Welcome to Brazil – Home to Edson Arantes do Nascimento!

Rio de Janeiro

Did you know- Rio de Janeiro, with a well-developed infrastructure, is one of the most popular cities in the Western Hemisphere. This tropical city –Brazil’s most noteworthy scenery– is home to the Christ the Redeemer Statue, which has been named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. On the other hand, the 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro -one of Latin America’s largest cities.

Geography

Did you know- The Federative Republic of Brazil has an area of 3, 286,478 square miles ( 8,456,511 square. kilometers), making it the Earth’s fifth-largest country, after Russia, China and Canada and America. Brazil has half of South America’s territory. This Portuguese-speaking nation is surrounded by French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. The jungles cover about half of the country’s entire territory. In addition, the varied terrain includes plateaus, plains, valleys and mangrove swamps. Brasilia is the capital city.

Tourism

Did you know- Without a doubt, Brazil is a special country with rich biodiversity, heritage, magnificent scenery, lovely beaches, and friendly people. It has one of Latin America’s most beautiful natural seascapes. In this context, the South American nation has developed a world reputation for its stunning beaches, there are more than 7,490km of coastline. It also is an amazing destination for fishing (with abundant species of fishes). In addition, it has a host of rivers, streams and lakes. Over the past six years, the tourist industry has become a national priority in the Portuguese-speaking country.

Cinematography

Did you know… From the 1960s to the 2000s, Brazil has had four Academy Award nominations for “The Keeper of Promises” (1962), “O Quatrilho” (1995), ” Four Days in September” (1997), and “Central Station” (1998). In addition to this, Brazil has a handful of famous performers in Latin America: Sonia Braga, Fernanda Montenegro, Carmen Miranda, among others

Soccer

Did you know- Brazil has won the right to host the FIFA 2014 World Cup; the world’s largest sports event. In 1950 the global tournament was held in Rio de Janeiro. Soccer is the national sport in the country, which has won five FIFA World Cup titles from 1958 to 2002. In addition, it is the birthplace of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who was one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Music

Did you know- Brazil’s Virginia Rodrigues is Bill Clinton’s favorite singer. Like Gilberto Gil (“Palco”), Rita Lee (“Lança Perfume”), and Erasmo Carlos (“Minha Superstar”), Rodrigues is one of Brazil’s most respected singers. She has many beautiful songs such as “Negrume da Noire” and “Salvador Nao Inerte”. On the other hand, the South American country also is the birthplace of the “Samba”, one of the most popular dances in the Western Hemisphere. In Rio de Janeiro thousands of people, including children, go to Samba schools!

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Did you know- The Portuguese-speaking country has many wonders:

Historic Town of Ouro Preto

Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis

Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia

Sanctuary of Born Jesus do Congonhas

Iguazu National Park

Brasilia

Serra da National Park

Historic Centre of Sao Luis

Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves

Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina

Cerrado Protected Areas

Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves

Historic Centre of the Town of Goias

Central Amazon Conservation Complex

Pantanal Conservation Area

Beautiful Girls

Did you know- Since the 1950s, Brazil has become home to several beautiful girls on Earth. In 1957 and 1958, it finished second in the Miss Universe Pageant. Throughout the 1960s, Ieda Maria Vargas, Martha Vasconcelos, and Maria da Gloria Carvalho won global titles. Today it has five super-models: Gisele Bundchen, Isabeli Fontana, Adriana Lima, Ana Beatriz Barros, and Fernanda Tavares.

By: Alejandro Guevara Onofre

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Without a doubt, the most famous singer in Brazil history is Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim. His best song is “The Girl From Ipanema”. It is a symbol of Brazil. Like Pele (sportsman) and Jorge Amado (writer), Antonio Carlos Jobim, who was best known as Tom Jobim, is one of the most famous Brazilians in the world.

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Like Taiwan, Argentina, Peru, and South Africa, Brazil is a democracy in the 21st century.

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The Christ the Redeemer, the statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.The statue was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski. The Christ the Redeemer is the monument that best symbolizes Brazil.

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The Brazilian metropolis has hosted the IV Pan American Games in 1964 and three FIBA Women´s World Championships in 1957, 1971 and 1983.

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Brazil is famous in history as the birthplace of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who is best known as Pele, one of the best athletes in the 20th century. Perhaps his greatest triumph was captaining his country to their third FIFA World Cup triumph in Mexico City in 1970.

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Brazilian people produce world´s best coffee.

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Brasilia is the capital city of Brazil. It was designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, who is one of the best architects in the world. Brasilia is considered one of the world´s most beautiful cities.

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Brazil is bigger than Japan, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Indonesia and South Africa.

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Juscelino Kubitschek, who was president of Brazil (1956-1961), had Czech ancestry.

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Brazil has spectacular beauties: Fernanda Tavares (supermodel), Natalia Guimaraes (Miss Brazil 2007), Adrianne Alves de Oliveira (Miss Brazil-World 1984), and Gisele Bündchen (supermodel).

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The Maracana Stadium, built in Rio de Janeiro in 1950, is one of the most beautiful stadiums in the Third World.

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Ivo Helcio Jardim de Campos Pitanguy is one of the most famous plastic surgeons in the world.

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In the 20th century, John McEnroe, a famous tennis player, was coached by Tomas Koch, who was born in Brazil.

