Olá e benvindo ao Brasil

Olá e benvindo ao Brasil - Hello, welcome to Brazil

Geography

Brazil is the 5th largest countries in the World at 8.5 million square km and actually takes up half of the South America continent. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and its other borders touch almost every other South American country. The climate is mostly tropical, but temperate in the South.

People

Brazil have a population of 201 million which is considered 5th in the World. Their official and most widely spoken language is Portuguese. 89% of the total population are being urbanized aka staying in urban areas. the population comprises of these various ethnic groups:
53.7% - White
38.5 % - Mulatto (Mixed white & black)
6.2% - Black
1.6% - Others

The religion the Brazilians believe in:
73.6% - Roman Catholic (nominal)
15.4% - Protestants
1.3% - Spiritualist
0.3% - Bantu/voodoo
2.0% - Others
7.4% - None

Government

The capital of Brazil is Brasilia and the country declared independece on 7th September 1822.

If you like to learn more about Brazil, please visit the links below.

Sources:

CIA - The World Factbook
Brazil by Elizabeth Weitzman

Culturas e tradições do Brasil

Culturas e tradições do Brasil - Cultures & Traditions of Brazil

Having been resettled by the Portuguese colonial power for over 3 centuries from 1500, Brazil’s culture and tradition is, to a certain extent, a fusion of Portuguese, Amerindians and Africans. The latter two were being brought into Brazil as slaves. As such, the culture and tradtion of Brazil today is a very vibrant one and the followings are selected to hightlight some of them.

Music

Brazil can be considered a musical country by judging from its rich origins. The Portuguese settlers brought in their singers and viola players; The Amerindian slaves brought in their reed flutes; The African slaves brought in their many thrilling rhythms.

When people talk about music of Brazil, the word “samba” would just pop up easily. However, besides the driving beat of samba, Brazil is also home to the classical compositions of Heitor Villa-Lobos and the soft sounds of the bossa nova.

The Week of Modern Art in Sao Paulo in 1922 revolutionised Brazilian Music and allowed Heitor Villa-Lobos to shift Brazilian folkloric melodies and rhythms to symphonic compositions. The bossa nova appeared in Rio de Janeiro in late 1950s as an intimate music for the middle & upper middle classes before becoming a trademark of a new concept of music by itself.

Dance

Aside from the ever-familiar samba dance, Brazil’s rich history is also home to other forms of dances. Brazilian folk dances involve elements that reflect the interaction between the three principal components of the nation’s culture – Portuguese, Amerindians and Africans. An example would be the Caboclinhos and Caiapós which is performed to dramatise the early wars between the Portuguese and the Indians.

Another form of Brazilian dance is the Capoeira (right), which is a ritualised and stylished combat dance with its own music. The interesting fact is that this form of dance was initially developed to add as a cover-up for fights between slaves in the early days.

Mario de Andrade, one of Brazil’s greatest authorities on national folklore classified folk dramas into 4 groups: reisados, chegancas, pastoris and ranchos. For more information on each type of folk dramas, please visit the link provided below.

Sports

Brazil + Sports = FUTEBOL.



Undeniably, Brazil has always been strongly related to football after winning the coveted World Cup 5 times and being the only national team to have participated in all World Cup Finals. However, apart from foot ball, Brazil is also known for its volleyball and tennis. Formula One car racing today also features Brazilian like Felipe Massa who is driving for team Ferrari.

Food

Over the course of its rich history, every region in Brazil has developed cuisines that they called their own.

In Rio de Janeiro: feijoada
In Bahia: Vatapa

In the Amazon Region: pato no tucupi
In Rio Grande do Sul: churrasco

Do note that I have only listed some of the cultures & traditions of Brazil in my entry. For more information, please visit the following source:

brazilianembassy.org.za

Os grupos indígenas do Brasil

Os grupos indígenas do Brasil - Indigenous Groups of Brazil

When Brazil was first discovered by the Portuguese Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500, there were already people who had been living on the island. These people are called the Indians, due to a historical mistake made by the first few Europeans who arrived in America, thinking that they reached India. Centuries had passed and today, some of the descendents of the early natives are still living in indigenous groups in Brazil, although some may have assimilated into the urban Brazilian population.

