by Daniela Paz Pescio

Who hasn’t heard something about Brazil? The country five-times champion in the World Cup is also known for its most popular kind of music, Samba, and for the big party that happens once a year, Carnival. But it is not just entertainment that makes a country, especially if we are talking about a country with 504 years of history and having the biggest area in South America.

Being Brazilian, it is a pleasure for me to have been invited to write about Brazil for THE ROCK eNewsmagazine’s exciting new World Travel section. Therefore, I will try to provide some information about the history, culture, curiosities and also some traveling tips. So, take some time to navigate overseas throughout this article… I hope you will enjoy it!

History
In 1503, the expedition of an Italian discoverer, Americo Vespucio, passed by Abrolhos, an archipelago with 5 islands of volcanic origem 70 km from Brazilian northeastern coast. He wrote in his navigational chart: "when you get close to this land, open your eyes". Open your eyes means abra seus olhos in Portuguese, which later turned into "abrolhos". He meant to look at the natural beauty he found there. Since 1983, it has been a National Park which is one of the thirty-five existent national parks in Brazil.

It is no wonder that when the first explorers reached Brazil, they thought it was a paradise. They found friendly, beautiful natives, and an abundance of fruit and fertile soil. In 1500, a fleet of Portuguese ships, commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral, took over the "New Land" making it a colony of Portugal. Later on, in 1808, the entire Royal Portuguese Court of 15,000 people fled to Brazil aboard a fleet of ships. Led by King Joao VI, Brazil was no longer a distant colony, but the center of the Portuguese empire.

The Portuguese first named the country Terra de Santa Cruz (Land of the True Cross), then Santa Cruz and finally, Brasil (because of the tree "pau-brasil" commonly found there and frequently shipped to Portugal).

By the seventeenth century, Brazil was Europe’s leading sugar supplier. To meet the need for labor, slave ships brought Africans in ever increasing numbers. Brazil imported six times more Africans than the United States. Originally intended for sugar plantations, they ended up wherever there was economic activity. There were expeditions happening inside the country to areas where gold and diamonds were found. Indians were also enslaved to meet the labor demand of mining. Peaceful co-existence found in the beginning was over. They were subjected to inhuman conditions. In the gold region of Minas Gerais, they built the baroque churches that still stand today.

Before abolition, it was common for groups of runaway slaves to set up free territories. Known as "quilombos", they took root all over Brazil. Their direct descendants can still be found in remote villages today. The most famous and longest surviving quilombo was the Republic of Palmares (1630 - 1695) with up to 30.000 people in dozens of villages scattered over an area of 17.000 square miles in what is now the state of Alagoas. Even Indians and poor whites came to join the runaway slaves. But in 1695, after several expeditions, Palmares was overrun. Even after the most famous quilombo was destroyed, slaves continued to escape. In 1741 the King of Portugal ordered all runaways to be branded with the letter F for Fujao (runaway).

On September 7 of 1822, Brazil became independent. Dom Pedro I, prince of Brazil, became emperor and the monarchy lasted another 67 years. Brazil was modernizing, but slavery continued.

The abolition finally happened in 1888, and Brazil became a Federal Republic in November of 1889. Brazil participated in the Second World War, along with its Allies, and had a military regime for eleven years (1964 to 1985 was a return to a democracy). The first president was Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca. The current president, in office since last year, is Luiz Inacio da Silva (Lula).

In the early 1900s, coffee and rubber played a very important role for the economy. Supplying rubber for the West’s vehicles was not Brazil’s only contribution to advancing technology. Competing with the Wright brothers, Alberto Santos Dumont made the first registered flight in a heavier-than-air machine in Paris in 1906. He also invented the wristwatch to keep his hands free for flying. Years later, grieved by the use of his invention for making war, he committed suicide.

Exports of coffee and other agricultural products still dominated the Brazilian economy in the first few decades of the twentieth century. Coffee wealth had stimulated industry and thousands of factories were opening attracting a flood of immigrants. Millions of people arrived in Brazil, principally Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Germans and Japanese. The immigration has never stopped. People from all over the world settled in Brazil. Today, even if there is a huge mixture everywhere in the country, you can identify "concentrations of each nationality".

Most of the population live in towns and cities, but small groups of isolated Indians still wander in the Amazon rainforest. The Indians now number about 0.2 per cent of the total Brazilian population, which is about 345.000 people.

Religion
There are many kinds of religions in Brazil, but Catholicism seems to be predominant. All over the country there are Catholic landmarks, such as churches and statues. The most famous landmark is the statue of Christ looking down over the city of Rio de Janeiro from Corcovado Mountain with his arms outstretched; it is beautiful!

The African slaves' influences are still visible today in Brazil. Especially in Bahia, which has Brazil’s largest Black population; African religions can be seen throughout the city.

