Looking to boost your knowledge of this colourful South American country and improved your chances of being crowned the next pub quiz champion? Take a look at these 25 fun facts about Brazil…
1. Brazil has lots going on!
Brazil is a vast, biodiverse and wildlife-rich country in South America.
It is bordered by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana to the north, Uruguay to the south, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru to the west and Colombia to the northwest. It also has a coastline along the South Atlantic Ocean to the east.
2. Want to find Brazil with a compass?
If you’re looking for sun, sand and rainforest, head for Brazil! If you’re making your own way there you’ll need the coordinates 15.7833° S, 47.8667° W.
3. Brazil’s landscape is surprisingly diverse.
The terrain here is mostly flat-to-rolling lowlands, with a few plains, hills and mountains – wonderful!
4. Brazil is impressively large.
The total land area of Brazil is 3,300,169 square miles (8,547,403 square kilometres) – that’s almost as large as the USA. That also makes it the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world!
5. Brazil is home to millions, but is still less dense than the US.
Brazil’s population was 215.3 million in 2022 – that’s less than 2/3 of the USA population!
6. Is Rio the capital of Brazil?
Contrary to what you might think, the capital is Brasília, not Rio de Janeiro; it covers an area of 2,240 square miles (5,802 square kilometres) and had a population of 4,155,000 in 2015.
7. The capital has an interesting shape.
It is said that Brasília looks like an aeroplane from above!
8. Brazil is pretty sweltering.
Brazilians enjoy a tropical climate in the west, north and east, with the south experiencing a temperate climate.
9. Brazil’s biggest asset is its waterway.
This vibrant country is home to the Amazon river, the world’s largest river by volume of water flow and in places, up to 30 miles wide!
10. Flying in and out of Brazil? There’s plenty of choice.
Brazil features 4,093 airports, second to the USA which has a staggering 13,513!
11. Brazil is home to a famous, colossal statue.
Rio de Janeiro is home to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, the largest art deco statue in the world! Did you know you can get up close to the beautiful statue by taking a trip on the cable car?
12. Rio is the world’s carnival capital.
Rio carnival, held each year in Rio de Janeiro, is considered to be the largest carnival in the world!
13. Brazil is amazingly biodiverse.
Apparently, Brazil has a total of 4 million plant and animal species, including monkeys, deer, anteaters, armadillos, anacondas, jaguars and pumas!
14. Much of the rainforest was once used to help produce car rubber.
In 1928, Henry Ford created an industrial town in the Amazon rainforest called Fordlândia (Portuguese for Ford-Land), for the harvesting of rubber to use on his Ford motor vehicles!
15. There’s a towering UNESCO site here.
Sugarloaf Mountain is a granite and quartz monolith and one of the most famous landmarks in the world. You’ll find it in Rio de Janeiro, rising to an impressive 396 metres from sea level. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012.
16. Brazil’s language is unique to the continent.
Despite its location, the official language of Brazil is Portuguese, and is the only country in South America to speak this language.
17. Get those pennies changed up!
If you fancy sampling some of the authentic coffee you’ll need to change your holiday money into Brazilian Real, the official currency here.
18. Almost golden!
In Brazil the most common surname is Silva.
19. Brazil’s life expectancy is impressive.
Brazilians live for an average of 72.75 years (2021).
20. Brazil has a forward-thinking motto.
Brazil’s motto is ‘Order and Progress’, or ‘Ordem e Progresso’ in Portuguese.
21. It’s pretty easy to call Brazil.
Want to call your friends or family in Brazil? You’ll need to use the international dialling code, +55.
22. Brazil has a varied industry.
Brazil grows coffee, wheat, rice and soybeans; they also rear cattle. Its industry consists of shoes, textiles, chemicals, lumber, cement and iron ore.
23. Lots of our best-loved buys come from Brazil.
The main exports consist of coffee, transport equipment, footwear, iron ore and soybeans. In fact, Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of coffee!
24. There’s more to Rio than carnivals.
In recent years Brazil’s favelas – or shanty towns – have become popular tourist attractions. Rio de Janeiro is home to the most famous – Santa Marta.
25. Time doesn’t stand still here!
Including its offshore islands, Brazil is divided in to four time zones.
FAQs about Brazil
Brazil tends to be pretty cheap to visit on the whole, with on-route eateries and facilities unlikely to break the bank.
Believe it or not, June is the coldest month, with temperatures as low (!) as 19 degrees Celsius.
Brazil is home to an impressive plethora of creatures and critters, including the armadillo, the otter, the puma, the monkey, the sloth, the anaconda and the jaguar! Is it cheap or expensive to visit Brazil?
What is the coldest month in Brazil?
What animals live in Brazil?
Do you know any fun facts about Brazil? Share them in the comments below!
Are you fascinated with South America? Check out these interesting facts about Costa Rica…
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