Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Introduction to
Brazil
The mighty rivers of the Amazon, pulsing Carnaval rhythms, bone-white
beaches and footballing flair; almost everyone on the planet knows
something about Brazil, and its caipirinhas and supermodels are familiar the
world over. Yet South America's biggest country still holds plenty of surprises.
Though Rio de Janeiro draws by far the most tourists - indeed, for many
visitors Rio is Brazil - this is a land of stunningly diverse and staggeringly
beautiful landscapes, with a kaleidoscope of culture to match. In one, vast
nation this up-and-coming superpower encompasses the dry, mythic
landscapes of the northeastern sertão; the wildlife-rich plains of the
Pantanal; the gorgeous colonial hill towns of Minas Gerais; churning São
Paulo's urban chic; the watery labyrinth of Amazonia; and seemingly endless,
mesmerizing tropical beaches all along the South Atlantic coast.
he sheer
size
of the country prevents any sort of overarching statement about the typical
Brazilian experience, just as the diversity of its people undercuts any notion of the typical
Brazilian. Indeed, Brazil often seems isolated in its own vastness, a world apart with
apparently little connection to or interest in its seven Spanish-speaking neighbours. Cut off
by language (
Portuguese
), culture and especially race, Brazil is proud of its diversity, from
its native indigenous population and early Portuguese conquerors, to later waves of Italians,
Germans, Spanish, Ukrainians, Polish, Arabs and Japanese migrants. In stark contrast to its
neighbours it also has a relatively large
African population
- a legacy of slavery, which was
legal here right up until 1888. As a result, Brazil is home to the most varied and dynamic
artistic movements on the continent, with Carnaval the biggest party season anywhere and
a bewildering range of musical styles, festivals and celebrations in evidence all year round.
What really makes Brazil different to its neighbours, however, after a decade of
explosive economic growth, is
money
: cross any of its international borders, from
Colombia, Peru and even Argentina, and the contrast is immediate. Entering Brazil you
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