Overview

For hundreds of years, Brazil has symbolised the great escape into a primordial, tropical paradise, igniting the Western imagination like no other South American country. From the mad passion of Carnaval to the immensity of the dark Amazon, it is a country of mythic proportions.

Perhaps it's not quite the Eden of popular imagination, but it's still a land of staggering beauty. There are stretches of unexplored rainforest, islands with pristine tropical beaches, and endless rivers. And there are the people themselves, who delight the visitor with their energy and joy.

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’s 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, colours and sizes don the very minimum in beachwear and idle away the days on the sun-kissed Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Volleyball, swimming and people-watching are but a few of the activities in which you can indulge.

Brazil’s landscape is as diverse as the people who inhabit it. A rich colonial history exists, and the town of Parati is an exquisite example of eighteenth-century Portuguese architecture. The jungles and rivers of the Amazon, home to lush vegetation and exotic wildlife, incite notions of exploration amongst the intrepid, while the thundering Iguacu Falls are simply a spectacular wonder. Brazil’s massive assortment of people and places renders it ripe for choice.

Brazil:

• ranks as the world’s thirteenth largest economy
• has the world’s fifth largest population
• is one of the four largest economies of the developing world
• is the world’s largest producer of coffee, oranges and sugar-cane
• has the largest and most diversified industrial park in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• is home to the largest forest based industry in Latin America;
• is one of the largest producers and exporters of rough and processed ore;
• has large reserves of iron ore, bauxite, manganese, tin and gold;
• offers an excellent railway and waterway system, alongside a vast coastline, with several harbors;
• is among the world’s top producers of foodstuffs;
• has one of the most modern telecommunications systems;
• has one of the most modern and cutting-edge bank systems in the world;
• has a modern and competitive textile industry, with 30 thousand companies that trade US$ 21 billion per year;
• has 22% of the world’s arable land;
• offers excellent tourism infrastructure;
• is the world’s first producer of commercial jets;
• is the third largest producer of shoes in the world, with a highly competitive leather industry;
• is third among the producers of soda drinks;
• is the fourth largest producer of commercial aircrafts in the world;
• has the fifth largest rubber industry;
• is the sixth largest market for cosmetics, with US$ 9 billion of sales per year;
• has the seventh largest chemical industry;
• is the eighth largest producer of steel in the world (27 million tons per year);
• is the tenth largest producer of automobiles (1.8 million vehicles per year);
• has the tenth largest paper and cellulose industry