists worked mostly within ...more
LITERATUREThe best-known Brazilian writer today is novelist Paulo Coelho, born in 1947 in Rio’s Copacabana district. Raised in middle-class comfort, Coelho began a long tradition of rebelliousness ...more
Brazil is currently the fifth-most populated nation in the world, with over 170 million inhabitants. The Southeast has historically been—and remains—the most populated area, containing just ...more
Portuguese—the language of the country’s first European settlers—is the official language of Brazil and is spoken by everyone. Thanks to the multicultural influences of indigenous peoples ...more
Over 80% of Brazilians claim some sort of affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church, making this nation’s Catholic population the largest in the world. Despite the size of this figure, there is ...more
Brazilians have been fusing cuisines for centuries, mixing local ingredients and indigenous methods with imported African techniques and traditional Portuguese recipes. The hallmarks of Brazilian cuisine ...more
Brazilian culture is in general very informal, slow-paced, and friendly—which has its good and bad sides. Foreigners are almost always warmly welcomed (particularly in the Northeast), but many petty ...more
FUTEBOLBrazil’s unmatched World Cup record and its footballers’ playfully improvisational style have brought Brazilian soccer global renown, and today Brazil sends abroad more footballers than ...more
 |
 |
 |
 |
For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Foursquare
Newsletter
RSS Feed
Overview