BRAZIL Why Here?
FACTS Covers about half of South America and
is the continent's largest nation. Divided into the Brazilian Highlands in
the south and the Amazon River Basin in the north.
Over a third is drained by the Amazon and its more than 200 tributaries.
Southern Brazil is drained by the Plata system—the Paraguay, Uruguay, and Paraná rivers.
NEEDED WHEN ENTERING a passport valid for at least 6 is required a return ticket proof of sufficient funds to cover your
stay. Most non-European visitors are required
a 90 day visa which must be obtained in advance, prior to entering the country.
MAP
GEOGRAPHY hills, mountains, plains, highlands,
scrublands, savannas, rainforests, and a long coastline
low-lying Amazon Rainforest covers most of Brazil’s terrain in the North
small hills and low mountains occupy the South
Atlantic coast there are several mountain ranges, with a highest altitude of roughly 2,900 meters
Several small islands and atolls in the Atlantic Ocean are part of Brazil
WEATHER mostly tropical, but temperate in the
south Other climatic regions found: equatorial,
semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical
Southern part is only rainy during months November to May
Around the Amazon Basin, it will rain all year
Hot, dry and humid
CURRENCY is the REAL, divided into centavos 100 centavos = 1 real. Bank notes are in
denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5, 1; Coins are 1.00 real; 50 centavos, 25 centavos, 10 centavos, 5 centavos and 1 centavo.
US dollar is the best foreign currency to take Most widely accepted travelers checks are
American Express. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit
cards are accepted almost everywhere There are many ATMs where you can either
withdraw currency on your credit card, use your bank card on the PLUS network.
CUSTOMS
SOCIAL CUSTOMS culture is European based In both business and social situations, shaking
hands when meeting or leaving is customary. the women may kiss one (or both) cheeks of
other women upon meeting them and, often, kiss men in a similar manner.
smoking has been banned or severely limited in many public areas including airports, post offices, government offices, rest rooms, banks, hospitals, supermarkets, shopping centers and malls.
Numerous restaurants do the same but some will have a separate section para fumantes (for smokers).
WHAT NOT TO DO Do not touch anything with your fingers:
use utensils for pizza, sandwiches, fruit and chicken
When something is offered, say "yes" or "please". "Thank you" indicates a refusal, "No, thank you" is considered rudely blunt. Always offer an excuse so that the offered is not offended.
Never use the fork to cut anything
FOOD common dishes feature
various meats, rice and black beans
black bean stew (feijoada) is traditionally served on Saturdays
Recommended to try churrasco (barbecue) restaurants and to visit a rodizio, where they will serve of a variety of cuts of meats until told otherwise.
DRINK World largest coffee
producer national drink is
Caipirinhas: limes, sugar, and ice
numerous brands of beer including Bohemia, Skol, Brahma, Itaipava, Bavaria, Xingu, Kaiser and more
Soft drinks include Guarana (a carbonated cola-like drink)
varieties of excellent fruit-juices
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE Explore the Amazon Enjoy Rio de Janeiro's Carnival Go to the world-famous Copacabana
and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro Take a hike on trails into Brazil's
wilderness areas: mountainous areas as well as forests.
Learn to dance the samba
REFERENCES http://
www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107357.html http://www.brazil.com/ http://www.brazilbrazil.com/manners.ht
ml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country
/39/top_things_to_do/South-America/Brazil.html