Architecture
Twenty-six states plus a Federal District are separated in 5 regions. In the architecture, past, present and future are all to be found within a few hours of each other. Each city has its own characteristic, which, in one way or another, always reveals the history. The city of today is Sao Paulo, incessantly tearing down the past and buildings yet more sophisticated skycrapers, road tunnels and shopping malls. At night the city’s cosmopolitan heart pulsates with a hundred different rhythms from tango to techno. Sao Paulo is also the locomotive that drives Brazil, accounting for half of its economic output. The capital, Brasilia, impressively planned, was built in three years (1957 - 1960) and is where the President resides, in the Palace of Alvorada.

Sports
Every sort of sport is practiced in Brazil and there are famous athletics in every one. But, as is known worldwide, soccer is a national passion. During the military regime, giant stadiums were built in many cities, such as Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. I always tell foreigners that it is a unique experience for them to visit Brazil during the World Cup. Motor racing (formula one) has come somewhere near the popularity of soccer, but interest has waned since Ayrton Senna’s tragic death on the Imola track in 1994. However, the events are always crowded and Sao Paulo has a big "autodromo."

Culture
The Brazilian culture is very rich. The music is much more than Samba. It is entertainment and an important form of communication, which gives a huge diversity of rhythms and dances as well. The same happens with the Brazilian literature. It starts in 1500, called "Colonial Literature". The Brazilian history and international facts have a huge impact in its literature. Arts and much more are also expressed. Therefore, it is separated in some groups, according to each "era". The Brazilian literature holds lots of acknowledged writers and theirs classics.

The media is very powerful. Most people get their news, opinions, ideas and prejudices from commercial television and radio. Internationally, one of Brazil’s commercial channels, TV Globo, ranks fourth amongst the world’s television networks. TV Globo has sold its well-done soap operas around the world. As I read in a book, the soap operas are fast-moving, often humorous, sometimes satirical, but always sexy…I agree with that.

Brazilian people are happy, so Carnival means happiness and nothing else. Brazilians forget about their problems and have fun. There are many different ways to cair na gandaia (slang for to have fun). Although, the most internationally famous way is the parades in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where groups of big samba schools compete among themselves. It is summertime when Carnival happens, and Samba, Axe and much more are seen everywhere. It is a time when there seems to be no difference in social classes because everyone is doing the same, having fun. Behind the four-day parade lie months... of rehearsals and an extraordinary amount of research into each school’s theme, often used to satirize historical or current events. For some, Carnival is an entire week break!

Talking about good things in life, Brazilian cuisine is rich, varied and tasty. Brazil is a major supplier of food to the world and Sao Paulo is the world capital of gastronomy. The most famous dishes are Feijoada and Churrasco. The most famous drinks are Cafezinho ("little coffee") and Caipirinha. It is worthwhile to try everything!

There is a lot of excitement and intrigue to Brazil. Brazil is a blessed country. There are no volcanoes, hurricanes or earthquakes there. There are gorgeous landscapes, beaches, forests, mountains, rivers and much more that make you feel like you are in paradise, when you are there. Some say that the most precious patrimony of Brazil is its people. Hard work, creative and hospitable people that are always smiling and being generous even in difficult times.

Brazil is also a land of baffling paradoxes. It is a major world food producer, but millions of its own people go hungry. Few other countries are as close to being an earthly paradise, yet for millions of Brazilians, life in the land of plenty means a struggle for survival. The explanation for this injustice lies in Brazil’s history. After abolition, equality didn’t take slavery’s place, but an unofficial system of first-and-second class citizenship. Many parts of Brazil are as modern as anywhere in the industrialized world, but life for many Brazilians is still rooted in the past. In other words, Brazil has become an economic power with enormous potential, but it needs a change in its system (which is not easy), so that its social development can catch up with its economic development.

Tourism
Before going to Brazil, tourists have a problem in deciding where to visit. From Oiapoque to Chui, two extreme geographical points of Brazil, there are many places to enjoy relaxing, having fun, and interacting with the local culture. International resort and hotel chains are located in most of the cities. Other options also exist there, such as lots of "bed and breakfast" (called pousadas), from the simple ones to the fancy others that look like small resorts.

What to do is never a problem. Travel agencies and even the hotels, resorts and pousadas offer lots of things to do. Besides, Brazilians are very interested in helping tourists and showing the places. By the way, it is not difficult at all for a foreign person to travel inside of Brazil, especially for English natives’ language. Nowadays, a great number of Brazilians speak English as a second language, especially in the big cities, and English words can be frequently found everywhere. The colors of the flag, green, yellow, blue and white are spread all over the country. You can have different experiences throughout the country. A variety of landscapes, habits, nationalities, dialogues, foods, music, smells, colors, etc make Brazil a great place to live or just to visit. I am looking forward to seeing you around Brazil!!

http://www.abrolhos.com.br
http://www.brasil-web.de/brasil/historia_po.htm
http://www.conhecimentosgerais.com.br/historia-do-brasil
http://www.coladaweb.hpg.ig.com.br/geografia/indios_brasil.htm

ROCHA, Jan. Brazil in Focus: A guide to the People, Politcs and Culture. New York, 2000

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