| When you consider choosing the destination of your | | | | traditions, as you will see if you travel to Brazil. The |
| next holiday, you want them all. You want a place | | | | main influence comes from the Portuguese culture, as |
| where you can have fun and relax, but you also want | | | | for many years it has been part of the Portuguese |
| a place that gives you the opportunity to learn about | | | | Empire. The results of Portuguese influence are the |
| other cultures and meet interesting people. Is there a | | | | language spoken in Brazil (Portuguese), the |
| place where you can have all of them? The good | | | | Romanic-German legal system and architectural styles. |
| news is that such a place exists. It is a place with an | | | | European and Asian immigrants have brought their |
| important historical past where vestiges of past | | | | own contributions to Brazilian culture; so did the African |
| civilizations are still visible. It is a place where people | | | | slaves brought to Brazil. All these influences mixed with |
| know how to truly enjoy life and entertain themselves. | | | | the early native South American culture, creating a |
| We are talking about Brazil, the fifth largest country in | | | | unique multicultural and multiethnic society. |
| the world and the fifth most densely inhabited. | | | | The European influence (mainly Italian and German) is |
| Colonized by Portugal in 1500, Brazil managed to regain | | | | visible in the South and Southeast of Brazil; Amerindian |
| its independence in 1822. Today, it is one of the most | | | | influence is perceptible in the traditional cuisine and the |
| powerful countries, ranging among the ten largest | | | | African influence is observable in Brazil's music, dance |
| economies in the world in terms of purchasing power | | | | and religion. Perhaps Rio is the best proof of Brazil's |
| and market exchange rates. It is also a very popular | | | | diverse culture, so when you travel to Rio de Janeiro, |
| destination for the tourists so, if you have not visited | | | | go prepared to meet a society formed of Portuguese |
| Brazil yet, we recommend you to travel to Brazil for | | | | and African descendants, Amerindians, Germans, |
| your next holiday. Most tourists who visit Brazil decide | | | | Italians, Spaniards, Arabs, Jews, Japanese and other |
| to travel to Rio de Janeiro, the former capital of Brazil, | | | | ethnic groups, living together in a multicultural |
| a fascinating and exotic town. | | | | environment. |
| People who travel to Brazil for the first time grow | | | | Probably the best time to travel to Rio de Janeiro is |
| amazed with its beautiful and diverse landscape, which | | | | during the annual celebration of the Carnival, held 40 |
| includes hills, mountains, savannas, rainforests and a | | | | days before Easter, to mark the beginning of Lent. If |
| long coastline. The Amazon rainforest covers most of | | | | you are a fan of samba, you will love the famous |
| the North of Brazil. To the East, along the Atlantic | | | | "Escolas de samba" (Samba schools) parades. The |
| coasts, there are several mountains. Here, in Brazil, you | | | | carnival is an explosion of fun and extravaganza and |
| will find one of the most famous rivers: Amazon, the | | | | you will leave with unforgettable memories. |
| largest river when it comes to volume of water and | | | | If you are a big fan of sports, you must travel to Brazil, |
| the second longest in the world. If you travel to Rio de | | | | just to see the country the national football team of |
| Janeiro, you will find there the two largest forests in | | | | which has won the World cup five times, the last time |
| the world inside an urban area: Parque Estadual da | | | | in 2002. Brazil holds many attractions for the curious |
| Pedra Blanca (White Stone State Park) and Floresta | | | | and fun-loving tourists. Do not miss the chance to |
| da Tijuca (Tijuca forest). | | | | discover them. People from all over the world come |
| Brazilian culture is under the impact of a variety of | | | | here to have the fun of their lifetime. |