The country of Brazil is a tropical paradise, home to stretches of rainforest, islands with tropical beaches, and endless rivers. Hang gliding, surfing, sailing and fishing are popular activities with excellent opportunities for rock climbing and hiking. Rio de Janeiro has so much to see and do from museums, exotic parks and gardens, beaches, and dancing to mountain views of the city.
Brazil, almost twice the size of Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union), is the largest state in South America, occupying some 47% of the sub-continent. With its great size and natural resources it is not only the giant of South America but seems destined to become a great world power.
Brazil has a long land frontier with every state in South America except Chile and Ecuador. It is bordered on the west by Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia, on the north by Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana and on the south by Uruguay.
Brazil has a coastline of some 7400km/4600 miles on the Atlantic. Some 93% of its territory lies in the southern hemisphere, and accordingly its seasons are the reverse of those of the northern hemisphere: when it is winter in Europe and North America it is summer in Brazil. Most of the country lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, less than 10% in the southern temperate zone.
Why travel to Brazil?
- Because all those who come to Brazil become fans.
Brazil is a place that has a little bit of everything. Its unique characteristics ensure international fame, attracting thousands of tourists for every part of the world, all year long. The diversity of the culture and the scenery are the country’s strong points. But the best part you only get to know when you arrive here: the Brazilian people.
This mix of races and colors makes this a happy and fun-loving people, yet strong, fighting and full of pride for its land. And it has a hospitable spirit unequalled anywhere else in the world. All of these qualities bound together make Brazil the ideal destination for those who wish to be well-received and treated as if at home.
One of the most appreciated Brazilian destinations by visitors is Rio de Janeiro – the Marvelous City, with its stunningly beautiful scenery and home of the greatest popular party in the world: carnival. It is a grandiose commemoration that gathers thousands of party-goers annually to have fun and watch the Samba School parades, teeming with floats, resplendent color and dance.
Carnival is also among the main attractions of other Brazilian cities: like Rio, São Paulo also has fun-filled parades with Samba Schools; in Pernambuco, the carnivals of Olinda and Recife are the highlights, as the people take to the streets in their costumes and follow the blocos and maracatus with their bands, carrying the famous giant dolls; in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, the entertainment is left up to mobile stages with electric bands that are followed through the streets by millions of people to the sound of axé, a typical rhythm from Bahia, until daybreak.
After the intense dancing and partying, nothing better than enjoying the country’s beautiful beaches, which stretch for over seven thousand kilometers of coastline. No one fails to be enchanted by the natural beauty of these veritable paradises of white sand and turquoise waters. Among the most visited, there are the famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, on the Rio de Janeiro coast; Joaquina, in the south of the country, famous for its national and international surfing championships; the Praia do Forte, on the northern coast of Bahia, home of the Tamar Project, for preserving sea turtles; and the marvelous beaches of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago.
The heart of Brazil also reserves natural treasures that enchant and surprise even the most experienced travelers. Among these rarities, there is Foz do Iguaçu, a city located along the triple border of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Its greatest attraction is the series of 275 waterfalls a little more than 60 meters high known as Iguaçu Falls – one of the most impressive sceneries anywhere.
And we cannot forget one of the world icons of ecology and biodiversity: the Amazon. Located in the north of the country, it encompasses an area of approximately 5.5 million square kilometers. It is considered the largest equatorial forest on the planet, occupying 61% of the national territory and extrapolating Brazilian borders. It is estimated that the regions forests concentrate 60% of all of the planet’s life forms – more than half of which are still unknown to science. The tourist who arrives there has much to do. From boat trips over the region’s rivers to several types of jungle expeditions, with guided hikes and trails and the observation of the stunningly rich flora and fauna of the region. And for those who do not want to participate in any adventure, just relax and appreciate the Amazon scenery – a delight to the eyes and so resting for the soul.
That is how our country is, a unique mixture of happiness, beauty, colors, hospitality and great pleasure. Come and get to know Brazil, too. Those who come, become fans.
- Because in Brazil you will find people from every corner of the world.
One of the most remarkable characteristics about the Brazilian is the generous, compassionate spirit, with its good, irreverent humor. When you add this temperament to a country with such an enormous territorial expansion, you come up with a land where there is always room for one more. A land that has received thousands of immigrants searching for a new world with open arms, where they could build or restart their lives and bet on the future.
They came from every corner: Portuguese, Italians, Japanese, Spaniards, Germans, Africans, Arabs, Koreans, Chinese, Poles, etc. And they brought with them new habits, traditions and customs that integrated with our culture with surprising harmony. Today, we find them in hundreds of entities, associations, clubs and churches; in the celebration of special dates from their countries of origin, in districts and even in typical cities. They have made Brazil even richer and more fascinating by assimilating new features, new looks and new sentiments.
- Because Brazil is exuberant by nature.
In Brazil, exuberance is everywhere. You find it in the immensity of the desert-like sands of the Lençóis Maranhenses and in the seven thousand kilometers of coastline. In the rivers so wide they look like seas. In the Amazon Forest, the largest on the planet. In the 250 thousand square kilometers of Mato Grosso swamplands, the impressive nature reserve, a Heritage of Humanity.
Beauty also reigns in the 44 national parks that preserve the ecosystem. In the long rows of coconut trees that line the sea of Alagoas. In the Chapada Diamantina, in Bahia, and in Pico de Itatiaia, in Rio de Janeiro. In the archaeological sites in Piauí. In the sunsets of Brasília and in the pampas of Rio Grande do Sul. In the impressive mountains of Minas Gerais and the amazing pororoca, the strange and noisy meeting of waters in the States of Amapá and Pará. Everywhere you look, there are plenty of reasons to become enchanted, to become emotional, and why not say, to fall in love with Brazil.
- Because it is very easy to get here.
Brazil is served by most international airlines. There are dozens of daily flights, full of tourists coming from every corner of the world. Those who most frequently seek out our country for their vacations are the Argentines, the North Americans and the Germans. However, with the expansion in the number of international airlines also operating here, visitors from other countries are also getting interested in visiting us, according to recent surveys. These include Uruguay, Portugal, France, Italy, and most of our neighboring countries in Latin America.
This increased international interest in Brazil can be observed through the numbers recorded in the first quarter of 2005, which point to the arrival of approximately 137 thousand foreign tourists on charter flights. This represents a growth of 35.46% in comparison to the same period the previous year. Data from Infraero (Brazilian Company for Airport Infrastructure) show that in March 2005, this percentage increase was even greater, reaching 43.03% – 37,410 tourists, compared to 25,966 in March of last year.
According to Infraero, this trend in the growth of the number of charter flights can also be seen in some regions of the country, especially Rio de Janeiro. This makes it even easier to go from the large Brazilian cities to any state in the country. And this air infrastructure does not stop growing. In 2004 alone, 8 expansion jobs were completed, not to mention the constant modernization of older airports throughout the entire country.
