Brazil
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Capital Brasilia
Area 8,547,404 sq km (3,300,171 sq miles)
Population 194 million (2009)
Language The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterizing each State. Spanish, English, Italian, French and German are also spoken, particularly in tourist areas.
Time Brazil spans several time zones:
Fernando de Noronha Archipelago GMT ‑2
North East States and East Parà GMT ‑3 (GMT ‑2 from third Sunday in October to third Saturday in March)
Amapa and West Parà GMT ‑4 (GMT ‑3 from third Sunday in October to third Saturday in March)
Acre State GMT ‑5
Electricity Brasília and Recife, 220 volts AC; Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, 127 volts AC or 220 volts in larger hotels. Plugs are of the two‑pin type. Most hotels provide 110‑volt and 220‑volt outlets, transformers and adaptors.
Description
Brazil is South America's biggest and most influential country and takes up almost half the continent. It is one of the world's economic giants and is revered for its football prowess, coffee production and distinctive music such as samba and bossa nova. Two‑thirds of Brazil's population lives near the coast, meaning that life is a beach for locals and tourists alike. People are the essence of the country, and while Brazil is home to a multitude of ethnic groups of varying economic status, there are some characteristics that everyone shares – energy and passion. It is not all reserved for football either. Brazilians enjoy a good party whatever the circumstances. Rio is the hottest of destinations, particularly around Carnival time. Dancers gyrate, the music beats and the summer temperature rises. Almost anything goes. Bodies of all ages, colors and sizes don the very minimum in beachwear and idle away the days on the sun‑kissed Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
Climate
Varies from arid scrub land in the interior to the impassable tropical rain forests of the northerly Amazon jungle and the tropical eastern coastal beaches. The south is more temperate. Rainy seasons occur from January to April in the north, April to July in the northeast and November to March in the Rio/São Paulo area.
Geography
Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent and it is bordered to the north, west and south by all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador; to the east is the Atlantic. The country is topographically quite flat and at no point do the highlands exceed 3,000m/10,000ft. Over 60 % of the country is a plateau, the remainder consists of plains.
Money
Currency
Real (BRL; symbol R$)
Credit Cards
Most major international credit cards are accepted, though not universally. There is an extensive network of ATM's around the country.
Travelers Checks
Traveler's checks are becoming increasingly difficult to cash and visitors will find that they often lose money when doing so. Withdrawing cash directly from ATMs is preferable. Banks will not cash traveler's checks into foreign currency, including US Dollars. Some hotels will accept payment in traveler's checks.
Banking Hours
Mon‑Fri 10AM‑4PM
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