Long ago there was a syndicated TV show which began with this banner:

"YOU'LL NEVER FIND A COUNTRY LIKE THIS".

Indeed you won't. That is why Brazil is so badly understood by those who never visited it. Brazilian people reads everyday bad news spread all over the world about its country and they don't bother. "There is no country in the world to live this good" - they say.

A 500 YEARS COUNTRY

Imagine an old big country, so huge that no one can invade. You have few examples like USA, China, Russia and Australia. All of them were born by conquests, acquisitions, wars or merges. Not here. Brazil is the only big country that ever was Brazil, even before its discovery (search Tordesillas Treaty).

Brazil has no dialects. Every citizen speaks the same brazilian portuguese spread by many big private TV and Radio networks. This communication chain stands about the so-called "jeitinho brasileiro". It tells about the easy way we find to do things. And it works.

Brazil was discovered in 1500 and maintained by the portuguese kingdom during its first four centuries, when it was not allowed to commerce, manufacture and do many other economic activities. Otherwise, the crown by itself, spoiled almost every gold and rare woods found in this land to satisfy their richness needs.

After Independence (1822), citizens slowly began to organize and produce (mainly agriculture) with the help of african slaves and indian workers. Kind of difficult for these didn't have the necessary skills to do any good job.

In the second half of 19th century, many immigrants began to come here, eager to work "in a land where everything you plant will grow up". Italians, Arabs, Jews, Germans, Poles, Japanese ... from everywhere, so that today, Brazil is the biggest italian or japanese country abroad.

A 100 YEARS COUNTRY

Modern Brazil began with the arrive of the immigrants, who, with their skills added to the former portuguese culture could build a multicultured country with no clusters, ghettos or discrimination. Impossible (prohibited) marriages in any other country is ubiquitous and it seems, everyone contributed with the best of its culture.

Yes, Brazil is a new country, you will find it from the moment you arrive at the airport. Few heroes, untold history, little war ... A young country where everything smells of youth. Modern buildings, unfinished chanty towns, untouched lands, paradisiac beaches ... Lots of. A land where everything abounds.

BRAZIL BY NUMBERS

No numbers can describe its hugeness, but a few examples are sufficient to explain what you will find here:

• Big cities have big (from 13 stories) and modern buildings spread all around. A gorgeous landscape for any town. Elevator industry is second in the world. São Paulo has as many helicopters as New York
• Traffic is massive everywhere. Car industry is bigger than italian and it is passing french and german very soon. Highways are filled with buses and trucks of any brand in the world (100% made here). A fleet as big as in USA
• Huge newspapers with peak 500 pages of content and many TV networks, allowing brazilian tough journalism to be one of the most complete news network in the world. We have also satellite and cable TV in the whole country. 89% of the houses have Color TV
• Lots of hydroelectric power and sugar cane alcohol burned in modern cars, freed the country of any expensive oil dependence. Safe and ecological. We are also 85% oil sufficient
• This country has been growing for a long time at a 5% average rate, physical. Landscapes change fast. Ten years ago, new born Tocantins state had nothing in its land. Now there are two cities with a million people in very well planned towns
• Cattle of any kind has been a major brazilian product from its beginning, so that Brazil tops the list in many categories
• We are the second country in Viagra consumption
• Obligatory elections are 99% computerized. Numbers close after a mere 6 hours for the whole country (99 million votes).
• Grain (soy, corn, rice etc) production exceeds 100 million tons a year and so another 100 for additional agricultural products

PEOPLE

Brazilian people has no race, no face, no color, no suit, no surname, no specification. In this world, you can't detect a brazilian by any characteristic. Brazilians are of any kind, indeed.

Brazilians are:

