Brazil’s climate varies according to latitude and elevation. Seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere; winter is June-September and summer November-March. On average, the temperature during summer ranges from 25 to 40°C (75~100°F).Warm tropical weather extends north from Rio de Janeiro throughout most of the year. South of Rio – São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states – the climate is generally of warm summers and cold winters, with occasional snowfall in the far south.
Brazil occupies an immense area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of the continent's interior region, sharing land borders with Uruguay to the south; Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest; Bolivia and Peru to the west; Colombia to the northwest; Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the overseas department of French Guiana to the north; stretching from the North to the Southern Hemisphere. The factors of size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Brazil geographically diverse. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world—after Russia, Canada, the People's Republic of China and the United States—and third largest on the Americas; with a total area of 8,511,965 kilometers (5,289,090 mi), include 55,455 kilometers (34,458 mi) of water. It spans three time zones; from UTC-4, in the North (except Pará) and UTC-4, in the central states; to UTC-3, in the eastern states, the official time of Brazil, and UTC-2, in the Atlantic islands.
Brazilian topography is also diverse, including hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of Brazil lies between 200 metres (660 ft) and 800 metres (2,600 ft) in elevation. The main upland area occupies most of the southern half of the country. The northwestern parts of the plateau consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills. The southeastern section is more rugged, with a complex mass of ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). These ranges include the Mantiqueira Mountains, the Espinhaço Mountains, and the Serra do Mar. In north, the Guiana Highlands form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the Amazon Basin from rivers that empty into the Orinoco river system, in Venezuela, to the north. The highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina with 3,014 metres (9,890 ft), and the lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean with 0 metres (0 ft). Brazil has a dense and complex system of rivers, one of the world's most extensive, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean. Major rivers include the Amazon, the largest river in terms of volume of water, and the second-longest in the world; the Paraná and its major tributary, the Iguaçu River, where the Iguaçu Falls are located; the Negro, São Francisco, Xingu, Madeira and the Tapajós rivers.
With an estimated 156 million inhabitants, Brazil has the largest population in Latin America and ranks sixth in the world. The majority live in the south-central area, which includes the industrial cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte. Urban growth has been rapid: by 1991, 75% of the total population were living in urban areas. Rapid growth has aided economic development but has also created serious social, environmental, and political problems for major cities.
Four major groups make up the Brazilian population: the Portuguese, who colonized in the 16th century; Africans brought to Brazil as slaves; various other European, Middle Eastern, and Asian immigrant groups who have settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century; and indigenous people of Tupi and Guarani language stock. Intermarriage between the Portuguese and indigenous people or slaves was common. Although the major European ethnic stock of Brazil was once Portuguese, subsequent waves of immigration have contributed to a diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.
From 1875 until 1960, about 5 million Europeans emigrated to Brazil, settling mainly in the four southern states of Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. Immigrants have come mainly from Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan, Poland, and the Middle East. The largest Japanese community outside Japan is in Sao Paulo. Despite class distinctions, national identity is strong, and racial friction is a relatively new phenomenon.
Indigenous full-blooded Indians, located mainly in the northern and western border regions and in the upper Amazon Basin, constitute less than 1% of the population. Their numbers are declining as contact with the outside world and commercial expansion into the interior increase. Brazilian Government programs to establish reservations and to provide other forms of assistance have existed for years, but are controversial and often ineffective.
Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas. Approximately 80% of all Brazilians belong to the Roman Catholic Church; most others are Protestant or follow practices derived from African religions.
Brazil was claimed for Portugal in 1500 by Pedro Alvares Cabral. It was ruled from Lisbon as a colony until 1808, when the royal family, having fled from Napoleon's army, established the seat of Portuguese Government in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil became a kingdom under Dom Joao VI, who returned to Portugal in 1821. His son declared Brazil's independence on September 7, 1822, and became emperor with the title of Dom Pedro I. His son, Dom Pedro II, ruled from 1831 to 1889, when a federal republic was established in a coup by Deodoro da Fonseca, marshal of the army. Slavery had been abolished a year earlier by the Regent Princess Isabel while Dom Pedro II was in Europe.
From 1889 to 1930, the government was a constitutional democracy, with the presidency alternating between the dominant states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a military coup that placed Getulio Vargas, a civilian, in the presidency; Vargas remained as dictator until 1945. From 1945 to 1961, Eurico Dutra, Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, and Janio Quadros were elected presidents. When Quadros resigned in 1961, he was succeeded by Vice President Joao Goulart.
Goulart's years in office were marked by high inflation, economic stagnation, and the increasing influence of radical political elements. The armed forces, alarmed by these developments, staged a coup on March 31, 1964. The coup leaders chose as president Humberto Castello Branco, followed by Arthur da Costa e Silva (1967-69), Emilio Garrastazu Medici (1968-74), and Ernesto Geisel (1974-79) all of whom were senior army officers. Geisel began a liberalization which was carried further by his successor, Gen. Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo (1979-85). Figueiredo not only permitted the return of politicians exiled or banned from political activity during the 1960s and 1970s, but also allowed them to run for state and federal offices in 1982.
