Gap Year Destinations

Where to go

Brazil

Huge and incredibly varied, Brazil has something for every traveller, from Alligator soup in the Amazonian rainforest, to the samba of Carnival!

Environment

Brazil is the largest country in South America, occupying roughly half of the continent and spanning four time zones. As such, the geography of the country is hugely varied – it has an extensive river network, including the mighty Amazon river, which has developed the Amazonian rainforest that covers most of the north of Brazil. Uplands characterise the south of the country, but plains, scrublands and savannahs can also be found.

Due to this, most zoologists and environmentalists believe that Brazil has the highest number of land dwelling animals, with the highest diversity of primates and largest number of mammals overall of any country in the world. The capital is Brasília.

Climate

Due to its location in the tropics, Brazil’s climate doesn’t vary much during the year, however because of the huge size of the country it does vary, depending on location. For example, the north has a mostly warm, rainy, tropical climate all the year round, while the south is cooler. In all, Brazil has five climatic regions – equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical, so check where you’ll be based before you go!

Demographics and Language

Brazil’s population trace their ancestry from four different groups: indigenous Amerindians, and migratory Europeans, Africans and Asians. Due to this, ethnic diversity in Brazil is one of the most well known attributes of the country. The first wave of immigration consisted of Portuguese and African people, who settled and intermarried with the indigenous Amerindians. A second wave of immigration, starting just before the 20th century, consisted of Italians, Germans, Spanish, Polish, Lebanese, Syrian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Jewish peoples, who stayed and formed communities in the country, mostly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Regarding languages, while Amerindians in remote areas still speak traditional languages, almost all Brazilians speak Portuguese, which is the country’s official language and is used in schools, the media and business. Portuguese is also a big part of Brazil’s national identity, setting it apart from the rest of South America, which speaks Spanish.

Cuisine

Brazil is so large that no one cuisine dominates, and instead regional dishes are enjoyed. In the north, the tropical forests and many rivers mean people live on a diet of fish and turtle meat, root vegetables, tropical fruits and peanuts. A signature dish is Picadinho de Jacaré, made from alligator meat!

In the north-east, the main staple is white rice and black beans while a popular meal is Acarajé – a muffin made with white beans and onion, fried in palm oil and salted, and filled with dried shrimp, red pepper and caruru, which is mashed okra, cashew nuts, smoked shrimp, onion, pepper and garlic.

The south of Brazil is cowboy country, and as such, sun dried meats are very popular. The southeast is the traditional centre of Brazilian cookery and is where many much loved dishes come from, such as Moqueca Capixaba (a tomato and fish stew prepared in a clay pot). Modern outside influences are creeping into cookery here, however, with pizza and sushi becoming favourites.

Religion

As with most of South America, Roman Catholicism is the most popular religion in Brazil, yet Brazil’s ethnic diversity means many other religions are practised too. Brazil has, for example, the largest Buddhist community in South America due to the Japanese Diaspora. Islam is also growing, due to Arab immigrants and conversions.

Economy and money

Brazil’s gross domestic product is the highest of all Latin America, and it has well developed agricultural, mining, service and manufacturing sectors. Brazil exports many different products, too, including coffee, automobiles, iron ore, orange juice, steel, corned beef and electrical equipment. Even with this wealth, however, the Bravilian slums, or favelas, are famous for their size and the poverty of their inhabitants. The currency is the Brazilian real.

Culture and politics

Despite the fact that Brazil’s history is, at least partly, a mixture of colonisation and slavery, the country has struggled to create the federal presidential representative democratic republic it is today, with fifteen political parties sitting in the National Congress. The current President is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Brazilian culture is world famous, with the most well known aspects being Carnival, a celebration held the day before Lent, and the football team, who are the most successful team ever to play in the World Cup. They have won the competition five times and are also the only nation to have participated in every World Cup Finals to date. Brazil’s contributions to the world music scene are extensive, with samba and bossa nova styles originating in the country. Brazilian cinema is also widely enjoyed, recent hits being Central Station and City of God.