Brasiilia
Quick Facts: | Area: | 8,511,965 sq km | | Population: | 176,029,560 (July 2002 est.) | | Capital: | Brasilia | | Language: | Portuguese (Official) | | Religion: | Roman Catholic (80%) | | Currency: | Real (R$) | | YFU web site: | www.yfu.com.br |
Introduction Brazil is South America’s biggest country and the fifth largest in the world. Brazil has always been a land of great contrasts. From colonial times until the present, its great diversity has made it come alive. With people of many different origins, Brazil is a country of myriad faces. At the same time, several factors hold the country together as a nation, including the Portuguese language and a zest for living.
Short Facts Area: Brazil is located in the center of the South American continent, has borders with 10 countries, and a coastline of 7,408 km. Alone, it covers half of the continent. It is divided into five regions: Norte, Nordeste, Centro-Oeste, Sudeste, and Sul.
Climate: Most of Brazil is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, which means that average temperatures, on a yearly basis, are not extreme. The highest average temperature is 27.5° C (85° F). Depending on the time of year, the climate in Brazil can range from tropical weather with heavy rainfalls in the Amazon region to snowfalls in the South.
Population: Brazil has a population of approximately 153 million. Seventy percent of the population is under 30 years of age. Brazilians are friendly people eager to show visitors the beauty and rich heritage of their country, region, or town. Most of the population is racially mixed, made up of people from different areas of Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as native Brazilians. Only a few people consider themselves descendants of a specific race. The majority consider themselves Brazilians.
Language: Brazil is the only Latin American Portuguese-speaking nation. Language is one of the strongest contributors to Brazil's national identity. Portuguese is spoken by almost 100 percent of the population. Within Brazil, there are no dialects of Portuguese, but there are some slight variations in accent, vocabulary, and grammar.
Religion: The official religion is Catholicism (80% of the population), but other religions are also respected and practiced.
Government: Brazil is a democratic republic. Presidents are elected by direct vote from the population. Voting is compulsory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 and optional for those between 16 and 18 years of age and those over 70. Presidents are elected for a four-year term and there is the possibility for re-election for another term. The current president is Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva, who was newly elected in January 2003. A member of the Worker’s Party, Lula hopes to bring equality amongst the people of Brazil.
History: Nomadic Indians inhabited Brazil for 10,000-20,000 years before the arrival of the Portuguese. On April 24, the Portuguese navigator Cabral arrived (in Bahia) in what was to become Brazil. Cabral’s expedition included 1500 men, or almost 3% of the population of Lisbon at the time. The early explorers brought back a wood that produced a red dye, pau-brasil, from which the territory received its name. In 1530, the Portuguese surveyed Brazil in order to find areas for settlement. Soon afterwards, the first immigrants, who were mostly farmers, arrived. Brazil became the only Portuguese colony in the Americas and the only Latin American Portuguesespeaking nation. When the king of Spain died without a clearly defined successor, Spain laid claim to the throne in Lisbon. From 1580-1640, Spain and Portugal were linked under the Spanish crown. In 1640, the Duke of Braganza, with assistance from the English and Dutch, recaptured the Portuguese crown. This struggle for succession continued. In 1789, one of Brazil’s attempts to end monarchy was crushed, and its leader, Tiradantes, became a national symbol for liberty. The Portuguese royal family came to Brazil in 1808 during Napoleon’s Continental Blockade in Europe. There, the Portuguese court continued to rule. During this period, the ports were opened(mainly to British commerce) causing the colony to grow significantly. The King was drawn home in 1820 by a revolution, leaving his son as regent. When Portugal desired to reduce Brazil again to colonial status, the prince declared Brazil’s independence on Sept. 7, 1822. In 1888 slavery was abolished, and in 1889, the monarchy in Brazil was abolished and a Republic founded. European immigration was actively promoted and health and welfare plans were implemented on a national scale.
Economy: Today, around 40% of Brazil’s population is employed in agriculture, around 30% in industry. Major crops include coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus, and beef. Brazil’s industries include textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber and iron ore. Since the 1500s, different export cycles have dominated Brazil’s economic development—first, Brazil wood, then sugar, later gold and diamonds, and finally coffee and rubber. The country’s major exports today are soybean bran, orange juice, footwear, coffee and motor vehicle parts. Its main trading partners are western European states, Latin American countries, the US, and Japan. In January 1999, Brazil went through an economic crisis, which sent the value of its currency plummeting. However, a former finance minister Fernando Cardoso had won the presidency in 1994 and adopted measures to deal with the crisis.
Education: Brazil’s educational system is decentralized, with 11 years of compulsory attendance. Most schools are coeducational. The system is divided into three levels: Elementary (ages 7-14), Secondary (ages 15-17) and Tertiary (ages 17+). At the elementary and secondary levels, all students follow a standard program. Some secondary schools offer additional studies in one of three areas: science, biology, or humanities. Grades/marks are given every two months based on a 1-10 scale. Students who achieve a grade/mark of 7 or better are automatically promoted to the next class and do not have to take final exams. Failure in one or more academic subjects results in a student being held back in the same grade. After the third year of secondary school, students wishing to continue on to university must take an entrance exam, or vestibular. Since there are limited places in the universities, passing this exam places a lot of pressure on students, and the last year of high school is very competitive. Schools in Brazil are very academic and most schools offer few extra-curricular activities. These activities take place in clubs or private institutions.
Family life: Family life in Brazil can be considered very traditional. Roles are clear-cut for parents and children. Parents are very protective of their children and usually support them until they are out of university, or even a little longer. They always assure their children that they can count on them for anything. This, of course, means that parents keep a close watch on their children’s lives. The economy in Brazil is constantly in flux, so it can be difficult for young people to enter the workforce. Within their own roles (school work, social plans, etc.), teenagers are allowed to be independent. However, in order to gain the freedoms they seek (going out at night, having no curfew, traveling with friends on weekends, etc.), they are expected to keep up with their school work.
Food: Foods vary by region. For example, in Bahia, one specialty is vatapá (shrimps, fish oil, coconut milk and rice), and from the Rio Grande do Sul comes churrasco (barbecued beef, tomato, and onion sauce). Meals are important in Brazilian family life. A typical Brazilian meal consists of rice, beans, one kind of vegetable or salad, and meat. Brazilians consider even distant relatives part of the family and it is very common to have big family parties or meals. Usually all age groups are included.
Recreation: Brazil’s most beloved sport is futbol (soccer). It is played everywhere—in clubs, at school, on the streets, even on the beach! Volleyball is also popular. Weekend activities might include the beach, swimming pool, visiting waterfalls, or just sitting outside at cafes having a snack or a chat. Going to the movies or to popular concerts is also very common.
YFU Brazil
YFU Brazil began in 1963 with a 6- month exchange program between Brazil and the US. Today, YFU Brazil sends around 100 students per year to the US and approx. 40 to other countries. The office of YFU Brazil is located in Rio de Janeiro and has a staff of 7.
Exchange activities for inbound students: Year and semester students attend a one-week orientation and Portuguese language course upon arrival. During their stay, YFU keeps in close contact with each student and provides counseling services when needed. YFU holds a re-entry meeting in Rio de Janeiro towards the end of the exchange period.
Common Phrases | English | Portuguese | | Hi!... | Oi! | | Good Morning | Bom-dia | | Good Night | Boa-noite | | How are you? | Como vai? | | My name is | Meu nome é |
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