Greetings

Men shake hands when greeting one another, while maintaining steady
eye contact.
If a woman wishes to shake hands with a man, she should extend her
hand first.
A standard greeting for women in Brazil is the two/three peck on the
cheek, starting from their right. These are generally no more than air
kisses. A left-handed pat on the back accompanied with a firm right
handshake is the standard among men.
 Travel

You must obtain a Brazilian travel visa from the Brazilian Embassy prior to
arriving in Brazil
The U.S. government cannot assist you if you arrive in Brazil without
proper documentation
Dual nationals cannot get a Brazilian Visa, they are required to have a
Brazilian passport
 Appearance

Brazilians pride themselves on dressing well.

Men should wear conservative, dark colored business suits. Three-piece

suits typically indicate that someone is an executive.

Women should wear suits or dresses that are elegant and feminine with
good quality accessories. Manicures are expected.
 In the urban areas of Brazil,
most people prefer modern
clothing.
Young men wear jeans and T-
shirts. Short skirts and dresses
are very popular among
women.
Jeans are the most common
staple in the Brazilian
wardrobes. Jeans made for
women are tight-fitting and
loosely tapering near the feet.
Brazilian jeans come in a wide
variety of designs, styles and
textures.
Due to abundance of beautiful
beaches, beachwear is a very
popular clothing in Brazil.
 Traditional Foods
Brazilian cuisine was developed from
indigenous, European, and African influences
The Jaca fruit, also known as the Jack fruit, is
larger than the average watermelon and
could cause severe head trauma if it fell on
someone's head. This fruit grows off the
trunks of trees in Brazil, falling off the tree
when ripe. The edible portion of the fruit
features a fleshy, off-white pulp.
A traditional stew, Moqueca includes a
variety of Brazilian flavors. Fish, garlic, cilantro,
boiled eggs and a melting pot of other
ingredients mingle together in this Brazilian
classic, creating a filling and delicious one-pot
meal.
The national beverage is coffee and cachaa
is Brazil's native liquor. Cachaa is distilled
from sugar cane and is the main ingredient in
the national cocktail, Caipirinha.
 Attitudes & Values

To the extent possible, direct personal confrontation is avoided.

Though they are cordial and magnanimous at the interpersonal level,
Brazilians as a whole are exploitative with regard to the environment.
Brazilians are known for their informality, good nature, and charm
(simpatia ), as well as their desire not to be thought unpleasant or boorish
(chato ). They place high value on warmth, spontaneity, and lack of pomp
and ceremony.
Another significant character of Brazilians is that they are outwardly
expressive people.
 Religion

Roman Catholic is the main religion in Brazil

Brazil has the largest number of Catholics in the world.
Brazil religion and practices are extremely diverse and span
several different belief systems and religious traditions.
Brazilians enjoy complete freedom to practice their
personally held religious beliefs
 Population

As of July 2012, Brazils population is 199,321,413

 Religious Holidays

The Brazilian Carnival is an annual festival held for 4 days

before Easter
Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil
The country stops completely for almost a week and
festivities are intense, day and night, mostly in coastal cities
 Political Holidays
The three main Brazilian civic holidays are :
Tiradentes Day (April 21): Tiradentes Day celebrates
national hero Joaquim Jos da Silva Xavier, a
lieutenant known as Tiradentes because he also
worked as a tooth-extractor. He was martyred
together with other conspirators that tried to
overthrow the Portuguese colonizers, in 1792.
Independence Day (September 7)
Republic Declaration Day (November 15).
The two latter are self-explainable they refer to the
day of the rupture with the Portuguese colonizers,
in 1822, and to the day the country substituted the
Monarchy by the Republican system, in 1889.
 Language

Nearly all Brazilians speak Portuguese, a Romance language, belonging to

the Indo-European language family. The Portuguese language was
introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese in the early sixteenth century.

The way that they speak the Portuguese language can be so sensually
rhythmic and tonal, thus leaving you with the desire to speak some of it
yourself, so that you can better appreciate these fun and outgoing
Brazilian folks.

Brazil is the one of a few countries in Latin America that does not speak
the Spanish language.
 Family

Families tend to be large and extended family is quite close.

