Brazil

Overview

A country that has a larger area than the continental United States inevitably has a great deal to offer. It certainly does not disappoint. The Amazon rainforest is inhabited by a third of the world's species. This is clearly staggering and many levels of exploration are possible from entirely organised tours from Manaus to just the company of a guide. Whether the visitor wishes to just get a hint of the vastness for a day, or spend a month or more on foot or canoe, the possibilities are barely limited.

The existence of this natural resource and others have not been managed well, which is one reason for the extreme poverty gap that is especially apparent in some of the larger cities. It is easy to miss these problems when caught up in the excitement of Carnival in Rio de Janiro or relaxing on the beach at Copacabana or Ipanema. Salvador and the capital, Brasilia, are calmer and the strong past colonial influences are probably best seen in Recife, Ouro Preto and Parati.

The rivers and beaches mean water sports are plentiful and climbers should use Rio as a base. Dancers might like to practice at a Gefieira or learn from others at the Samadrome. The Iguaçu falls can be seen after a relatively short trek or helicopter ride.

History

With an estimated 183 million inhabitants Brazil has the largest population in Latin America and ranks sixth in the world. The majority live in the south-central area which includes the industrial cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Urban growth has been rapid: by 2000 80% of the total population were living in urban areas. Rapid growth has aided economic development but has also created serious social environmental and political problems for major cities.

Four major groups make up the Brazilian population: the Portuguese who colonized in the 16th century; Africans brought to Brazil as slaves; various other European Middle Eastern and Asian immigrant groups who have settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century; and indigenous people of Tupi and Guarani language stock. Intermarriage between the Portuguese and indigenous people or slaves was common. Although the major European ethnic stock of Brazil was once Portuguese subsequent waves of immigration have contributed to a diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.

From 1875 until 1960 about 5 million Europeans emigrated to Brazil settling mainly in the four southern states of Sao Paulo Parana Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Immigrants have come mainly from Italy Germany Spain Japan Poland and the Middle East. The largest Japanese community outside Japan is in Sao Paulo. Despite class distinctions national identity is strong and racial friction is a relatively new phenomenon.

Indigenous full-blooded Indians located mainly in the northern and western border regions and in the upper Amazon Basin constitute less than 1% of the...more