It is estimated by the National Indigenous Foundation that there are still 460,000 indigenous people living on indigenous lands like in the Amazon rainforest, with an additional 100,000 to 190,000 in other areas like the urban cities. Some of them with dark skins, still faces economic and social discrimination today. Even though government effort is put in to curb the situation, the effectiveness is still yet to be seen.

As there are too many indigenous groups to be mentioned on this blog, please visit this link to learn more about each and every group in Brazil.

Table of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil

Sources:

unhcr.org

socioambiental.org

As línguas do Brasil

As línguas do Brasil – Languages of Brazil

Once a Portuguese-colonised nation, nearly 100% of Brazilians today speaks Portuguese which is also their official language. However, certain isolated Indian groups still speaks their native language of Tupí, Arawak, Carib, or Gê.

Even though the official language of Brazil and of Portugal is Portuguese, one might note that there are as much differences between the two as can be found between American English and British English. As for the written Brazilian Portuguese, it differs widely from the spoken one as they follow national rules of spelling and accentuation, revised periodically for simplification.

English has displaced French as the principal 2^nd language of Brazilian as it is often taught in schools and is a pre-requirement for private courses.

Sources:

justbrazil.org

kwintessential.co.uk

A educação do Brasil

A educação do Brasil – Education of Brazil

Literacy rate in Brazilian has risen substantially over the past two decades thanks to the effort of UNESCO in driving Brazil, one of the E9 countries, towards Education for All. Access to primary and secondary education is now considered common and above 90% of the population is enrolled. In particularly, the population ages 7 to 14 as the government made it compulsory for them to be enrolled. UNESCO is also pushing for social equities in Brazil whereby all racial and ethnic groups are given equal opportunities for education.

Below is the education system of Brazil today:

Sources:

UNESCO – Education for All in Brazil

UNESCO – Inclusive Education in Brazil

UNESCO – E9 Countries

World Education Services

As atividades de lazer do Brasil

As atividades de lazer do Brasil– Leisure Activities of Brazil

With its sandy white beaches, clear water and tropical climate, Brazil is idea for almost any forms of leisure activities. I will touch on some of the most well-known leisure activities of Brazil.

Festivals & Events

On the topic of festivals and events, the Carnival at Rio de Janeiro is definitely the most spectacular attraction in Brazil. Although other regions of Brazil also have Carnival, the one at Rio de Janeiro is one that cannot be missed as the modern Carnaval originated there in 1641. Words cannot be used to describe this grand street parade, so enjoy the video!!

Another festival worth mentioning is the Amazonia folklore festive – Boi Bumba Festival in Parintins. It is a street parade, a competition, a tribal ritual and a giant puppet show, all at once. Enjoy the video below:

For a listing of all the events and festive in Brazil and when they are held, please visit:

Whatsonwhen - Brazil

Sports/ Outdoor

As introduced earlier under culture, sports is an integral part of Brazil leisure activities. Soccer, volleyball and beach-going are just some examples of leisure activities they participate in.

Sources:

2camels.com

mapsoftheworld.com

boibumba.com

ipanema.com

5 coisas que o Brasil é famoso por

5 coisas que o Brasil é famoso por – 5 things Brazil is famous for

(1) Football

As mentioned earlier, football is an integral part of Brazilian culture and has seen Brazil won the FIFA World Cup more times than any other countries.

(2) Women

Brazilian models are some of the most sought after models in the world. Besides the super models, ladies who participate in the annual Carnival, as well as those that line the beaches of Brazil have drawn the attention of men from all corners of the globe.

(3) Carnival

Enough talk there has been about this street parade. A MUST-SEE event in Brazil.

(4) The Amazon.

Containing around 60% of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil is home to over half of the World’s remaining rainforest. The Amazon is also home to a vast species of flora and fauna. However, deforestation and human activities has started to take its toll on the Amazon.



(5) Samba & Capoeira

A country of mixed ethnicities, Brazil’s Samba & Capoeira is partly influenced and created by it African population and have gathered attention on an international basis.