EIL Intercultural Learning

Geography

Brazil is the largest of the Latin American countries. Covering nearly half of the continent of South America, it occupies an area of 8,511,965 sq. km. It is the fifth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, and the United States.

Except for a small number of islands, Brazil consists of a single, unbroken landmass. Brazil has 10 neighbors in the South American continent. Ecuador and Chile are the only two countries of South America that do not share a border with Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the entire eastern side of the country, giving it a coastline of 7,367 km.

History

Recent archeological discoveries suggest that Brazil may have been inhabited as long ago as 40,000 years. In addition, there is continuing speculation that Brazil may have been visited by the 15th century Portuguese explorers who sailed widely in the South Atlantic, trading with Africa and settling the Azores and Madeira Islands.

However, Brazil was formally claimed in 1500 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral. It was ruled from Lisbon as a colony until 1808 when the Portuguese royal family, having fled from Napoleon's army, established the seat of government first in Salvador and later in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil became a kingdom in 1821. Dom Pedro I successfully declared Brazil's independence in 1822 and became emperor. Dom Pedro II ruled from 1831 to 1889, when a federal republic was established.

From 1889 to 1930, the government was a constitutional democracy with limited voting rights. The presidency alternated between the dominant states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a military coup by Getulio Vargas, who remained as dictator until 1945; and from 1945 onward, there were elected presidents with one military coup interrupting in 1964.
In 1988, a new constitution was ratified and direct elections (without the electoral college) took place in 1989.
The challenges remaining are to end corruption and bring economic stability.

Climate & Season

Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, more than 60 percent of the people live in areas where altitude, sea winds or cold polar fronts moderate the temperature. There are five climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi arid, highland tropical, and subtropical. Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília, and Belo Horizonte have very mild climates averaging 66°F (19°C). Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador, on the coast, have warm climates balanced by the constancy of the Trade Winds. In the south, some cities like Porto Alegre, Florianópolis and Curitiba, have a subtropical climate similar to parts of the U.S. and Europe with frosts occurring with some frequency; in this region temperatures can fall below freezing in winter.

Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat, temperatures of more than 90°F (32°C) are rarely experienced there. In fact, the annual average temperature in the Amazon region is in the range of 72-79°F (22-26°C), with only a very small seasonal variation between the warmest and the coldest months.

The hottest part of Brazil is the northeast where, during the dry season, between May and November, temperatures of more than 100°F (38°C) are recorded frequently. The northeast has greater seasonal variation in temperatures than does the Amazon region. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, mean temperatures range from 73°F to 81°F (23-27°C).

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

The Brazilian People

The current population is over 170 million, predominately young and concentrated along the Atlantic coastal areas of the southeastern and northeastern states. There are three basic racial sources for the Brazilian people. To the original inhabitants (Indians) were added successive waves of Europeans (mainly Portuguese) and Africans.

In the 16th century, the area, which is now Brazil was inhabited by several hundred Indigenous tribes who, while racially similar, spoke different languages and had different cultures. Groups speaking the Tupi and Guarani languages lived along the coast and in the adjoining hinterland and they established intermarriages with the Portuguese settlers.

Today Brazil's native Indians sum up about 250,000. They are divided into roughly 200 groups and they speak some 180 different languages. The Indians live in vast areas, equal to ten percent of Brazil's total territory, which has been set aside from them by the Federal Government.

Starting in the middle of the 16th century, African ethnic groups were brought to Brazil to work as slaves in the sugarcane and, later, in gold and diamond mines and in coffee plantations. The integration process that had begun between the Europeans and the Indians rapidly spread to include the black slaves.

This racial mixing went on as Brazil began, at the end of the 19th century, to receive increasing numbers of immigrants from all over the world. Portugal remained the single most important source of immigrants to Brazil, with Italy second, followed by Lebanon.

In the first half of the 20th Century, as a consequence of war or economic pressures, sizable contingents of immigrants came to Brazil from parts of western, central, and eastern Europe. In 1908, 640 immigrants came to Brazil from Japan. Because of the welcoming social environment, a Japanese migration trend was established. By 1969, 247.312 Japanese had come to Brazil. Today Brazilians of Japanese descent are the largest such group outside Japan.

Culture

The Brazilian culture has not only been shaped by the Portuguese, who gave to the country its religion and language, but also by the country's native Indians, the considerable African population and other settlers from Europe. Not to mention other countries of the East and Asia.

