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Official Name:
Federative Republic of Brazil
Capital: Brasília
Official Language: Portuguese
System of Government: A
Federative Republic with a multi-party political system. Brazil holds democratic
elections for president, senators, representatives, state governors and
legislators, mayors and municipal counsels. Brazil is the world leader in
electronic online voting (100 million voters.)
Area: 3,286,470 square miles
Population: 170 million
Geography: Brazil is in
east-central South America and occupies nearly 50% of the South American
continent.
Around 58% of Brazil is covered with forests, which include
the largest rainforest in the world, located in the Amazon River basin.
The country has eight river systems, which carry aproximately
20% of the world's fresh water.
Land Use: 58% forests, 22%
pasture, 6% crops, 14% other use.
Biggest Cities: São Paulo (10.4
million), Rio de Janeiro (5.8 million), Salvador (2.4 million), Belo Horizonte
(2.2 million), Brasília (2 million), Recife (1.4 million)
Human Feature:
Density: 52 persons per square mile
Urban/Rural: 80% urban, 20% rural
Sex Distribution: 49.9% male, 50.1% female
Age Breakdown: 35% under 15, 28% 15 to 29, 19% 30 to 44, 10% 45 to 59, 6% 60 to
74, 2% 75 and over
Money: The official currency is
the real, which is divided into 100 centavos
Main Products: Aircraft,
bauxite, beef, cellulose, cereals, coffee, cocoa, crude oil and petrochemicals,
diamonds, furniture, gold, households appliances, hydroelectric power engines,
iron ore, manganese, motor vehicles, nickel, orange juice, phosphates, platinum,
processed food, quartz crystals, rubber, shoes, silver, soybeans, steel, sugar,
textiles, timber, tin, titanium, uranium, and zinc.
Geography
Brazil is the largest of the
Latin American countries. Covering nearly half (47.3 percent) of the continent
of South America, it occupies an area of 3,286,470 sq. miles (8,511,965 sq. km).
It is the fifth largest country in the world after the Russian Federation,
Canada, China, and the United States. Except for a small number of islands,
Brazil consists of a single. unbroken land mass. On a map of the globe, it can
be seen that the eastern bulge of Brazil conforms to the concave curve of the
west coast of Africa. According to the theory of continental drift, this is no
accident; Africa and South America once abutted each other, but drifted apart
over millions of years. The Equator passes through the north of the country near
Macapá; the Tropic of Capricorn passes through the south near São Paulo.
Brazil's greatest width, 2,684 miles (4,319.4 km), is almost the same as its
greatest distance from north to south, 2,731 miles (4,394.7 km). Brazil has 10
neighbors: the Department of French Guiana and the countries of Suriname,
Guyana, Venezuela, and Colombia bound Brazil on the north. Uruguay and Argentina
are on the south, and on the west are Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. Ecuador and
Chile are the only two countries of continental South America that do not share
a border with Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the entire eastern side
of the country, giving it a coastline of 4,578 miles (7,367 km).
Climate
Average Annual Temperatures
Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, more than 60
percent of the population live in areas where altitude, sea winds, or cold polar
fronts moderate the temperature. There are five climatic regions in Brazil:
equatorial, tropical, semi arid, highland tropical, and subtropical. Plateau
cities such as São Paulo, Brasília, and Belo Horizonte have very mild climates
averaging 66°F (19°C). Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have
warm climates balanced by the constancy of the Trade Winds. In the southern
Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is
similar to parts of the U.S. and Europe with frosts occurring with some
frequency. In this region temperatures in winter can fall below freezing.
Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat,
temperatures of more than 90°F (32°C) are rarely experienced there. In fact, the
annual average temperature in the Amazon region is in the range of 72 79°F
(22-26°C), with only a very small seasonal variation between the warmest and the
coldest months. The hottest part of Brazil is the northeast where, during the
dry season, between May and November, temperatures of more than 100°F (38°C) are
recorded frequently. The northeast has greater seasonal variation in
temperatures than does the Amazon region. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife
to Rio de Janeiro, mean temperatures range from 73°F to 81°F (23 27°C). Inland,
on higher ground; temperatures are lower, ranging from 64°F to 70°F (18 21°C).
South of Rio, the seasons are more noticeable and the annual range of
temperature greater. The average temperature for this part of the country is in
the range between 63°F to 66°F (17 19°C).
Please Click on the link bellow for
detailed information about each specific program offered by
TetraBrazil in Partnership with Professional Soccer Clubs in Brazil.
More Detailed Information about Tours to
Brazil:
Videos and Pictures of Club Partners in Brazil
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