Brazil

Country Overview

Sprawling across half of South America, Brazil is the continent’s largest country and borders every nation on the continent except Chile and Ecuador. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese and is the only country in South America whose dominant language and culture comes from Portugal. Brazil has a population of over 200 millions and it people lay claim to a diverse and complex ethnic and racial heritage. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the temperatures in Brazil are opposite of what you would expect in the US or Western Europe. Winter is from June to August with the Amazon basin having a tropical climate, the Brazilian Highlands being cooler and drier, and the central plateau being more temperate. Brazil is a land of diversity: the people, the land, and the culture make Brazil a magical place that will captive any traveler.

Culture

Much of the life of any Brazilian revolves around family- both immediate and extended. In general, Brazilians are considered to be warm, friendly people with a spontaneous, enthusiastic, and high-spirited nature which they are eager to demonstrate at every opportunity for celebration.

Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and the country comes to a virtual stop for almost a week in which festivities are intense, day and night. Brazilians love to dance and music plays a major role in everyday life.

The biggest meal of the day for most Brazilians is almoço (lunch), and dinner or supper in Brazil is usually (but not always) lighter and can start anywhere from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at night.

Soccer, called futbol, is Brazil’s national obsession. The national soccer team has captured five World Cup titles- more than any other country in the world!

Travel Tips

You won’t find punctuality to be a priority among Brazilians. You will spend a lot of time waiting, and you need to simply accept this, and learn to let go and to trust the “flow” of how things happen here.

Make copies of your passport picture/information page(s) and Brazilian visa page and carry only these with you for identification. Replacing a lost or stolen passport can be a huge hassle.

Brazil is a large country, just slightly bigger than the continental United States so you will have to rely on either airlines or intercity buses to get around. Local taxis are available in most Brazilian cities just make sure you always use a legitimate taxi. This is pretty easy if you have your hotel or restaurant hail or call a taxi for you, only use taxis that are lined up at a ponto de taxi (taxi stand) or call a radio taxi service.