Brazilian music has always been characterized by great diversity and, shaped by musical influences from three continents, is still developing new and original forms. Samba, which reached the pick of popularity in the 1930s, is a mixture of Spanish bolero with the cadences and rhythms of African music. Its most famous exponent was probably Carmen Miranda, known for her fiery temperament and fruity headdresses. The more subdued Bossa Nova, popular in the 1950s and characterized by songs such as 'The Girl from Ipanema', was influenced by North American jazz. Tropicalismo is a mix of musical influences that arrived in Brazil in the 1960s and led a more electric samba. More recently, the Lambada, influenced by Caribbean rhythms, became internationally popular in the 1980s.

Among Brazil's writers of fiction, Machado de Assis stands out with his terse, ironic style. The son of a freed slave, Assis worked as a typesetter and journalist in 19th-century Rio. Brazil's most famous 20th-century writer is the regionalist Jorge Amado, whose tales are colorful romances of Bahia's people and places.

Brazil is officially a Catholic country, but in practice the country's religious life incorporates Indian animism, African cults, Afro-Catholic syncretism, Evangelism and Kardecism, a spiritualist religion embracing Eastern mysticism, which is gaining popularity with Brazilian Whites. Because of Brazil's Catholic origins, abortion is considered a crime.

Cultural Awareness

• Take a phrase book and try speaking the local language;
• Be discreet about your views on cultural differences and behave and dress appropriately, particularly when visiting religious sites, markets and rural communities;
• Brazilians tend to wear less clothing than Europeans because of the tropical climate
• Always ask an individual's permission before you take a photograph and respect his / her reply.

Customs

Brazilians are outgoing, fun loving and express themselves with their hands. Pa¬triotism and pride in the nation are strong. People formally greet each other with a handshake. Friends will embrace and/or kiss each other on the cheeks.

The national sport is futebol (soccer, football) with a very passionate following. During the world cup the country comes to a halt during the games that Brazil is playing in! Volley¬ball, basketball, swimming, fishing, boating and car racing are also popular. In urban areas there are athletic clubs.

Families are large and close in Brazil. Young adults normally live with their parents until they get married. People enjoy festivals and celebrations such as Carnival, with street parades, cos¬tumes, music, dancing and a lot of partying.

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. Apart from different languages spoken by Indian tribes living out of the city centers throughout the country, Portuguese is the only language of daily life. There are no regional dialects. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America.

English is not prevalent except in a few of the main tourist resorts. If you use Spanish, the locals may understand; however, they will respond in Portuguese. We strongly recommend that you always have in hands a pocket-sized Brazilian Portuguese-English dictionary.

Brazilians who study English certainly will feel like practicing it but are even more impressed when they see someone trying to speak the language, as Portuguese is considered difficult to learn. However Experimento and Top Tutors (school) will be there to help in this first step. The rest depends upon you. You will find that you will be able to get so much more out of your voluntary work and overall experience. Besides, your efforts will be appreciated; you'll find that many Brazilians will go far out of their way to help you.

Health and Hygiene

Brazilians in general are very tidy and cleanliness correlates to hygiene and health. This is partially due to the fact that Brazil is a hot tropical country and is an ideal environment for bacteria and germs. Manual labor in Brazil is very cheap in comparison to European and North American standards. You will find that a lot of families have a housekeeper for general cleaning, at least once a week or the mother is in charge of the cleaning with the help of the family members. The trash is normally taken out on a daily basis. The plumbing in most homes in Brazil cause problems when toilet paper is thrown in the toilet and not in the trash can.

Brazilians make it a habit to take a shower at least once a day and wash their hands before meals and when returning home from being out. You will find that the children at the projects do not necessarily have this type of education in their homes and this is why it is important that you along with the project help them understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. Children get sick more often due to lack of hygiene. Due to your close interaction with the children and bacteria that your body is not accustomed to, you become more susceptible to getting sick so in order to lessen your risk of getting sick we strongly advise that hygiene and cleanliness is a part of your routine.

Meals

Breakfast is light, usually coffee with milk and buttered bread. Lunch and dinner are equally important and might include rice, beans, fruits, salad, potatoes and meat (chicken, red meat, pork and fish). Lunch is usually the main meal. Here rice and beans are equivalent to potatoes, it is usually eaten every day. A variety of pastas with tomato sauce are also common. On the weekends people also like to go out for dinner. Some prefer to eat a larger lunch and a lighter dinner. Some popular dishes are feijoada (black beans with pork), churrasco (barbecued meats) and bife com fritas (beef with French fries). Coffee is grown in Brazil and a very popular drink, as is mate, an herbal tea in England.