Women play an equal role in Brazilian family and society.

Brazilians are very dependent on family and friends. Children in Brazil will
almost always live with their parents up until the day they marry. And if
that said marriage doesnt make out good, then the kids move back in
with the parents until who knows when, usually with the grandchildren
in tow.

Brazilian parents are very physically affectionate with their children. It

stands to reason that these children will continue to have this need for
affection to be filled from their future mates as well.
 Many of the jobs in Brazil are
within the oil and gas industry such
as piping, engineering, and
Work
transportation. There are also many
tourism jobs available such as
working in hotels or restaurants.

Unemployment in Brazil is at
historic lows, hovering around 6%,
and qualified labor is often hard to
come by.

Prospects for graduates without

experience are more limited
though and it is advisable to seek
an employment posting in Brazil by
joining an international company
with offices there.
 Marriage

Groomsmen carry or are pinned with small Brazilian flags instead of

flowers. Matching tuxedos may be hard to come by in Brides tend not to
purchase a wedding dress for the ceremony. Instead, they go to bridal
shops and rent a dress for one-time use.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen are chosen at the time of the wedding.
Those selected consist of couples paired off at the altar, usually three men
and three women.
Brazilian wedding ceremonies follow Christian traditions closely. A
traditional Brazilian song or the Brazilian national anthem is sung. During
the ceremony, the wedding ring should not be dropped. If it is, superstition
states the marriage will be short-lived. Once the marriage is confirmed, the
bride and groom sign their wedding license.
Similar to the Western superstition, grooms carry brides over the threshold
of their home or hotel room. The first step across the threshold must be
taken with his right foot for luck.
 The most popular sport in Brazil
is football. The Brazilian national football
team is ranked among the best in the
world according to the FIFA World
Rankings, and has won the World Cup
tournament a record five times.
Rio de Janeiro was selected to host
the 2016 Olympic Games and 2016
Paralympic Games, the first to be held in
South America and second in Latin
America after Mexico City.
People in Brazil often spend time at the
beach, as Brazil often has pleasant
weather and is in a coastal region.
Because of the interesting sea life and
clarity of the water, tourists often go
snorkeling or diving. Brazilians are in love
with American soccer, and spend a lot of
time playing the sport and watching
matches on television.

Recreation and Sports

 Brazil has a large
transport network,
though not diverse
due to the lack of
railroads and
canals. Roads are the
primary carriers of
freight and
passenger traffic.
There are about
2,500 airports in
Brazil, including
landing fields: the
second largest
number in the world,
after the United
States.
The So Paulo Metro
was the first
underground transit
system in Brazil.
 Social & Economic Levels

Poverty in Brazil is most visually represented by the various slums in the country's
metropolitan areas and remote upcountry regions that suffer with economic
underdevelopment and below-par standards of living.
While racial divisions in Brazil are not clearly defined, class lines are.
There are the very wealthy, the middle class, and the very poor. And in Brazil the
very poor make up a large percentage of the population.
You see them on the streets trying to sell food and trinkets when you stop at a
traffic light; they descend on you when you park your car, offering 'protection' for
a price (and, if you don't pay, your car will not be protected); and, you see them
along the highways in miserable shacks trying to sell all sorts of things to drivers
speeding by.
 Brazilian Architecture

Brazil is a center of world

festivals, music and bright life.
Brazilian architecture is as wild
and extravagant as its festivals.
Brazilian architecture of colonial
period was formed under the
influence of Portuguese culture
but was adopted for hot, tropical
climate. It can be seen in
churches and cathedrals of
ancient cities such as Ouro-Preto,
the first capital of Minas Gerais.
The architecture of the city is so
amazing that the government
decided to make it a national
asset, and recently it have been
added to the World Heritage
UNESCO.
 Government

The President of Brazil is Dilma Rousseff.

