Brazil is a country of exotic nature, almost 8 thousand km of picturesque beaches, a cheerful population, ancient Indian traditions and colorful colonial architecture, and one of the most developed countries on the continent, Brazil attracts the attention of millions of tourists. There are almost all the conditions for a wide variety of recreational activities, but the most attention, of course, is attracted by the famous jungle of the Amazon and the pampas of the south, sung in numerous novels, Iguazu Falls and mountainous areas, as well as the noisy and eternally dancing Rio with its famous Carnival.
Brazil is the largest country in South America.
The Amazon is the most full-flowing river in the world, and the Amazonian Lowland is the largest lowland on the planet, which also has the largest array of tropical forests on the planet (up to 30% of the world’s forest reserves). Of the twenty longest rivers in the world, 10 are in the Amazon.
The Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro is the largest urban forest in the world.
The largest lagoon on the planet is Patos in the Rio Grande do Sul area. Its length is about 280 km, area – 9.8 thousand square meters. km, and the maximum width is 70 km.
The longest free-hanging stalactite on the planet is considered to be a huge “stone icicle” in the caves of Gruga do Janelao, 12 m long.
The tallest skyscraper in Latin America “Italy”
Brazil ranks first in the world in terms of the amount of lightning. According to the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research, between 50 and 70 million lightning strikes are registered annually in the country.
Capital: Brasilia.
Geography:
The largest state in South America, occupying almost half of the continent, with an area of about 8.5 million square meters. km. In the north it borders with Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, in the south – with Uruguay, in the west – with Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, in the northwest – with Colombia. In the north and east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate:
Equatorial to subtropical, varying greatly with latitude and terrain. The average temperature in summer (December-April) is from +23 to 29 C, in winter (May-November) from +16 to 24 C. Precipitation falls from 3000 mm per year in the west of the Amazonian lowland, as well as in the Central and Eastern regions, up to 500 mm in the northeast of the Brazilian Plateau (in the area of relatively arid plateaus – “sertan”) and up to 1200 mm in the south.
In September-March, the rainy season is observed in most of the country, at this time, with sufficiently hot air, high humidity is observed and heavy precipitation falls. In the Amazon, heavy rains fall from May to July, from December to April, with high temperatures, precipitation falls somewhat less often (mostly at night), but still brings a lot of water. The relatively dry season lasts from August to early December.
In the Rio de Janeiro area from November to March it is quite hot (up to +30 C) and almost always humid, from April to September the temperature drops to +17-24 C, but it still rains often. The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is from May to August. At this time, the air temperature ranges from 22 to 32 C, and a light warm breeze blows from the ocean. In mountainous regions, temperatures can drop to 0 C in winter.
Language:
Official – Portuguese (Brazilian dialect), Spanish, French, German and Italian are also used. In the hinterland, “lingua geral” is widely used – a common language that arose on the basis of the languages of the Tupi-Guarani Indian tribes, as well as 180 different languages and dialects of ethnic groups.
Population:
About 175 million people. Over 95% of the country’s population are Brazilians – descendants of mixed marriages of Indians with immigrants from Western Europe and Africa.
Political system:
Federal republic with a presidential form of government.
Administratively, the country is divided into 26 states and 1 federal capital district, which in turn are divided into municipalities.
Religion:
The majority of the population is Catholic, but many people of African descent still practice syncretic and animistic cults.
Money:
Real (BRL), equal to 100 centavos. In circulation there are coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos and 1 real, as well as banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 reais. In general, the exchange rate and prices are quite stable, but the country (especially the regions of Rio and Brasilia) is considered quite expensive for South America.
From December to February in Rio de Janeiro – the peak season, so prices rise sharply.
Currency exchange:
Money can be changed at specialized currency exchange offices (“Cambios”), banks (the most favorable rate), exchange offices at travel agencies and shopping centers, hotels (usually only dollars), airports and train stations.
When exchanging currency, ask for local money in small denominations, as it is not always possible to get change from large ones. Banknotes with a denomination of 100 real are checked for a long time when shopping.
Estimated exchange rate
Brazilian Real (BRL) / United States Dollar (USD)
1 USD = 1.71 BRL
10 BRL = 5.84 USD
Brazilian Real (BRL) / Euro (EUR)
1 EUR = 2.30 BRL
10 BRL = 4.34 EUR
Time:
The country has four time zones. Time is 5-8 hours behind Moscow time. Officially, the time is calculated according to the capital of Brasilia and is behind Moscow by 7 or 6 (summer time) hours.
Official holidays and weekends in Brazil:
January 1 – national holiday Commonwealth Day and New Year.
January 20 – Founding Day of Rio de Janeiro.
Last day of carnival – Carnival.
April – Holy Saturday.
April – Easter.
May 1 – Labor Day.
The end of May is the Feast of the Body of the Lord.
June 15 – Tiradentes.
September 7 – Independence Day.
October 12 – Appearance of the Virgin.
November 2 – All Saints Day.
November 15 – Day of the proclamation of the Republic.
December 24-25 – Christmas.
On national holidays, all government offices and banks are closed.
