Olivia+Sanders




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Introduction

Brazil is the largest country in South America, sprawling across half of the country. It is a popular tourist destination, with its white sand beaches, palm trees, a deep blue Atlantic Ocean. There are the tropical coastlines, then the inland colonial towns and finally the spectacular festivals. The most famous attractions are the Amazon Rainforest and the Pant anal. The wildlife abounds as does the adventure opportunities.

Map Brazil covers a very large area along the eastern coast of South America and includes a large section inland. It shares land borders with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and lastly the French overseas department of French Guiana. It shares a border with every country in South America except for Ecuador and Chile.

Population The population now is 194,946,470. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population. Flag On November the 15th, 1889 – the current flag of Brazil was officially adopted. The background of the flag is green, showing us of Brazil's amazing rainforests. Its primary symbol is a large yellow diamond, Reminding us of Brazil's wealth

=**in gold, and in the centre is a blue celestial globe. The bottom of the globe includes 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil.**= The globe displays a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO translation = (Order and Progress.)

Coat of Arms The coat of arms of Brazil was created in November 19, 1889; four days after Brazil became a republic. The coat of arms consists of the central emblem surrounded by coffee branches (on the left) and tobacco branches (on the right), which were important crops in Brazil at that time. In the blue circle in the center, the Southern Cross (also known as Cruzeiro do Sul) can be seen. The ring of 27 stars around it represents Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District. The blue ribbon contains the official name of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil – Federative Republic of Brazil) in its first line. In the second line, there is the date when the federative republic was established (November 15, 1889).

Language In Brazil they speak Portuguese. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in the world.

Religion In Brazil today, there is quite a wide variety of religions available to its people. It might even be said that Brazil is multi-religious! Most of the population answers as Roman Catholic, but there is a wide scattering of other religions such as Lutheran, Baptist etc present. Currency The money currency in Brazil is called the Real. In its past history, Brazil had lots of different currencies due to changes in the economy. However, the name of the money was adopte d in 1994. In the Brazilian currency there are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 bills. Nearly all the bills have pictures of animals on one side and then a feminine character from Brazil on the other side. Coins are available in values of 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents and 1 Real. The coins vary in size and colour.

Climate As Brazil covers such a wide area of land, the climate is varied. From the high rainfall of the rainforests to the dry areas of desert, these different climatic conditions help to produce the different environments that tourists like to visit. Wildlife Nature loving tourists choose to visit Braz il for its diverse flora and fauna. Lots of varied species in different environments that can only be seen in this country.

Food Each country has its staple diet and Brazil is no different. Food in Brazil revolves around three key things: 1) arroz which is white rice, 2) feijao which are black beans, and 3) farinha which is like flour. It is very hard to try and avoid eating these although they do come in different shapes and sizes. These are usually eaten with either red meat, chicken or fish.  Breakfast, known as //café// is usually eaten between 6 and 8.30 a.m. The breakfast food at a typical hotel will include coffee, juice, bread, cheese, cereal, eggs and fruit. Lunch is the main meal of the day and is usually eaten between 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. Dinner (//jantar//) is very much like lunch and can take place anytime from 7 p.m. onwards. If you are visiting any of the big cities in Brazil, like Rio or Sao Paulo, you will notice most people don’t bother with dinner until 10 p.m.  Why not try this if you have time?  Feijoada: Brazil’s national dish. A meat stew with rice and a bowl of beans. //My mate Santos is the head potwasher at my restaurant, Fifteen. He’s a Brazilian boy who’s a great cook, and whose mother makes the best Feijoada in Brazil! It’s a traditional Brazilian stew made with pork and black beans. The slaves in colonial Brazil created the Feijoada when they started cooking the pork meats that farmland owners discarded, such as ear, tails and feet, in a big pot with the black beans. **FROM JAIME OLIVER (2011: Lifestyle Food)** //