She was elected democratically for the period of
1/01/2011 to 12/31/2014
The Federal Constitution is the supreme law of Brazil. It
is the foundation and source of the legal authority
underlying the existence of Brazil and the federal
government.
It provides the framework for the organization of the
Brazilian government and for the relationship of the
federal government to the states, to citizens, and to all
people within Brazil.
Brazils official name is Federative Republic of Brazil
 Educational System
Education in Brazil is regulated by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Education
which defines the guiding principles for the organization of education programs. Local
governments are responsible for establishing state and education programs following the
guidelines and using the funding supplied by the federal government.
(Educao Infantil)Pre-school education is entirely optional, and exists to aid in the development
of children under 6
(Ensino Mdio)Secondary Education takes 3 years. The minimum is 2,200 hours of teaching over
3 years. Students must have finished their Fundamental education before they are allowed to
enroll in Ensino Mdio.
Higher Education (Ensino Superior)As is the case in many nations, higher education in Brazil can
be divided into undergraduate and graduate work. In addition to providing
education, Universities promote research and provide separate classes to the community.
Secondary education is mandatory for those wishing to pursue higher education. In addition,
students must pass a competitive entrance examination (known as vestibular) for their specific
course of study.
 San-Paulo University
The most famous university in Brazil is
located in a fine city San-Paulo. San-Paulo
University is considered to be the best one
in the country. It consists of 9 campuses 4
of which are situated in San-Paulo.
The main campus is called Armando do
san Oliveira. University takes part in all
spheres of scientific programs and was
named the best academic institution in
Latin America.
It has enormous territory which includes
numerous libraries, cafes and party centers.
It also has one of the top Brazil museums
like museum of Modern Art, Historical
museum and historical museum of san-
Paulo.
 Culture

Some aspects of Brazilian culture were influenced by the contributions

of Italian, German and other European as well Japanese and Arab immigrants who
arrived in large numbers in the South and Southeast of Brazil

The core culture of Brazil is derived from Portuguese culture, because of its strong
colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. Among other influences, the Portuguese
introduced the Portuguese language, Roman Catholicism and colonial architectural
styles. The culture was, however, also strongly influenced by African, indigenous and
non-Portuguese European cultures and traditions.
 Health

Brazil has long had a public health system, but like other social programs that
primarily serve the poor, it is vastly underfunded.
Many of the poor either self-medicate or get whatever remedies they can from
local pharmacists who are the only health care providers in some rural areas.
For those who can afford it at the other end of the social spectrum, Brazil has
world class health care in modern medical centers, particularly in the prosperous
Southeast and South.

The Brazilian public health system, the National Health System is managed and
provided by all levels of government. The public health services are universal and
available to all citizens of the country for free. However, 45.5 million Brazilians
have contracted a private health plan.
 Land & Climate

The climate ranges from

tropical to temperate in
southern Regions
It rains on average 43
every year
Home to the Amazon
Jungle
 Amazonia or Amazon rainforest
covers more than half of Brazil and
it's the world's largest tropical
rainforest.

The Amazon River is the second

longest river (Only to the Nile), in the
world and the longest and largest
river of South America.

More than 20 % of the Amazon rain

forest is disappearing because of
people cutting down trees for ;
furniture and paper.

20% of the oxygen that we breathe

comes from this rainforest.

50% of the 9 feet of rain it receives

each year is released to the
atmosphere by the foliage of the
trees. Deforestation is severely
affecting this statistic.
 Animals of the Amazon

Anaconda
Toucan
Jaguar
Poison Arrow Frog
Spider Monkey
Scarlet Macaw
 Economy
It is a major producer of such agricultural products as
sugarcane, soybeans, oranges, coffee, cocoa, rice,
wheat, and cotton. It is also a major supplier of beef
with vast cattle ranches primarily in the southern and
western regions of the country.
Because of the tremendous growth of industry,
agriculture accounts for only 13 percent of the nation'
gross domestic product.
Brazils economy is the largest in South America and the
country boasts well developed agriculture, mining,
manufacturing, and service sectors. in recent years,
Brazil has improved its macroeconomic stability, built
foreign reserves, reduced debt, kept inflation rates under
control and committed to fiscal responsibilities.
 Music

Brazilian music is full of excitement, joy, passion and energy. Something

like youve never seen before, a really particular type of music. Brazilian
music is the result of a long simmering mix of heritage from
Portuguese, African and Amerindian influence. If you are going to
Brazil, youll be surrounded by magical and mystical music, everywhere
you go in Brazil there is music.