Brazil

General Information:

 

Brazil is the largest and most influential country in South America and stretches over almost half of the continent. It is an economical superpower and a great contributor to world culture through its distinctive music, the fanaticism in which it practices football and its coffee.

 

Capital: Brasilia.

 

Borders:

• North – French Guinea, Surinam, Guinea, Venezuela and Columbia.
• South – Argentina and Uruguay.
• East – The Atlantic Ocean.
• West – Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay.

 

Land: 8,511,965 Square Kilometres.

 

Population: Approx. 190 Million.

 

Currency: Real, 1$=2.28[Real], 1Euro=2.91[Real].

 

Language: Portuguese.

 

 

Useful Information:

 

Weather: Equatorial around the Amazonas bank, with little or no temperature difference over the seasons and heavy rains. The plateau has a bigger shift in temperatures with rains mostly falling between October and April. The north-east is the driest land in Brazil. South Brazil has a hot summer and cold winter with frequent snows. Since Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. Thus the best touring season is the winter (summer in the southern hemisphere). 

 

Visa: A Visa is required of most foreign citizens, with the exception of EU members (barring a few exceptions), British citizens and Israeli citizens. US citizen do require a visa. It is advisable to check whether or not a visa is required of you.

 

Health: A number of vaccinations are recommended when travelling to Brazil and South America in general: Meningococcal Meningitis, Yellow fever, Hepatitis A and B, Human Immunoglobulin G, Typhoid fever and Influenza.  

 

Dialling Code: example: +55.

 

Electrical Plugs: Brazil uses both European 250V and American 120V, both with a 60Hz frequency. It is advisable to bring both a Type C Euro-plug adaptor and a Type B American adaptor. Note that there are seldom any markings on the sockets to identify the voltage, so always inquire as to the type of output before plugging in your devices.

 

Time Zone: GMT-8 (Brasilia).

 

 

Main Destinations:

 

Brasilia - The capital of Brazil, and an architectural marvel. There are many beautiful buildings and monuments in Brasilia, such as a church designed like a basket and the Arches palace.

 

Florianopolis – A major city in Brazil and situated on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is filled with lakes, lagoons and more than 40 clean, beautiful beaches.

 

Rio de Janeiro – The most famous city in Brazil and one of the largest and most heavily populated cities in the world is a beautiful destination on the shores of the Atlantic and has many attractions the likes of the Maracana stadium, Jesus on top of Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountain. It also hosts the famous Carnaval.   

 

Sao Paulo - Brazil's largest, richest and most cosmopolitan city and the fusion spot for many world cultures, Sao Paulo is full of quaint restaurants, art galleries and monuments.

 

Iguazu Falls – situated at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, these are the largest waterfalls in the world and offer a breathtaking view.

 

Pantanal - The world's largest wetland hosts lots of eco-tourism and vast biodiversity, including caiman, jaguar, anaconda, giant anteater, primates, giant otter, and piranha.