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All tourists returning from Brazil agree on one thing: the best memory is not even the beauty and variety of nature, but the hospitality with which they were welcomed. Nevertheless, Brazil's natural wonders are hard to match: the lucky traveler sees an entire continent with many unique ecosystems, from the vast virgin forests of the Amazon to the pampas of the southern plains, from the arid steppes in the Northeast to the cascade of Iguaçu Falls.
Brazil covers an area of 8.5 million square kilometers, its length from north to south is about 4000 km, and the same from east to west. Try to overlay a map of Brazil on a map of Russia: Brazil covers a vast territory from Moscow to Irkutsk and from Novorossiysk to Franz Josef Land. The population of Brazil is about 160 million people and, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, it is growing by about six thousand every day. However, this is no longer a population explosion like in the fifties or sixties. The growth is reasonable, and while every year thousands of young people face the inevitable problems of housing, food and work, at least the state has the economic capacity to solve them.
Brazil is a country of city dwellers: more than three-quarters of the population is urban.
Administratively, Brazil is a federal republic, consisting of 26 states and a metropolitan area. The head of state and government is the president. The capital is Brasilia.
The central and southern parts of the country are occupied by the Brazilian Plateau with the highest point, the Bandeira Mountain (2890 meters). In the north are the Amazon lowlands and the spurs of the Guiana plateau. In the far south is the Laplacian Lowlands. The climate varies from northwest to southeast, from equatorial to subtropical.
Brazil is one of the first in the world by reserves of minerals: the iron ore deposit in the Carajas in the north of the country is estimated at 18 billion tons, for the delivery of ore to the coast has built a special railroad length of 900 kilometers. Manganese ore and ores of non-ferrous metals, hard coal, bauxite and gold are intensively mined. Electricity production, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering are developed. Brazil's riches are its vast fertile lands, and agriculture is well developed. For example, the country is the world leader in the production and export of coffee.
Another peculiarity of Brazil is its amazing cultural unity. Although it was achieved at great cost. In ancient times the territory of modern republic was inhabited by Indian tribes, practically exterminated by the Portuguese conquistadors, who invaded here in the 16th century. Since then the same language has been spoken throughout Brazil - Portuguese, which is the linguagem c, and the vast majority of the population is Catholic. The sense of national community is very strong here, despite the obvious social stratification. The spirit of courageous pioneers is still alive and well-loving Brazilians believe in their great future, they are convinced that, unlike the Old World, their country still has a long way to go!