By: Alejandro Guevara Onofre

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Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Americas. This tropical paradise boasts great beaches, rain forests, mountains, people and culture. It’s no wonder this small Central American country is one of the tourism powerhouses of the Americas.

The People:
Costa Rica has the unique characteristic in that it does not have any military. That is the ultimate sign of a peaceful nation. Costa Rica’s are known as “Ticos” and they’re know throughout Latin America as being people who very positive, friendly and full of life. In Costa Rica, the national catch phrase of the people and the country is “pura vida,” which translates to “pure life.”

The Beaches:
Costa Rica has many famous beaches. Some beaches attract surfers from all over the world while others attract tourists and locals. Costa Rica has the benefit of having both a Pacific and Atlantic coast giving it plenty of beaches to pick from. The beaches of Costa Rica have something for everyone. Some beaches have nice waves for surfers, while other like Jacob beach have a party atmosphere, while others just have pristine waters for people that just like to enjoy a nice calm swim on a beautiful beach.

Eco-Diversity:
The rain forest is the most valuable and special part about this country. Being so narrow and located between two oceans in the tropics means that the rain is abundant. There are many conservation efforts within the country by the local government and foreign investors. You may NOT cut down a tree in Costa Rica anymore and you may not even take fallen trees from within the habitat without proper permission from the state. The Guanacaste region was deforested for farming and now they suffer drought causing the forest to become dry. Now about 25% of the country is protected land. One of Costa Rica’s benefits is that it’s so mall and has different kinds of environments in close proximity. If you were willing to travel, you could be at the sunny beach at 9am in Guanacaste (northwest), at 1pm in a tropical rainforest with hot springs in San Carlos (north), at 3pm in the capital San Jose with a mild weather (March, center), and at 5pm in cold mountain temperature (5 Celsius) in Cartago (east).

Bio-Diversity:
Costa Rica is considered to be one of the 20 countries with greatest biodiversity in the world. Its geographic position, its two coasts and its mountainous system, which provides numerous and varied microclimates, are some of the reasons that explain this natural wealth, both in terms of species and ecosystems. The more than 500,000 species that are found in this small country represent nearly 4% of the total species estimated worldwide. Of these 500,000 species, just over 300,000 are insects.

Palmares Fiestas:
When Costa Ricans are done celebrating the Christmas and New Year holidays, they have yet another party to look forward to: The Palmares fiestas, one of Costa Rica’s most anticipated traditional celebrations. Palmares, a small town between Alajuela and San Ramon, is known for hosting the best fiestas and tope (horse parade) in the country. During the second half of January, Palmares becomes the focal point for many locals. Each year, the Palmares fiestas begin the second week of January and continue through the month with a series of events planned by the Asociacion Civica Palmarena. These include concerts, fireworks, sports activities, “chinamo” tents with alcohol and food, the toros a la Tica (Costa Rican-style bullfighting) and a traditional horse parade.

By: Dan DeLa Cruz

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#1. Brazil is 100% Energy Independent. Brazil has been dabbling with Ethanol fuel for cars for over three decades. In the recent decades great advances in the efficiency of ethanol production in Brazil has lead ethanol to become a primary fuel source for cars. In Brazil, flex-fuel cars are now a common thing. These cars can switch between ethanol, and gasoline in order to run. Apart from the ethanol Brazil also has huge oil reserves and both of these things have lead Brazil to cut down it’s energy imports to almost 0.

#2. Brazil has been the best soccer nation ever, in the history of the sport. Brazil has won the highly competitive world cup soccer tournament a world record of 5 times. No other country has won more world cup titles. Brazil is also the home of arguably the best player that has ever lived, Pele. Today however, Brazil has a new cast of soccer super stars including Rhonaldinho, Kaka, Robinho, and others. They continue to dominate soccer tournaments, and competitions and will host the world cup in 2014.

#3. Carnival is not only celebrated in the now famous Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian Carnival, properly spelled Carnaval, is an annual festival in Brazil held four days before Ash Wednesday. Brazilian Carnival is a fiery mix of cultures and costumes, all born from the unique past Brazil has lived, having mixed African, Native, German and European elements (specifically Portuguese). Furthermore, rhythm, participation, and costume vary from one region to another. For example, in the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, organized parades led by samba schools compete for awards and prizes on the “sambodromo” open stage. Only samba-school affiliates participate in the shows. Smaller cities often have no public events but promote balls in recreational clubs. The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Seguro and Recife have organized groups parading through streets, but watchers are also welcome to dance. They follow the “trio elétrico” floats through the city streets.

#4. There are more women then men in Brazil. Brazil’s now famous male deficiency can be attributed to many factors. Men die more often in Brazil at younger ages due to crime, motorcycle and car accidents, and gang violence. Apart from this many Brazilian men have migrated to Europe, Asia, and The United States in search of better economic opportunities. This has lead Brazil to become a land where there are more women then men. In some cities, the ratios can be as high as 3 to 1.

#5. When you go to Brazil you can now do tours through the famous “favelas”. Favelas are the Brazilian ghettos. These are not places you would want to venture into on your own, but these days they’ve become a tourist attraction. Tour companies now give you a tour of some of Brazil’s most famous favelas, so that you can you get a real glimpse at the inner city ghettos of Brazil.

By: Dan DeLa Cruz

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