Brazil flag

Brazil Overview

Brazil is the largest state in terms of population and population in South America and the fifth largest state in the world in terms of area. The country stretches over a large area between central South America and the Atlantic. It borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, i.e. all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador.

Capital: Brasilia
Biggest city: São Paulo
State: Federal Republic
Language: Portuguese
Religion: catholicism
Surface: 8 511 965 km²
Population: 195.5 million (2013)
Population density: 23 residents per km²
Life expectancy: 72 years
Illiteracy: 11%
Currency: real (BRL)
1 real = 2.57 kr
GDP per capita: $ 11,100 (2010)
Time difference: -6 to -3 hours
Electricity: 110/220 V AC, 60Hz
National Day: September 7
Country area code: 55
2-Letter country abbreviation: BR (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder)
Business: service sector 55%, agriculture 29%, industry 16%
Climate: mostly tropical but temperate in the south

Brazil flag

Brazil contains large agricultural areas and rainforests. The country also has South America’s highest gross domestic product, and is South America’s leading economic power. Brazil is characterized by the large forest Amazon in the north and more open mountain terrain in the south. The southern part is for the most part an agricultural area. Along the coast to the Atlantic there are also several mountain ranges, which reach a maximum of 2,900 meters above sea level.

Larger rivers include the Amazon River, which is the world’s largest river in terms of volume and which is also considered by many specialists to be the world’s longest river.

Because the country is located around the equator, it mainly has a tropical climate, with low variation over the seasons, although the subtropical southern parts of the country are more temperate and can occasionally experience frost and snow. Precipitation in the Amazon Basin is abundant, although there are also drier landscapes in the area, mainly in the northeast.

Brazil has a well-developed network of airlines. However, aviation suffers from undercapacity, especially in São Paulo, where both of the city’s airports are used more than they are built to handle. This situation is partly due to the lack of a modern railway network in the country. The lack of modern railways means that Brazil has frequent air traffic even between large cities that are relatively close to each other. For example, flights from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro depart every 15 minutes, even though the distance between the cities is only about 370 kilometers.

About twenty percent of Brazil’s households live below the poverty line and income disparities are large. 13.8 percent of the population over the age of 15 are absolutely illiterate and another 30.5 percent are so-called functional illiterates with very limited reading and writing skills.

WORLD HERITAGE

The following objects in Brazil are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.

  • City of Ouro Preto (1980)
  • The Old Town of Olinda (1982)
  • The Jesuit missions of the Guarani people (1983)
  • Old Town of Salvador de Bahia (1985)
  • Bom Jesus Church, Congonhas (1985)
  • Iguazu National Park (1986)
  • City of Brazil (1987)
  • Serra da Capuvara National Park (1991)
  • Old Town of São Luis (1997)
  • The historic center of the mining town of Diamantina (1999)
  • The Discovery Coast and the Atlantic Forest Reserve (1999)
  • Southeast Atlantic Forest Reserve (1999)
  • The Central Amazon Reserve with Jaú National Park (2000)
  • Pantanals Wetlands (2000)
  • The islands of Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas (2001)
  • Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks (2001)
  • Goiá City Historical Center (2001)
  • São Francisco Square, São Cristovão (2010)
  • Rio de Janeiro (2012)

ELECTRICAL OUTLET

Electricity and electrical outlets in Brazil

Voltage: 110 V / 220 V

Frequency: 60 Hz

Type of plug: A, B, C

Need an adapter: No, you do not need an adapter.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Weather in Brasilia

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Christmas Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average temperature °C 23 23 22 22 20 19 19 20 22 23 22 22
Day °C 27 27 27 27 26 25 26 27 28 28 26 26
Night °C 18 18 17 16 13 12 11 12 16 17 17 17
Soltim / day 5 6 5 6 7 9 10 10 10 9 7 6

Brazil 2

Brasilia

According to Countryaah, Brasília is the capital of Brazil and forms its own federal district (Distrito Federal). The city has 2.2 million residents (2005). Already during the colonial era, there were plans to create a new capital inland and in 1891, the formal decision was made to build a new city. But it was not until the 1950s that plans began to materialize under President Juscelino Kubitschek, and an architectural competition was announced. The competition was won in 1956 by the Brazilian architect Lúcio Costa. The city was built at record speed and could be inaugurated in 1960.

Architecturally, the city is a very clear example of uncompromising South American modernism with roots back to European thirties architecture. Dominated materials are concrete and glass. The large glass sections proved less successful in a hot climate, the architects have been criticized for this and the contrast to Le Corbusier’s works in Chandigarh and Luis Kahn in Dhaka who without abandoning their modernist uncompromisingness are better able to adapt to a warmer climate in form and material. .

Today, the city is characterized by a contrast between a utopia and a gloomier Brazilian reality. The city, which was built for 500,000 people, today holds over two million, of which over one million live in slums. Although some ideas have become obsolete or failed, such as the attempt at unplanned intersections and total traffic separation to avoid traffic lights, it is still in many respects a functioning city and an architectural pilgrimage destination.

