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Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world in size, but also in population. It is bordering all South American countries, except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil was colonized by Portugal and is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America. Also it has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world.
Brazil's population is very diverse with many races and ethnic groups. In general, Brazilians are descended from the following groups of migration: Amerindians, descended from groups that migrated from Siberia across the Bering Strait around 9000 BC. Portuguese colonists and settlers, arriving from 1500 onward. Diverse groups of immigrants from Europe, Asia and the Middle East arriving in Brazil during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. African slaves brought to the country from 1530 until the end of the slave trade in 1850.
Brazil is the place to be for people who like Samba, Carnival and beaches. Of course it has lots more to offer, like its colonial cities with their Portuguese architecture and some of the world's most amazing nature scenes. Some characteristics of this very diverse country are music, dance, soccer and love of life. The vibrant atmosphere, beautiful nature, diverse landscape and people make sure you want to come back again and again!
On 18 January 2007, FUNAI reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this addition Brazil has now overtaken the island of New Guinea as the country having the largest number of uncontacted peoples.
In the last census (2006), 519,000 Brazilians classified themselves as indigenous, even though millions of Brazilians have Amerindian ancestry.
Most of the indigenous population left in Brazil lives in the rainforest.
Brasilia is the capital of Brazil. It became the capital in the mid 1950’s because the government wanted to encourage development in the interior & ease the population in crowed cities.
The Trans-Amazonian Highway was inaugurated in 1972 to further develop the interior.
This new access to the remote Amazon Rainforest has resulted in deforestation & spreading disease to the formerly isolated Indian tribes.
Extensive logging in the nation's forests, particularly the Amazon, both official and unofficial, destroys areas the size of a small country each year, and potentially a diverse variety of plants and animals.
Deforestation affects the entire Amazon rainforest ecosystem, including its soils. Slash-and-burn agriculture exposes poor, thin tropical soils that can sustain crops for only a few years before vital nutrients wash away. Lack of nutrients decreases biodiversity and species richness as well.
Deforestation also accelerates the rate of soil erosion, which in turn leads to greater amounts of surface runoff and increased sedimentation in rivers and streams. The combination of these factors leads to flooding and changes in soil properties.
Brazilian Indians ride a bus in Altamira, Brazil, in 2008. Amazon Indians and activists continue to protest a proposed hydroelectric dam on the nearby Xingu River
Most of the people in Brazil live in the Southeast in or near Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo. These mega cities have lead to massive overcrowding.
A favela (Brazilian Portuguese for slum) is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil.
Shanty towns are units of irregular self-constructed housing that are typically unlicensed and occupied illegally.
These areas of irregular and poor-quality housing are often crowded onto hillsides, and as a result, these areas suffer from frequent landslides during heavy rain.
Favelas have been troubled by drug-related crime and gang warfare. They are also home to thousands of street kids.
Brazilian street kids will abuse glue as a drug because it is cheap and subsides their hunger.
As the worlds eyes will be Brazil during the 2016 Olympic games, the Brazilian government has began constructing walls around favelas.
Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. Population is almost 20 million.
