Brazil Travel Guide

Brazil Overview

Brazil (officially Federative Republic of Brazil) is the world’s fifth largest country and is located in South America. Although almost all of its neighboring countries speak Spanish, the language in Brazil is Portuguese. Brazil is different than many of the countries in South America because it was colonized as a part of Portugal (1500-1822) – also a Portuguese-speaking country.

The country is formed by 26 states plus a federal district where the capital, Brasilia, is located. The Brazil Gateway is situated in the state of São Paulo in the city also named São Paulo, which is the capital of the state and Brazil’s economic center. Campinas, a city in the state of São Paulo (less than two hours away from the capital) is also internationally known for its science and technology centers.

The country is the world’s eighth-largest economy. It is a founding member of the United Nations, G20, BRICS, Mercosul and others. Brazil has vast biodiversity and beautiful natural sites worth visiting such as the Amazon forest, Pantanal, Iguazu Falls and all the incredible beaches on the coastline.

Temperatures are usually very warm in the north and northeast states, such as Amazonas and Pernambuco. In the southeast region, it rains frequently (it is where São Paulo is located), whereas it is usually dry in the central-west region (by the capital, Brasilia). In the south, where there are states such as Rio Grande do Sul, it can get cold in the winter and even snow a little.

More than 48% of the population describe themselves as “white”; almost 44% as “pardo” (brown); almost 7% as “black”; 0.58% as Asian; and 0.28% as Indigenous. When describing themselves, Brazilians take more into account phenotypes rather than ancestry (National Research by Household Sample – PNAD – of 2008). According to the 2000 Demographic Census, Roman Catholicism is the country’s predominant faith.

In literature, Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho are among the most read internationally. In terms of music, Samba (which is the predominant music in Carnival festivals) and Bossa Nova (which is a lyrical fusion of Samba and Jazz) are famous Brazilian styles. From 1990, four Brazilian movies have been nominated for the Oscar’s. Soccer (“futebol”) is the most popular sport and the country has won five World Cups. Volleyball, basketball, auto racing (Formula 1) and martial arts (such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira) also draw large crowds.

Obtaining a Visa

There are three main ways to get a visa for Brazil:
• eVisa – application online for those who will not stay for more than 90 days in Brazil
• Brazilian Consulate – with jurisdiction over your region, for stays longer than 90 days
• Travel or Visa Service Agencies such as Travisa – for stays longer than 90 days.

Travel Advisory and Alerts

Travelers can subscribe to receive Travel Advisory and Alerts via email from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil. They will include clear actions U.S. citizens should take before traveling. To sign up, please, visit the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at STEP.state.gov, and for more information visit travel.state.gov/travelsafely.

For further general information from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates call 1-888-407-4747 tollfree in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Flights and Accommodations

International flights arrive at and leave from the International Airport of Guarulhos (GRU), which is almost one hour away from the Brazil Gateway office. Domestic flights can also arrive at/leave from GRU, but the Airport of Congonhas (CGH) is preferred for domestic flights, because it is closer to hotels and to the Brazil Gateway office (only 15-20 minutes). The Brazil Gateway team can recommend hotels and neighborhoods depending on the city you will travel to. Please, reach out to aparecido.1@osu.edu if you want to know about a specific location. If you are coming to São Paulo, where the Brazil Gateway is located, we have created a list of recommendations for hotels, restaurants, stores and malls and cultural places to visit: go.osu.edu/saopaulo.

Attribution

Source of this book: https://oia.osu.edu/

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