The city never quite became the symbol of Brazil’s progress and development that its fathers hoped for. However, major investments have been made in Brasilia in recent years, including public transport including a metro has been greatly expanded.

In 1987, the city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Florianópolis

Florianópolis is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina. The city has 265,000 residents (2005). The entire metropolitan area has 821,000 residents (2005).

Fortaleza

Fortaleza is a city on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil with 2.4 million residents (2007). 3.4 million residents live in the entire metropolitan area.

Where the city is located was formerly a Dutch fort, Fort Schoonenborch, which was taken over by the Portuguese and renamed Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção. The city was officially founded in 1726.

Foz do Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu is a city in Brazil with 299,000 residents (2005). The Iguazu Falls in the Iguazu River between Brazil and Argentina consist of 160 to 260 waterfalls of various sizes (depending on the water level) with an average water flow of 1,500 cubic meters per second. The falls can be seen from Iguaçu National Park in Brazil, and from Iguazú National Park in Argentina.

In 1986, the Iguaçu National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Manaus

Manaus is a city in northern Brazil, and is the capital of the state of Amazonas. The city was founded in 1669 as a small oasis in the rainforest, and is today with its 1.7 million residents the largest city in the Amazon region. However, the Belém area is considered a larger metropolitan area.

Manaus has a very fine opera house from the time when the city was the center of Brazil’s rubber production. Originally, the streets around the opera house were covered with rubber so that the carriages that drove by would not disturb the opera. The city has an international airport, and to attract foreign companies, the city functions as a free trade zone.

Natal

Natal is a city in northeastern Brazil, and is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It is located on the coast, where the river Rio Potengi empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The city has 774,230 residents (2007). 1.2 million residents live in the entire metropolitan area.

Because the city is so close to the equator, it is hot most of the year. Natal has about 300 days of sunshine a year. Nicknames for the city include the city of the sun. It is sometimes also called the city of Christmas because natal means Christmas in Portuguese.

Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is a city in Brazil with 1.3 million residents (2005). The entire metropolitan area has over 4 million residents. The city center is described as reminiscent of Lisbon 20 years ago. Porto Alegre is located near the border with Uruguay.

Recife

Recife is a city of approximately 1.7 million residents in northeastern Brazil, and is the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The entire metropolitan area has more than 5 million residents (2007). It is located on the Atlantic coast, and is one of the easternmost cities on the South American mainland, only marginally westerly than João Pessoa.

Recife was founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1537, and gained city rights in 1823. Cultivation of sugar cane was from the beginning an important industry in the area. Recife and its surroundings were in Dutch possession between 1630 and 1654.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is located on the southeast coast of Brazil and has 7.1 million residents (2007). The entire metropolitan area has over 13 million residents. The city is divided into four zones, the historic center, the tourist-friendly south with its world-famous beaches, the industrialized northern zone and the new area to the west with the Barra da Tijuca. The city is known for its carnival, among other things. Rio de Janeiro is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Salvador

Salvador is a city in the state of Bahia in Brazil with 2.6 million residents (2005). The entire metropolitan area has 3.3 million residents and includes, among others, Camaçari and Lauro de Freitas. Salvador is located on a peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is an important port city for Recôncavo Baiano, the area around the city.

In 1985, the city’s historic center was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The area underwent a renovation program in the 1990s when, among other things, Pelourinho, the historic square where African slaves were once auctioned off, was restored. Salvador has many colonial-era buildings, and in addition to Brazil’s first cathedral, the city houses 350 churches, giving it the epithet “Black Rome”.

Sao Luis

São Luís is the capital of the state of Maranhão in Brazil. The city has a little more than 900,000 residents, with 1.2 million residents in the entire metropolitan area. São Luís is one of four municipalities on the island of Upaon-açu, which is located in the delta where the rivers Pindaré and Itapecuru meet and flow into the Atlantic. The city is a port city with a textile industry and sugar production. Every year in June, the Bumba-meu-bo festival is celebrated.

In 1997, the old city center was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil’s largest city and has 11 million residents (2008). The entire metropolitan area has 22 million residents. The city, which is South America’s largest urban area, is Brazil’s leading trade and financial center and the country’s completely dominant industrial region. The very diverse industry, which includes both heavy and light industry, is partly located in the suburbs. The city’s tremendous growth has led to enormous environmental and social problems.

São Paulo is the hub of Brazil’s network of airlines. However, flights in São Paulo suffer from undercapacity, and both of the city’s airports are used more than they are built to handle. For example, flights depart from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro every fifteen minutes, even though the distance between the cities is only about 370 km. However, there are big plans to build a new high-speed railway from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. For a high-speed train with a top speed of 280 km / h, this journey would take 1 hour and 30 minutes. The city was founded by Portuguese Jesuits in 1554 and became a city in 1711.