BRAZIL
Home to 186 million
people; a country slightly larger than the continental United States, and
about half the land mass of South America. Visitors are attracted to the
serene, natural beauty of the countryside, beautiful beaches, famous
Iguaçu Falls and The Amazon. Famous for Carnival, samba, capoiera (a
Brazilian martial art) and renowned musicians Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso
and Antonio Carlos Jobim. They are five times world soccer champions. Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, an ex-factory
worker and grade school dropout who sold peanuts on the street as a child,
hopes to lead a global crusade to help the world's needy with his “Zero
Hunger” program. US Aid reports some 58
million Brazilians live below the international poverty line. Youth
represent the largest part of the poor population. Brazil
is burdened by high unemployment, decades of inflation, unequal land
distribution and the inequality of its people. The native language is
Portuguese.
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