Hello friends! Are you ready for another adventure? Hope you are because today we’re traveling to South America to visit Brazil!
If you want to learn more about Brazil don’t forget to download our activity package:
Click here to download our Brazil learning guide
Click here to download our Brazil flashcards
Click here to download our Brazil coloring pages
Click here to download our Brazil handwriting sheets
Some fun facts about Brazil
Did you know that Brazil is the country with the fifth-largest population in the world? Yes, right after China, India, the USA, and Indonesia. Most people in Brazil live in big cities, like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia, Brazil’s capital.
Brazil is surrounded not only by the Atlantic Ocean but also by almost every other South American country! Can you name them all? Don’t worry, I’ll help you.
Except for Chile and Ecuador, Brazil is surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela!
The Brazilian Flag
Now let’s talk about the flag! The Brazilian flag is one of the most recognizable, no matter where you go! It’s made up of a green rectangle overlaid with a yellow rhombus and a dark blue circle full of stars in the middle. The text on the circle “Ordem e Progresso” means “Order and progress” in Portuguese, and the 27 stars represent the 26 Brazilian states and the country’s capital!
The green color represents the Coat of Arms of the House of Braganza, and the yellow one represents the House of Habsburg and the Coat of Arms of Portugal.
Portuguese – The official language of Brazil
Yes, Portugal, that’s because Brazil’s territory was colonized by Portugal many many years ago. That’s why Brazil’s official language is also Portuguese.
Do you know how to say hello in Portuguese? We say Olá, sounds a lot like Spanish, don’t you think?
In Portuguese, to say “please” we say “Por favor”, to say “thank you” we say “obrigada/o”, and to say “excuse me” we say “Com licença.”
You can also say “Tudo bem?” to ask “How are you?” and to respond to that same question you can say “Eu estou bem, e você?”, which means “I’m good, and you?”
Now let’s count together! We’ll count up to number five.
1 – um
2 – dois
3 – três
4 – quatro
5 – cinco
Who are the Brazilians?
Brazilians are super happy, warm, and friendly people, they’ll make you feel at home right away! Just try not to get into a heated argument about soccer, because Brazilians love soccer, but we’ll talk about that in a minute, first, let’s mention another thing Brazilians are very passionate about: carnivals!
Brazilian people love parties, especially, the Carnival of Brazil. This annual festival is held the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and takes place all over the country! Huge parades lead by samba schools travel through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and many more!
The beautiful landscape and sites in Brazil
And speaking of Brazil’s regions and places, we can’t ignore its beautiful landscapes, like the amazing Amazon rainforest. This tropical forest covers 60% of Brazil’s territory and is home to, not only 350 different ethnic groups like the Yanomami, but also to a lot of exotic animals like the howler monkey, Brown-throated sloth, Blue poison dart frog, Green anaconda, and more, many more. The Amazon rainforest is also home to the world’s largest river by volume of water discharged, the Amazon River!
Another great example of beautiful landscapes is Guanabara Bay in Rio. This imposing landscape gives the city of Rio its distinctive outline and is the deepest natural bay in the world. Here you can find some of the most distinctive sights in Rio, like Sugarloaf Mountain and the hill of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.
By the way, did you know that Rio de Janeiro was named in error? Yes, a Portuguese explorer thought it meant “the mouth of a river” when in fact it means “January River.” Imagine naming a whole city by mistake.
Brazilian animals
Now that we’re talking about iconic natural places in Brazil, let’s take a moment to see the beautiful Brazilian animals. Like the cute Capuchin! This little friend is a very unique animal found in Brazil and it’s very common to see them as pets. This animal is well known for its intelligence and social behavior.
And speaking of monkeys, look at this cute guy. The tamarin is a species of monkey found in varied colors, orange, black and yellow, and they are easily recognizable for their beard-like fur. They look like some wise old men!
Here’s another cool animal, the tapir. It looks like a pig with an elephant’s trunk, don’t you think? It is mostly found in the jungles of South America and it’s herbivorous, which means it only eats plants.
Delicious Brazilian cuisines
Speaking of eating, what about Brazilian food? The most famous dish in all of Brazil is the feijoada, a stew prepared with black beans, and different cuts of pork, and supplemented with tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots.
Another Brazilian specialty is the Picanha, a triangular cut of barbecued beef cooked over an open fire. Picanha is one of the highlights you’ll find at a Brazilian barbecue.
Now, I know you’ll like this one, the Brigadeiro it’s a delicious Brazilian version of the well-known chocolate truffle. This classic dessert is made of condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter, and then shaped into balls and covered in chocolate sprinkles. The traditional brigadeiro it’s made with milk chocolate, but you can also find some made with white chocolate. My favorite are the ones with a whole strawberry in the center!
Brazilians love for soccer
And now that we’re full of energy, it’s time to take a look at the most famous Brazilian sports. And of course, we must talk about soccer, known in Brazil as football! As I mentioned before, Brazilians are crazy about football, and it’s not surprising when you consider that Brazil has won the world cup five times! More than any other country in the world!
Capoeira
Capoeira is not also a good example of Brazilian sport, but also dance, and even art. It’s a martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music, and is known for its acrobatic and complex maneuvers, often involving hands on the ground and inverted kicks.
And that’s just a little something about Brazil. Remember to pack some light clothes if you want to visit this beautiful country.
Adeus amigos!
