Geography and Climate
Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and 10 other countries, Brazil is located in eastern South America, almost completely below the equator. Brazil shares a border with all of the South American countries except for Chile and Ecuador.
The country spreads over more than 3.3 million square miles of land, making it the fifth-largest country in the world. There also are a number of archipelagos that are a part of Brazil’s territory. These include Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks and Martim Vaz.
Brazil is mostly flat terrain with rolling lowland in the north. The country is comprised of plains, hills, mountains and a narrow coastal belt along the country’s beautiful 4,654 miles of coastline. In northern Brazil, the area is dominated by the Amazon River basin and lush forests. The Amazon River runs 4,000 miles to the Atlantic Ocean and is the second-longest river in the world. Also in the north, the Guiana Highlands form a major drainage divide with rivers flowing through the country. The Pico da Neblina mountain range lies on the Brazil-Venezuela border and is the highest point in the country, around 8,800 feet. The large Brazilian Highlands area covers about 1.9 million square miles and is divided into three main areas: Atlantic Plateau, Southern Plateau and Central Plateau. The Brazilian Highlands is known for its biodiversity; there are thousands of plants and animals living there and many different types of soils and climate. The Great Escarpment in Brazil is a steep wall-like slope in the southeastern region that runs along the south coast of the Atlantic. Much of the coast in Brazil rises to mountain ranges. There is no real coastal plain, just stretches of lowlands in the northeast and many bays. There also is a complex system of rivers in Brazil with eight major drainage systems, all of which flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
Brazil has three time zones: Amazon Standard Time (AMT) in the western states, which is three hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST); Brasilia Standard Time (BRT) in the eastern states, which is four hours ahead of PST; and, Fernando de Noroncha Archipelago Time (FNT), which is five hours ahead of PST. Daylight saving time is observed in Brazil. In the eastern states it is called Brasilia Summer Time (BRST) and in the western states it is called Amazon Summer Time (AMST). Daylight saving time typically starts in the middle of October and ends in the middle of February.
Brazil experiences a wide range of weather conditions with five major climatic subtypes: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Northern Brazil has an equatorial climate with average temperatures around 77 F. In the Amazon, there are hot and humid forests. Central Brazil experiences a varied climate. In the northeast, it is hot and dry, with occasional droughts. The south experiences cool winters and hot summers. It rains throughout the year and snow falls in higher elevations. Rainy season is during the summer months and almost 80 inches of rain falls each year.
Natural disasters in Brazil include recurring droughts in the northeast, floods, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides.
People and Culture
Brazil has a large population with more than 198 million people, making it the fifth-largest country in the world by population, and the largest country in South America.
The official language in Brazil is Portuguese, which is virtually the only language used in newspapers, TV and radio. Other languages spoken are Spanish, English, indigenous languages, German, Italian and Japanese.
Brazil is a very diverse country. Nearly 54 percent of the country is from European origins. Most are immigrants and their descendants are from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany and Eastern Europe. More than 44 percent are black or mulatto, and many are descendants from those brought over during the African slave trade period. Other ethnicities include the Amazon-area indigenous tribes, which make up less than 1 percent of the population, and Japanese, who live in the larger cities.
Brazil is a federation with one federal district and 26 states. Each state has municipalities, similar to cities in the U.S. There are more than 5,500 municipalities in Brazil. São Paulo is the country’s largest city with a metropolitan population of nearly 20 million people. It is known for its culture and economy. Rio de Janeiro is the country’s second-largest city with a metropolitan population of more than 12.3 million people. Rio is well known for its natural beauty, music and festivals. Brasilia is the capital of Brazil and the seat of government for the Federal District and has a metropolitan population of more than 3.8 million people.
There have been indigenous inhabitants in the Amazon and other regions of Brazil since at least 9,000 B.C. Pedro Cabral led the Portuguese to Brazil in 1500 and claimed the land as a colony of Portugal. The first settlement was founded in 1532 and the colony effectively began in 1534. The Portuguese were in constant war with indigenous tribes in Brazil for two centuries. During this time, the primary exports were sugar cane and slaves from the West African slave market.
By the end of the 17th century, sugar cane exports began to decline, but the discovery of gold in Brazil ignited the Brazilian Gold Rush in the 1690s. The Gold Rush attracted settlers from Portuguese colonies around the world. In 1808, the Portuguese royal family fled from Portugal to Brazil to escape Napoleon’s threats. The royal family started the first financial institutions and ended the trade monopoly with Portugal to open trade with other countries. The king, Dom Joao VI, returned to Portugal in 1821, but his son remained in Brazil and became emperor of the country.
Brazil gained its independence in 1822. In 1889, Deodoro Dan Fonseca led a coup to take over the government and changed the government to a republic ruled by a constitution. In 1930, Getúlio Vargas became president and led a revolt. He closed congress, stopped the constitution and ruled under his own powers. There were three attempts to remove him from power during his rule. After Vargas’ suicide, there were many presidents elected that continued Brazil’s sociopolitical instability. Coffee became the main export in the 19th century and dominated the country’s economy until the worldwide depression in the 1930s. Brazil struggled with an instable government until its second democratic election in 1989 – the first in almost three decades. In 2002, Brazil’s first working-class president, Lula da Silva, was elected and served two terms until 2010. Under him, Brazil developed the sixth-largest GDP in the world. In 2010, Dilma Vana Rousseff became the first woman president of Brazil.