• blondes, blacks, brunnettes, in Brazil you can find that even the japanese are not the same (maybe they have a german surname, an italian second passport, and a nickname for sure)
• the only color that distinguishes real brazilians from strangers is a natural (read bold) sun-tan
• from any heritage, they have in common a well modeled body, famous abroad, maybe due to a healthy food based on rice and beans, fruits and vegies, italian pasta, lots of meat and plenty of good water. Obesity or hunger is very low
• Women use little or no make-up (pure and natural), move easily (barely nude on beaches or backlight ads). Dresses are colorful, soft and light (and cheap)
• Everyone is light and easy in every meaning. Smiling always. Quick and talkable. Above the good and the bad. One handshake - one good friend. Totally anti-agressive (hate it). Friendly gathered, in bank rows, in big shows, in street corners, in huge football stadiums. They like to chat and feel no loneliness
• festive everywhere every time. Festivities are huge. Nice(FR) or Venice(I) carnivals are smaller than 300th carnival we have (yes we have 300 bigger carnivals). In New Year Eve, fireworks explode by thousands of beaches on the whole coast. Any football game is a fully colored 100.000 human wave of shouts, bands and fireworks. Little rock shows have a 1.000 people and big exceed 250.000
• flag and anthem lovers. Anywhere in the world, when you see a brazilian, he is certainly carrying a big green and yellow flag, singing bravely its anthem. Not an obligation, just natural
• reknowned mostly as footballers. Brazilians have won the majority of World Team sports championships of any kind: volleyball, basketball and ... no one beats a brazilian in car-racing, skating, surf, rallyes etc. This makes Brazil a weak Olympics contender (1 team - 1 medal) and no one cares about it. Sporting is a very natural hobby with no obligations and no government funds

CLIMATE

Just good weather all the year round, everywhere. Some resorts have weather insurance for tourists (bad weather - no pay). Weather changes by surprise althrough the day in every place so that even good weather-repporting doesn't mean anything

LANDSCAPE

Seen from a plane, green is really deep all over, from street groves till neverend forests. There is no country to compare with. Flowers and fruits everywhere, of any kind in any season (3 blossoms a year). There are three main landscapes: big cities, untouched greenlands and cities in construction (many are always growing). Only 30% of the available growing lands are in use (not a few)

FOOD

Every kind from everywhere. Brazilians have become natural gourmets due to vast and easy food availability. Enormous supermarket chains, fairs everywhere and big malls, spread all over the country, lead to a healthy consume of foods ranging from japanese to ubiquitous italian. The typical brazilian restaurant of these days is the "por kilo" (weighted food - R$10/kg) or "rodizio" (eat all the meat you can - R$12/person), mainly for lunch, where you can find any kind of food (meat, seafood, vegies, fruit etc. always accompanied by rice and beans, beef and french fries). São Paulo claims (no doubt) to be the biggest gourmet city in the world. Most important brazilian plates:

• Feijoada: White rice with black beans flavored with salted pork, lots of pepper, sausage and steak. Served with oranges, stripped cabbage, tapioca and caipirinha (see below). A must on Wednesdays and Saturdays
• Churrasco: Barbecue with lots of first quality meat and italian sausage, served with vinagrette, maionaise and beer. Typically colective on Sundays
• Bobó de Camarão: A seafood mix based mostly on shrimps, with tapioca, dendé oil and potatoes. served with rice. Familiar on Sundays
• Caipirinha: Press one sliced green lemon with cane sugar in a standard glass. Then fill it with ice and cachaça (sugar-cane rye). Mix lightly.

BY NIGHT

There is no other country that sleeps so late. Heavy midnight traffic. São Paulo (the whole city) never sleeps. Beaches (8.000 km) are filled with little bars, and smaller cities also carry through the night easily, with loud samba or forró(NW) rhythm

MUSIC

Reknown all over the world, brazilian music is a multicultural mix of african, italian and latin music, with a jazzy touch added. Sometimes light (bossa nova), sometimes strong and heavy (carnival)

POLICE AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Not so bad, but no one counts on them. No maffia or terrorism survives here because police is very efficient in this case. That's why Brazilians live in total freedom anywhere everytime, eventhough knowing about some local dangerousness. Little worry.

GOVERNMENT

Presidentialism forces the president to be a saviour, eventhough representatives and justice never allow him to be that one. Results prove democracy is a tough road. States instead, live by their own governors (good or bad)

OTHER

• Lineage mixing is ubiquitous. Rich and poor, black and white, Palmeiras and Flamengo live side-by-side, chatting freely. Wealth is not a national preference (joy is)
• Brazilians don't read manuals. They're really creative in every job, and hardworkers. Science is being well administrated now and it shows due to efficiency growth
• Producers have no subsidy, no help. Philantropy is little. People live mostly by themselves
• Mineral and Natural resources are so plenty in this country that doesn't compare to any other. This is the only "secret" that brazilian people stores so tough. Maybe it is the main reason that drives people to dedicate their time to their own and their overextended culture.