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Rio de Janeiro
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Area and People

Language

Holidays 2005

Travelers Checks/Credit Cards

Basic English-Portuguese

Religions

Climate

Visas

Race

Currency

Time Zone

Electricity

 

Brazil is the largest country in South America and shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.

Click here to see more photos


Area and People

Brazil is the largest country in South America and it is the fifth largest country in the world after the Russian Federation, Canada, China, and the United States. Brazil is a Federal Republic consisting of 26 states and a Federal District, and has Brasilia as a capital city.

It resides in an area of 3,286,470 sq. miles (8,511,965 sq. km.).Divisions: 26 states (estados in Portuguese) and 1 federal district (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins. 

Brazil has a population approximately 165 million, the 6th largest in the world after those of China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and the Russian Federation. The population of Brazil is predominantly young, with 62 percent of the people under 29 years of age. Nationwide, the demographic density is relatively low. 
The population is concentrated along the Atlantic coastal areas of the South-Eastern and North-Eastern states. 

Industrial activity is concentrated in the South-Eastern region, with 50% of the industrial production taking place in the state of Sao Paulo alone.

 


Travelers Checks / Credit Cards

Cash and traveler checks, can be exchanged at most banks or exchange booths as well as the major hotels.
US dollar travelers cheques can be conveniently cashed at all provincial banks and authorized money changers.
Major international credit cards, such as American Express, Diners Club, Master Charge or VISA are accepted by major banks, restaurants, hotels and shops.

 


Climate

Plateau cities such as Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte have very mild climates averaging 66 F (19 C). 
Coastal cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador have warm climates balanced by the constancy of the trade winds. 
Further south, in cities such as Curitiba and Porto Alegre, the cooler subtropical climate resembles many areas of the U.S. and Europe, with winter temperatures often falling below freezing. Despite its reputation for blistering heat, the Amazon region rarely experiences temperatures above 90 F (32 C). 
The hottest part of Brazil is in the northeast where, in the dry season between May and November, temperatures above 100 F (38 C) are recorded frequently. 
The heaviest rainfall in Brazil is found around the mouth of the Amazon River, near the city of Belém, and also in upper Amazonia, where more than 78 inches of rain falls every year. 
The seasons in Brazil are the reverse of those in the U.S. and Europe:

 

Spring

September

22nd to December 21st

Summer

December

22nd to March 21st

Autumn

March

22nd to June 21st

Winter

June

22nd to September 21st


Click here for Daily Weather Forecasts



Currency

Real (R$) is the Brazilian monetary currency since July 1, 1994. Exchange facilities for cash and traveler cheques are available in banks, hotels, and foreign exchange booths located in tourists areas.


Click here for actual Currency Exchange Rates

 


Language

Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America. The national language is Portuguese, with English as the second language widely taught in schools.  There are no regional dialects. Brazilian Portuguese varies from European Portuguese including pronunciation and vocabulary. Some aspects of Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation might seem unusual to native English Speakers. The use of nasalize vowels. Nasalized vowels are indicated in spelling by a following "m" or "n" or by "~" over the vowel.
English words of Brazilian Portuguese origin include cashew, ipecac, macaw, petunia, piranha, tapioca and toucan.

Basic words and phrases in Brazilian Portuguese

 


Visas

Visitors from certain foreign countries will require a visa which is usually processed within 2 working days by applying to the nearest Brazilian Embassy or Consulate.
Requirements for a tourist visa include a passport valid for at least 6 months, one passport-sized photograph and a round-trip ticket.
A 90-day visa (five years for US citizens) obtained in advance is required by most visitors to Brazil.

 


Time Zone

One hour difference ahead to New York when daylight savings time, 3 hour difference ahead to New York when standard time.

 


Religions

Almost 90% of the population are Roman Catholic, but recently, Protestant groups in Brazil have been growing in number. There is also a small Jewish community in Brasil.

 


Race

There are three basic racial sources for the Brazilian people: the Natives (Indians), the European immigrants (mainly Portuguese), and Africans, most of whom came from the sub-Saharan west coast. In the 16th century, the area now known as Brazil was inhabited by several hundred inhabitant tribes who spoke different languages and had different cultures. Intermarriages by the natives among Portuguese settlers and, later, among African slaves, produced a racial mix that was further diversified in the 19th century as German, Lebanese, and Italian immigrants began to arrive. The arrival of Japanese to Brazil has found since the beginning of the 20th century, and has increased almost exponentially to nowadays.

 


Electricity

Electricity in Brazil are various. Some cities operates exclusively on 110 Volt or 120 Volt, 60 cycles and some operates on 220 Volt or 240 Volt.



 

 

 

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