Five Things You Didn’t Know About Brazil

#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

About the Author:

Shadow Men