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Brazil’s
language is Portuguese, not Spanish
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Brazil is NOT a
big rain forest. It is a continental country. Brazil has an Equatorial part, a
Tropical one, and a subtropical. That gives room for many different kinds of
weather, geology, cultures and societies.
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There are no
Maias, Incas or Azteks in Brazilian Amazon forest!! Please, no pyramids or the
like in Brazil! That’s terrible!! Brazilian Indians are mostly nomads, brown
skinned, oriental-like faces, no clothes, lots of body painting instead.
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Brazil has five
regions and 26 states, the Federal District (where the capital is) and an island
for territorial possession):
States
- Capital:
Amazônia - Manaus
Acre – Rio Branco
Rondônia – Porto Velho
Roraima – Boa Vista
Amapá - Macapá
Tocantins - Palmas
Rio de Janeiro – Rio de Janeiro
São Paulo – São Paulo
Minas Gerais – Belo Horizonte
Espírito Santo – Vitória
Paraná - Curitiba
Santa Catarina - Florianópolis
Rio Grande do Sul – Porto Alegre
Mato-Grosso – Cuiabá
Mato-Grosso do Sul - Campo Grande
Goiás – Goiânia
Brasília
(not a state; the Federal District; the capital of the Country; it is inside the
state of Goiás)
Maranhão – São Luís
Piauí – Teresina
Rio Grande do Norte - Natal
Ceará - Fortaleza
Paraíba – João Pessoa
Pernambuco - Recife
Alagoas – Maceió
Fernando de Noronha (the island)- Vila dos Remédios
Sergipe - Aracaju
Bahia - Salvador
- Brasília is the capital, not Rio de Janeiro
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Brazil is
multicultural and multiracial. Although black people has an important role it is
not a majority like in an African country.
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The three
ethnic groups that took part in the basis of Brazilian society were: White
Portuguese, Africans and all kinds of native Indians. The other European
countries might have had participations but these were more isolated ones (Dutch
influence in the Northeast [redhaired mulatas? Yes!], German and Italian in the
South, French in Rio de Janeiro), no to mention the orientals that arrived in
the 20th Century. Japanese in São Paulo and lots of Chinese and
Koreans in Rio de Janeiro.
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The most common
kind of “race” is the crossbreed. And the crossbreed of crossbreeds. It easy
to find someone with Indians, German, Jewish, Portuguese and African ancestors.
At the same time.
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São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro are the biggest cities (São Paulo is bigger). They are
metropolis like any other. Polluted, full of people.
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There is one
big urban forest inside Rio de Janeiro – Tijuca Forest. It is artificial
though. The forests were completely destroyed by the 19th century.
Dom Pedro II, the Emperor then, determined a reforestation of part of the city.
So this area was chosen and thousands of trees were planted. Now any one may
visit it. Consider it some kind of “Rain Forest Central Park”. Ah! No one
lives there but the rangers, the Garou, the Nanatü and some drug dealers.
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Brazil is one
of the few countries in which a new major religion was created (it is not a
small sect or cult): Umbanda, a syncretism (mix!) between African Candomblé
(similar to Voodoo but from different tribes), Catholicism and 19th
century French Spiritism (aka Kardecism). Recently Umbanda has included lots of
concepts of Hermetic, Jew and New Age concepts. That has created some divisions
and there are different lines of Umbanda today.
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Brazil is one
of the few countries in which a new martial art was created: Capoeira, a mix(again)
of fighting and dance.
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Globo Networks
(Rede Globo) is the greatest communication company. TV, radio, newspaper, cable,
everything has its touch. SBT is its main concurrent.
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This one is for
Werewolf players. Long before the release of the game we had a company named
Pentex! And guess what it does: It makes paper. And I haven’t seen much
recycling…
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Our houses are
made of brick and cement. The so mentioned devastation is to sell the wood to
Europe and America. Everyone’s guilt, not only ours.
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When one talks
about old art and centuries past architecture, one is talking about Baroque.
Buildings and statues mainly.
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Brazil’s
principal historical periods are:
Colony (1500-1822);
Empire (1822-1889);
Republic(1889- )