If you are headed for Brazil, be prepared to dance. Whenever or wherever you hear music, most likely people will be dancing. Dancing and music are important ingredients of Brazilian culture, with different styles and stories to go along with the moves. The samba, which originated from slaves and freed slaves in the 1500s, is the dance most often associated with Brazil.

The Carnival of Brazil festival, which is a six-day party before Ash Wednesday, attracts people from all over the world. This lively festival has decadent costumes, dancing and singing and is heavily influenced by the Brazilian culture. In São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, samba schools lead huge, organized parades. Many other cities in Brazil also host festivals.

The largest country in South America, Brazil is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and 10 other countries. It 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.

Brazil is the fifth most populous nation in the world and spreads over more than 3.3 million square miles of plains, hills, mountains and a narrow coastal belt along the country’s beautiful 4,654 miles of coastline, making its land area the fifth largest 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 also 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.

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.