Beautypically

According to COUNTRYAAH, Brazil or as you should officially say the Federative Republic of Brazil is located in the central eastern part of South America and occupies almost half of this continent. The country has been inhabited for many tens of thousands of years, but not much is known about the history of the country until the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil. It is known that various Indian tribes that were fairly developed lived throughout the country. In the year 1500, Brazil is claimed for Portugal by a Portuguese noble. However, it would be decades before the first city was founded here. Salvador da Bahia and Sõa Poalo were the first places to be founded here. In the seventeenth century, large parts of the coast were owned by the then Dutch Republic. However, these possessions were sold and Brazil came back entirely into Portuguese hands. The Portuguese mainly used the land for the cultivation of sugar cane. African slaves were frequently used for this cultivation. In 1822 Dom Pedro the first proclaimed the independence of Brazil. This declaration of independence was recognized by the Portuguese three years later. In the last 150 years there have been different forms of government in the country. Thus Brazil has been a kingdom, a republic, a dictatorship, a military dictatorship and a democracy. It has been a democracy since the 1980s. This provides the necessary stable rest in the country.

Brazil has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America for many years. This is not surprising when you realize what the country has to offer. From beautiful large cities with special architecture to vast jungles and from beautiful beaches to the impassable Amazon region, you will find it all here.

Sights

There are many thousands of places of interest scattered throughout the country. However, there are a number of mainly cultural aspects that make Brazil known all over the world. This is the carnival that is celebrated here every year and the number one popular sport is football. During the Carnival period, many millions of people come to Brazil and especially to Rio de Janeiro to see this magnificent spectacle with their own eyes. Carnival is celebrated here very differently than we are used to. Large parades with scantily clad ladies and gentlemen dancing through the streets is the well-known image of the Brazilian carnival. The Brazil national football team is known as the Divine Canaries and has already won the World Cup five times.

Of course there are plenty of other places of interest in Brazil. How about Copacobana Beach or the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Other famous places of interest in the country are Iguaçu Falls, Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, Brasilia Cathedral, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Ipanema Beach and the Amazon Theater. Throughout the country, signs and remnants of Portuguese rule in Brazil can still be found. These distinctly western buildings provide a strange contrast in the South American country.

UNESCO

In 2010, there were eighteen entries from Brazil on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This concerns eleven cultural and seven natural inscriptions. The historic center of Ouro Preto was the first to be added in 1980. This is because of the special baroque architecture of this city, which was founded in 1698. Later on, the historic centers of Olinada, Salvador de Bahia, Sõa Luís, Diamantina, Goiás and São Francisco Square in the city of São Cristóvão followed. Several Jesuit missions throughout the country were added in 1983. However, the best-known inscriptions in Brazil are the various nature reserves and nature reserves. Unesco has the Iguaçu National Park, the Serra da Capivara National Park, the Atlantic Forest Reserves, the Southeastern Forest Reserves, Pantanal, the Central Amazon and the areas of the Cerrado have been given protected status. The Atlantic islands of Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas also enjoy this protected status. The capital Brasilia is also included on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its special architecture.

Climate

Because Brazil is a vast country, there are a large number of different climate types in the country. Most of these fall under one of the tropical climate types. For example, the tropical rainforest climate occurs in the Amazon region and in a number of areas in the immediate vicinity of the Amazon. In this area there is an extreme amount of precipitation throughout the year and the average daytime temperature throughout the year is around thirty degrees Celsius. The tropical monsoon climate occurs in the more inland parts of the Amazon region. This type of climate does not differ much from the tropical rainforest climate, only the tropical monsoon climate has a relatively drier period. The central part of Brazil has a tropical savanna or savanna climate. In these climates, the average precipitation is much lower than in the other tropical climates. The eastern part of the country has a steppe climate with little precipitation and lower temperatures. The southern coastal part has a warm maritime climate. The nights in particular can be a lot colder here with temperatures below ten degrees Celsius. With the exception of some southern parts and the higher parts of Brazil, the temperature is very pleasant all year round. The average daytime temperature in most places does not fall below twenty-five degrees Celsius. However, the higher temperatures in combination with the large amount of precipitation ensure that there is a high humidity in Brazil. This can make it feel clammy and stuffy. This is especially true in the interior.

Geography

Brazil is the largest country in South America and occupies almost half of the continent. In addition, Brazil is the largest country in the southern hemisphere and is one of the four largest countries in the world. Brazil has land borders with French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. In the east, the country borders the Atlantic Ocean. Geographically, the country can be divided into four parts. The tropical coastal strip in the east of the country. Originally, this part of Brazil was covered by rainforest, but only a part of it has survived. Known as the Atlantic Forest, this rainforest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Highlands of Brazil occupies the northern part of the country and consists mainly of tropical rainforest and in the south it flows into forested savanna. The Brazilian highlands extend towards neighboring countries Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. This part of the country is home to some of the highest peaks and the largest mountain ranges in Brazil. The highest point in this area is the Pico da Bandeira with 2892 meters which is part of the Serra do Caparaó. The Pico da Neblina is the highest mountain in Brazil at 2994 meters. This mountain is located not far from the border with Venezuela in the highlands of Guyana. The northeast of Brazil consists of Sertão, a dry desert-like area. This area was created by the intensive sugar cane cultivation that took place here. Finally, there is the Amazon basin in the north and west of the country. This area mainly consists of the endangered Amazon rainforest. This is the largest rainforest in the world. The Amazon River flows through this area. This is according to some the largest river in the world. Others claim that this is the Nile. The Amazon is in any case the river that carries the most water. The capital of Brazil has been the city of Brasilia since the 1960s. This is a designed city. About two million people live in this city. This is certainly not the largest city in the country, which is São Paulo with more than eleven million inhabitants. Other major cities in the country are Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte and these are just the cities with more than two million inhabitants.

Travel advice

The travel advice for Brazil has been on “be extra vigilant” for some time now. This is mainly due to the many protests and demonstrations that are being held in the various cities. In addition, it is expressly requested not to travel through the country after sunset. This in connection with hostage-taking and robberies. If you stay in a public place after sunset, you are advised to be extra careful. In the larger cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador de Bahia, armed robberies and street robberies regularly occur. You cannot prevent this, but by not wearing your jewelry too conspicuously and not displaying all kinds of electronics, you make yourself less attractive to the criminals. City buses and other public transport are best avoided in Brazil. As a tourist it is best to avoid the favelas or visit them with a guide. There are no mandatory vaccinations for Brazil, but vaccinations against DTP, Typhoid, Gammaglobulin and Yellow Fever are recommended.

Travel documents

All travelers to Brazil must be in possession of a valid passport that is valid for at least six months on the date of departure from the country. You do not need a visa to visit Brazil. However, if you want to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you must apply for a visa at the Brazilian embassy in the Netherlands.

On the plane you will be given an “immigration permit” which you must complete at the customs office. You will receive a copy of this that you must hand in at customs when you leave the country.

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