Besides its world-class soccer team, Brazil is well-known for many other things, like its coffee production, and being home to one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World.
Basic Facts About Brazil
Official Name : Federative Republic of Brazil Commonly Known As : Brazil Capital : Brasilia Official Language : Portuguese Largest City : São Paulo Currency : Brazilian real Motto : Ordem e Progresso (Order and Progress)
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When we first think of Brazil, we think soccer. And why not, considering that the national soccer team of Brazil has won the coveted FIFA World Cup a record five times. But besides soccer, there is a lot more to this South American country.
Officially known as 'Brasil' or 'República Federativa do Brasil', it is not only the most populous country in Latin America, but also among the biggest countries in the world. We're gonna surprise you with some interesting facts about Brazil, which many of you might not know.
Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. It is the fifth-largest country in the world in terms of area and sixth in terms of population.
Introduction
It has a total territory of about 8,515,767.049 km2 square kilometers. The coastline is around 7,491 km. Many archipelagos (cluster of islands) come under the territory of Brazil. Chief among these are Penedos De Sao Pedro e São Paulo, Trindade e Martim Vaz, Atol das Rocas, Fernando de Noronha.
Brazil is the eastern most country of the Americas, and falls between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean.
Location
It is bordered by Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and the department of French Guiana to the north, and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to the south. To the west, Brazil shares its borders with Peru and Bolivia, and to the northwest it is bordered by Colombia. Ecuador and Chile are the only South American countries which don't share their boundaries with Brazil.
Brazil consists of 26 states and a federal district. The capital city, Brasilia, lies in the federal district. The government of a state is headed by a Governor who is elected by popular vote.
Divisions and Governance
Each state has municipalities with a legislative council and a mayor in place. Brazil has been a colony, an empire, a republic, and under military rule. Today, it is a democratic nation - a presidential representative democratic republic according to the constitution of 1988.
The main land characteristic of Brazil are the extensive Amazon rainforests in the north, and the hilly and low mountainous regions in the south.
Geography
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Brazil contains almost 60% of the Amazon rainforest. The south has most of the agricultural population, as well as the agricultural base.
The highest peak in Brazil is Pico da Neblina, at 9,827 feet, in the Guiana's highlands. The entire Atlantic coast is home to several mountain ranges, some reaching up to 9,500 feet in height.
There are many rivers in Brazil, most of which finally join the Atlantic. The chief rivers are the Amazon, Parana, the Negro, Tapajos, Sao Francisco, Araguaia.
Fun Facts
The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. It is the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world.
Brazil is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries of the world. An astounding 4 million species of plants and animals exist in Brazil. Not only that, there are even more species being discovered every day.
Brazil holds the distinction of being the only country in the world to have both equator and the Tropic of Capricorn passing through it.
As everyone knows, Brazil is famous for its soccer team. In fact, Brazil is the only country to have won the prestigious FIFA World Cup 5 times, with their last win in 2002.
Brazil also hosted 2014 FIFA World Cup. Every major city in Brazil has a soccer stadium. Pele and Ronaldo, the all time leading men goalscorers in FIFA World cups, are from Brazil.
Voting in the elections is compulsory in Brazil. Every literate individual between the ages of 18 and 70 has to vote.
Spanning over 2,800 miles from north to south, Brazil earns the honor of being one of the longest country in the world.
Brazil is a hot spot for tourism too with Rio de Janeiro topping the list. Today, Brazil is considered to have the fastest growing economy, and is one among the top ten most powerful nations in the world, economy wise.
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Brazil is home to one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World - the Christ the Redeemer. This statue also overlooks Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro is the most famous city of Brazil. It also ranks high in being one of the most visited cities in the world. It boasts of wonderful beaches mainly the Copacabana and Ipanema, carnivals and pristine landscapes.
There is no official religion in Brazil, though over 75% of the population are Roman Catholics.
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The annual event of Brazil, the Carnival, is the most celebrated and popular festival of Brazil. The festivities include colorful parades, dances and, singing in joy.
Samba, a music genre, played during the carnival has become its integral part and has given this festival a global identity.
Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee in the world.
Brazil has many billionaires, and is ranked in the top ten in world for the country with the most number of billionaires.
These were some interesting facts about Brazil. Hope you got to know some unknown yet fun facts about this beautiful nation, which should definitely be visited once in a lifetime.