At the same time, an electoral college consisting of all members of congress and six delegates chosen from each state, continued to choose the president. In January 1985, the electoral college voted Tancredo Neves from the opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) into office as President. However, Tancredo Neves became ill in March and died a month later. His Vice President, former Senator Jose Sarney, became President upon Neves' death.
Brazil completed its transition to a popularly elected government in 1989, when Fernando Collor de Mello won 53% of the vote in the first direct presidential election in 29 years. In 1992, a major corruption scandal led to the impeachment and ultimate resignation of President Collor. Vice President Itamar Franco took his place and governed for the remainder of Collor's term culminating in the October 3, 1994 presidential elections, when Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected President with 54% of the vote. He took office January 1, 1995.
President Cardoso has sought to establish the basis for long-term stability and growth and to reduce Brazil's extreme socioeconomic imbalances. His proposals to Congress include constitutional amendments to open the Brazilian economy to greater foreign participation and to implement sweeping reforms--including social security, government administration, and taxation--to reduce excessive public sector spending and improve government efficiency.
New Year's Day, January 1. Feliz Ano Novo!
Carnival Monday, Monday before Lent. The Monday of Carnival week is a national holiday.
Last day of Carnival, Shrove Tuesday. The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday—also called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in the United States. This is the last day of Carnival and is a national holiday.
Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter. The first day of Lent. A half-day holiday.
Good Friday, Friday before Easter. It is traditional to have fish with the main meal.
Easter Sunday, a Sunday in March or April. Easter Monday is not a holiday in Brazil.
Corpus Christi, sixty days after Easter.
Tiradentes Day, April 21. Commemorates the execution of national hero Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, a conspirator in the 1789 revolt against the Portuguese. Xavier, a dentist by trade, was nicknamed Tiradentes, or tooth-puller.
Labor Day, May 1.
Independence Day, September 7. Anniversary of declaration of independence from Portugal by Dom Pedro in 1822.
Nossa Senhora de Aperecida, October 12. Our Lady of Aperecida. Patron saint of Brazil.
All Souls' Day, November 2.
Republic Day, November 15. Anniversary of the proclamation of 1889 which removed Dom Pedro from power.
Christmas Eve, December 24. A half-day holiday.
Christmas, December 25. Feliz Natal! Back in the Middle Ages the celebration of Jesus Christ's birthday was set in December to replace pagan festivals of the winter solstice, but in Brazil it is the middle of summer and Papai Noel (Santa Claus) must wear shorts.
New Year's Eve, December 31. It is traditional for women to wear a new white dress to a New Year's Eve party. A half-day holiday.
Brazil is the most populous country in Latin America, as well as one of the most populous in the world. The population of Brazil in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 178,470,000, which placed it as number 5 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 6% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 30% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 97 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.24%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 201,970,000. The population density in 2002 was 20 per sq km (53 per sq mi).
The population is concentrated in the Atlantic coastal region, with the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais containing approximately 41% of the total; the states of Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, and Ceará have about 23%, and the remaining units about 36%. It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 81% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001, up from 66% in 1980. The capital city, Brasilia, had a population of 1,949,000 in that 2002. Other major metropolitan areas and their estimated populations are as follows: São Paulo, 17,711,000; Rio de Janeiro, 10,556,000; Belo Horizonte, 4,160,000; Porto Alegre, 3,699,000; Recife, 3,307,000; Salvador, 3,180,000; Fortaleza, 3,007,000; Curitiba, 2,519,000; Campinas, 1,857,000; Belém, 1,634,000; Manaus, 1,432,000; Santos, 1,257,000; Goiania, 1,103,000; São Luís, 948,000; and São José dos Campos, 949,000. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 1.8%.
The southeast of the country is the most populated area. The majority of people live near the coastal regions. The vast interior of the country is sparsely populated, with the indigenous population somewhat concentrated near the Amazon River Basin.
Capitale: Brasilia
Popolazione: 184 milioni di abitanti circa
Superficie: 8.547.403 Km²
Fuso Orario: Varia secondo l'andamento dell'ora ufficiale nei due Paesi. Orientativamente, dal mese di ottobre a febbraio è di - 3 ore; dal mese di marzo a maggio è di - 4 ore; dal mese di luglio ad ottobre è di - 5 ore rispetto all’Italia
Lingue: la lingua ufficiale è il portoghese. L'inglese è abbastanza conosciuto
Religione: La confessione più diffusa è il cristianesimo (e in particolare il cattolicesimo). Sono presenti, inoltre, numerose confessioni evangeliche e, come caratteristica tipica del Brasile, si segnala l'esistenza di culti che uniscono elementi di tradizione cristiana a quelli di tradizione africana: (es. il candomblé nel Nord Est del Paese ed in particolare nello Stato di Bahia).
Moneta: Real
Prefisso dall'Italia: dall’Italia 0055 più prefisso della località brasiliana senza lo zero.
Prefisso per l'Italia: 00 (inserire il prefisso dell'operatore brasiliano: 21, 15, 41, 17, 14) 39
Telefonia: Le reti GSM e TDMA sono disponibili nella maggior parte degli stati del Brasile. Telefoni mobili e da vettura: proibito l'uso del telefono portatile durante la guida.
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