BRAZIL AT A GLANCE
Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil
Capital: Brasília
Official Language
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. Except for the languages
spoken by Indian tribes living in remote reservations, Portuguese is the
only language of daily life. There are no regional dialects. Brazil is
the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America.
Useful Portuguese Phrases
Learning some Portuguese before you go to Brazil will not only be helpful,
but also fun. Look the site
http://www.braziltourism.org/funtips1.shtml
for some useful words and phrases.
Seasons
Seasons in Brazil are the reverse of those in the U.S. and Europe:
Spring September 22 to December 21
Summer December 22 to March 21
Autumn March 22 to June 21
Winter June 22 to September 21
Other Informations
A more detailed description of Brazil may be found on the:
h
www.brasilemb.org
(English/Portuguese) Brazilian Embassy, Washington, D.C.
h
www.redegoverno.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) Ministerio do Planejamento, Orçamento e Gestão.
h
www.turismo.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) Ministry of Tourisme
h
www.braziltourism.org
(Eng./Port.) Tourisme Office of the Brazilian Embassy, Washington,
D.C.
h
www.mre.gov.br/ingles/index.htm
(English/Portuguese) Ministry of External Relations
h
www.planalto.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) Brazilian Gouvernement
h
www.cultura.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) Ministry of Culture
h
www.mec.gov.br (Only
in Portuguese) Ministry of Education
h
www.iphan.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) National Institute of Artistic and Historical Patrimony
– IPHAN
h
www.bn.br (Only in Portuguese)
National Library Foundation
h
www.funarte.gov.br
(Only in Portuguese) FUNARTE National Art Foundation
PORTO ALEGRE IN BRIEF
South Region of Brazil
States of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.
This region is also highly developed. Here, too, there is a good balance
between the rural and the manufacturing sectors. Toward the south, the
plateau drops to the wide plains called pampas where the traditional
grazing activities produced the gaúcho, the Brazilian equivalent
of the cowboy.
In the state of Paraná, besides the city of Curitiba, a model
in urban planning and lifestyle, you will be enamored by the Iguassu
Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world.
In the state of Santa Catarina, you will witness the industrial progress
and savor the regional delicacies of the Itajaí Valley's cuisine.
In Florianópolis, on Santa Catarina Island and along the entire
coastline, the beaches are themselves a feast for the eyes, with waters
and sands to suit all tastes. The northern coast of the island, in Joaquina,
hosts international surfing competitions. In October, the city of Blumenau
attracts enthusiastic tourists from all over the country and even abroad
for the Oktoberfest, a beer festival.
In the west, located on the border between Brazil and Argentina, is
Iguaçu Fal1s, one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the
world. Less than 12 miles (20 km) away, on the Paraná River that
separates Brazil and Paraguay is Itaipu, the largest hydroelectric dam
in the world.
Gramado and Canela, in Rio Grande do Sul, bear a striking resemblance
to Bavaria, with their colonial cafés serving delicious German
delicacies.
The ruins of São Miguel, close to Santo Angelo, also in the state
of Rio Grande do Sul, remind us of the 210 years of the Jesuit Missions
presence in Brazil.
The strong regional spirit in this state makes for a rich folklore of
music and dance coupled with the traditional "churrasco",
(barbecue) and the "chimarrão (mate tea).
Porto Alegre City
Porto Alegre, the largest city in the south of Brazil, is the capital
of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's southernmost state. The city has the
body of a metropolis, a cosmopolitan spirit, but provincial soul. It
has a population of approximately 1,312,169 inhabitants and is located
in the epicentre of the principal Mercosul routes. Porto Alegre is the
‘greenest’ among Brazilian capitals and is characterized
by a four season climate and a large, calm lake.
Blond children with blue eyes and a strong regional accent make you
wonder: Am I really in Brazil? This is the south. Since it was colonized
mainly by German, Italian, and Polish immigrants, the facial features
and cultural preferences of this region's inhabitants create a markedly
European atmosphere.
Porto Alegre was created by the hands of foreigners – Indians;
Muleteers (17th century); Azorean peasants (1752); Africans; Italian
and german immigrants (1820–1890), among others. The beliefs,
the legends, the habits, the customs and the technologies of these different
ethnic groups and cultures formed the cultural mosaic that identifies
and presents the Porto Alegre of the 21st century. The of Porto Alegre
was founded by immigrants from the Azores.
Lying as it does at the junction of five rivers, it has become an important
port as well as one of the chief industrial and commercial centers in
Brazil. Products of the rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland, such
as leather, canned beef, and rice, are exported from Porto Alegre to
destinations as far away as Africa and Japan.
When you go out in Porto Alegre for the first time, you will be surprised
by its perennial vegetation, its hills and its lake. You will take delight
in the historic buildings – keepers of many memories. You will
be amazed by the encounters on the sidewalks and, above all, because
they add to this scenery, where time seems to have stopped the hectic
life of the city. You will be fascinated by the modern architecture
and the cultural heterogeneity – traits of the aesthetics of the
great urban centers.
Porto Alegre also stands out nationally in terms of the standard of
living. In the UN Report “Metropolis with the Best Quality of
Life in Brazil” (1996, 1998 and 2002} the gaucho capital was listed
as the city with the best rate of Human Development among national metropolises
with more than 500,000 inhabitants.
Porto Alegre in Numbers
Official Date of Foundation: March 26, 1772.
Location:
Latitude S – 30º / Longitude W – Greenwich 51º.
It is the Brazil's southernmost capital.
Altitude: 10m
Area: 476.3 km2
Relief: It has plains but is surrounded by 40 hills that comprise 65%
of its area, circumscribed by a river margin of 72km (45 miles).
Population: 1,312,169 inhabitants (source: IBGE/2000), descendants of
51 different ethnic groups.
Climate: Humid subtropical, with four well–defined seasons. The
rain period is from June to August.
Temperature: The annual average is 19.5º C.
Winter (June to September) between 02º C and 20º C.
Summer (December to March) between 25º C and 35º C.
Fall (April to June) between 10º C and 25º C.
Spring (September to November) between 15º C and 30º C.
Sunset: In Spring, the sun sets at 6:45; in Summer at 8:15 (Brazilian
Daylight Saving’s Time); in Fall, at 5:40, and in Winter, at 5:30.
Economy
In Porto Alegre, the predominant economic sector is services, which
represents 75.1% of the GDP, followed by the industrial sector, with
24,8% of the GDP and farming and cattle raising with 0.1% of the GDP.
Per Capita Income: R$ 624.00 a month.
Distances
Brasília: 2,027 km
Manaus: 4,563 km
Rio de Janeiro: 1,553 km
São Paulo: 1,109 km
Other Informations
h
www.turismo.rs.gov.br
(Portuguese)
h
www.portoalegre.rs.gov.br
(Portuguese)
h
www.portoimage.com
(Portuguese)
h
www.poaconvention.com.br
(Portuguese / English)