//Ingredients //

 * //1 lb black bean dried - not from a tin //
 * //1 lb salted pork ribs //
 * //1 lb salted Bacon //
 * //8 tablespoons Olive Oil //
 * //2 Onions peeled and finely chopped //
 * //6 Cloves Garlic finely chopped //
 * //2 large smoked Sausages cut into big chunks [[image:onecitymanycultures56a/Food_16.jpg width="282" height="206" align="right"]] //
 * //1 lb smoked pork ribs, cut into chunks //
 * //1 lb smoked Bacon cut into chunks //
 * //1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper //
 * //5 Bay leaves //

//Method //
Clothing Clothing in Brazil shows status and wealth. In the large cities people prefer the modern Western clothing we enjoy. Traditional Brazilian clothing has been influenced by different ethnic groups and its variety can be seen out in the countryside. Men's clothing includes shirts, jeans and dresses made from inexpensive cotton. In Rio Grande do Sul, the southern region of Brazil, the cowboys (gauchos) wear a distinctive dress: baggy trousers called bombachas, ponchos, wide straw hats and boots. The cowherds (vaqueiros) in the Northeast region wear a coat, hat and leather chaps. In the Amazon, the native Amerindians wear traditional tunics and paint their faces. They make use of beads and feathers to decorate their bodies. They are known for their distinctive hairstyles and body painting. For the women, in Bahia, many women prefer traditional African clothing that includes a bright colourful shawl, a long full skirt and a turban-like head scarf. They are fond of colourful, beaded necklaces and bracelets. Their clothes are comfortable, colourful and have beautiful crafting and attractive accessories.
 * 1) //Soak the beans in cold water overnight, making sure they are completely covered. Also soak the salted ribs and bacon in cold water overnight. //
 * 2) //Drain the beans and put them into a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then simmer for 30 minutes until tender. //
 * 3) //<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Rinse the soaked salted ribs and bacon well, add to the beans and cook for 30 minutes over a medium heat. Heat a very large saucepan and pour in the olive oil so it covers the bottom. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add the sausages, smoked ribs and bacon, pepper and bay leaves. Pour in the cooked beans and meat and top up with water. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the meat falls off the bone. //
 * 4) //<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Serve the Feijoada with boiled white rice, slices of orange, and very finely sliced spring greens fried in olive oil with finely chopped onion and garlic. //

Festivals Brazil’s festivals are a way of expressing the Brazilian culture. They have an exciting Brazilian calendar of events, such as: The Brazil Carnival Christmas of Lights Easter in Brazil New Year’s Eve Sommerfast Blumenau

Sport The Brazil Sports have become a culture rather than just a sports event. The most popular sport of Brazil is Football - that is in the blood of the people of Brazil. Brazil has lots of sport to chose from like:
 * Foot volley
 * Tennis [[image:onecitymanycultures56a/beach-footvolley.jpg width="338" height="270" align="right"]]
 * Basketball
 * Car racing
 * Volleyball

Medicines On June the 1st 2009, they identified 71 different herbal medicines that come from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil alone. Many more plants value are waiting to be uncovered, some of the cures to many leading diseases could be found here.

Brazil in Brisbane There are lots of things you can do in Brisbane that are from Brazil. Lucky you don’t have to spend lots of money just to do these unforgettable things. These things include: festivals, sporting events, dancing, restaurants, performing arts and music. The Brazilian Film Festival is shown in Brisbane each year. This year it presented 10 Brazilian films which show all aspects of Brazilian culture. In July each year the Brazilian Latin Cultural Event occurs. This shows off their food, music, art and dress. There is also the Annual International Brisbane Salsa and Brazilian Dance Congress each year. It has Salsa competitions and you can learn these dances. In Brisbane there is an entertainment venue called Brazilian Touch. It holds the Brazilian Touch Dance Show, cabarets, Salsa nights and other events. There is also Latin Dance Brisbane which teaches people Salsa, Zouk, Latino, Bachata and Brazilian Samba dances. The Brazilian Soccer School brings together music, dance, rhythm and fun. These are the ingredients needed to become better at soccer. Whether you are from Australia or Brazil, you can experience Brazil in Brisbane.

Conclusion Brazil is an exciting place to visit from nature to festivals to sport to people – the list could go on. The only danger of visiting there is that you might never want to leave. But if you can’t afford to go, there is lots to do in Brisbane experiencing Brazil.