Pictures of Brazil

Capoeira, the Bahian martial art.

Brazil is the biggest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking American country. It was discovered by European in 1500, at Porto Seguro, southern Bahia State. Salvador was the first national capital and the second was Rio de Janeiro. Today, the capital is Brasília. Independence was conquered in 1924, from Portugal.

Brazil is a federative republic. The country name derives from the brazilwood ("pau brasil") tree that used to grow plentifully along the coast of Brazil, specially in the Northeast. Brazilwood was used to produce a deep red dye. The majority of the Brazilian residents live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast, in cities like São Paolo, Brasília (national capital), Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Fortaleza.

Portuguese is the official and most widely spoken language in the country. Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants. Most people are Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Brazil is politically divided into 1 federal district (Brasília) and 26 states: Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Crystal Palace in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro.