Brazil
HISTORY OF BRAZIL The Portuguese were the first European settlers to arrive in the area Led by Pedro Cabral, in 1500 The Portuguese reportedly found native Indians numbering around seven million. Most tribes were nomadic, with only limited agriculture and temporary houses, although villages often had as many as 5,000 inhabitants.
Cultural life appears to have been richly developed, although both tribal warfare and cannibalism were ever-present. The few remaining traces of Brazil's Indian tribes reveal little of their lifestyle, unlike the evidence from other Andean tribes. Today, fewer than 200,000 of Brazil's indigenous people survive, most of who inhabit the jungle areas.
Other Portuguese explorers followed looking for goods for European trade but also for unsettled land and the opportunity to escape poverty in Portugal itself. The only item of value they discovered was the pau do brasil (brazil wood tree) from which they created red dye.
Unlike the colonizing philosophy of the Spanish, the Portuguese in Brazil were much less focused at first on conquering, controlling, and developing the country. Most were impoverished sailors, who were far more interested in profitable trade and subsistence agriculture than in territorial expansion. The country's interior remained unexplored.
Sugar soon came to Brazil, and with it came imported slaves. In the 19th century coffee took the place of sugar as Brazil's most important product. The boom in coffee production brought a wave of almost one million European immigrants, mostly Italians, and also brought about the Brazilian republic.
Population Brazil has the sixth largest population in the world--about 148 million people--which has doubled in the past 30 years. Because of its size, there are only 15 people per square kilometer, concentrated mainly along the coast and in the major cities, where two-thirds of the people now live: over 19 million in greater Sao Paulo and 10 million in greater Rio.
Language The immigrant Portuguese language was greatly influenced by the numerous Indian and African dialects they encountered, but it remains the dominant language in Brazil today. In fact, the Brazilian dialect has become the dominant influence in the development of the Portuguese language, for the simple reason that Brazil has 15 times the population of Portugal and a much more dynamic linguistic environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGZCEtKuw2M
TOURISM IN BRAZIL -cities, beaches, Amazon River and Rainforest, adventure tourism, ecotourism, culture - Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia: modern cities with world class restaurants, shopping, and entertainment - tropical climate, over 8,000 white sand beaches, seasons reversed due to southern hemisphere location (winter: June to August)
- pristine natural environment, boat tours on the Amazon, waterfalls, wildlife, national parks, heritage sites - white water rafting, hiking, sailing, forest tours, camping, spelunking, scuba diving - ecotourism: growing in popularity and availability, natural reserves, environmental protection, diving tours, outdoor zoo, swimming in lagoons, qualified guides, -strong culture and customs, Carnival, soccer, spices, beef, fowl, seafood, fruits, music & dance tied to religion, indigenous villages
Carnival http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3mYDwRTALo