Brazil is an up and coming place. For one, it is by far the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world. It is also one of the BRICS, a group of developing countries whose economies are rapidly growing. It is the largest country in South America both geographically and demographically speaking. But there is a lot more to Brazil than just its rapidly emerging economy. It is a very diverse nation. In fact, it is one of the most diverse nations on the planet in terms of genetic variability. Combining indigenous peoples with European, African, and Asian immigration has led to a population that is extremely varied.
But perhaps just as varied as the population is the geography. Brazil is home to numerous different types of terrain, possibly the most well known of which is the Amazon River. The Amazon river cuts through the world’s largest rainforest. That rainforest is home to so much biodiversity that no other place on the planet comes even close to matching it. In short, Brazil is a very diverse country that is certainly worth visiting and taking a look around. But before your trip you should get to know the place you’re going to be visiting. So let us introduce you. This is Brazil and these are 25 reasons that if Brazil were a person it would be the life of the party (which in some cases may not be a good thing)!
Brazil once tried to sell an aircraft carrier on eBay
Source: ebay, Image: wikipediaThe Portuguese thought Brazil was so cool, they even moved their capital there at one point (in reality it was because the Portuguese government was running away from Napoleon). This makes Rio de Janeiro the only European capital to every be located outside of Europe
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaThe Japanese love Brazil too. In fact, the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan is in Brazil
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaRio de Janeiro was a mistake. Well, it's name was. It means January River because the explorer who discovered it didn't realize it was only a bay.
Image: cricketanalytix.com, Image: wikipediaThe 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will be the first time a South American country has the right to host them
Source: nytimes, Image: wikipediaThere is a river beneath the Amazon (yes, underground!) that is just as long but potentially hundreds of times wider!
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaAfter the end of the American Civil War a bunch of southerners moved to Brazil because slavery was still legal there. They found a settlement called Americana. It has about a quarter million people today.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaOkay, so Brazil wasn't so cool when it came to slavery. Nearly 40% of all the slaves ever taken out of Africa ended up in Brazil (4 million)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaIn Brazil you are legally required to vote
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaBrazil was the only independent South American nation to send troops to fight in World War II (about 25,000 of them)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaThe Bororo people of Brazil are one of the few groups of people in the world to all have the same blood type (type O)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaWant more facts about Brazil? Check out these 25 fun facts about Brazil: The largest country in South America.
Eike Batista was one of the world's richest people (with $30 billion) up until 2012. His oil company started failing and now he is $1 billion in debt. That's rough.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaAlthough Brazilians know how to have fun, barely 40% of people in Brazil have a high school degree.
Source: oecdbetterlifeindex.org, Image: wikipediaThere is a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Rio de Janeiro
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaBrazil's revolution (the one that turned the country into a republic) was so boring and uneventful that many people didn't even know it had happened.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaFor the past 180 years the Earth's magnetic field has been steadily weakening, specifically around Argentina and Brazil.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaThere is an island of the coast of Sao Paulo that is known as Snake Island. It is off limits to tourists because yes...it is overflowing with snakes.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaWhen the World Cup was hosted in the US in 1994, America spent about $30 million on infrastructure. In 2014 Brazil spent more than 360 times that amount ($11 billion)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaBolivia is the main exporter of Brazil nuts.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaWhen Brazilians aren't partying, they're fighting. In fact, 10 of the top 20 cities with the highest murder rates on Earth are in Brazil
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaExcept for Ecuador and Chile, Brazil borders every country in South America
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaThe highest mountain in Brazil is Pico da Neblina (Mist Peak). Because it was almost permanently covered in clouds (hence the name) it wasn't discovered until the mid 20th century.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaThe capital of Brazil was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia in 1960 to give Brazil's capital a more central location. It was built from scratch and from above it looks like an airplane.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaBrazil produces about 1/3 of the world's coffee
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaMore species of monkey live in Brazil than anywhere else in the world
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaLists Going Viral Right Now
