1. Name: Brazil’s name comes from the tree species ‘Brazil tree’ (Caesalpinia echinata). The country’s official name is the Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil)
2. Choices: Voting is compulsory in Brazil – i.e. it is illegal not to vote in an election. The rule applies to citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 and you can apply for an exemption at the local polling station or post office
3. Ethanol: Brazil is the first country in the world to successfully introduce environmentally friendly, sustainable biofuels that can serve as an alternative to gasoline. In Brazil, around 25% of all gasoline has been replaced with ethanol from sugarcane
4. Flag: The Brazilian flag (Bandeira do Brasil) dates back to 1889 and contains 27 stars representing the country’s 26 states. The last star stands for Brazil’s land holdings
5. Motto: Brazil’s motto – which is also written on the Brazilian flag – is ‘Ordem e Progresso’, which means: “Order and Progress”
Fact: The 27 stars on the Brazilian flag represent the 26 states plus the other Brazilian possessions. Brazil’s motto: “Order and Progress” is also listed
6. Brasilia: The capital city of Brasilia was designed by one of the world’s best architects; Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer
7. Marriage: Same-sex marriage (gay marriage) has been allowed in Brazil since 2013
8. Voting rights: Brazilian women gained the right to vote in 1932
9. Original population: Brazil has 225 groups of indigenous Indians. 170 of these live in the Amazon
10. Famous Brazilians: Brazilians have the most stars in football and fashion. World-famous Brazilians include footballers Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Pelé and Kaká, as well as models Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio
You can also read interesting facts about Rio de Janeiro here.
Fact: Most international celebrities from Brazil come from the world of football and fashion. Pictured here (from top left to right): Ronaldo, Ronaldiho, Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima
Brazilian records
- Size: Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world; both in terms of area and population size
- Christians: Brazil has the second highest Christian population in the world (only surpassed by the US)
- The world’s widest road: Brazil’s capital city of Brasilia is rumored to be home to “the world’s widest road, where 160 cars can drive side by side”. However, this is not true, as the road in question – Eixo Monumental – consists of two avenues with six lanes on each side
- Airports: With 4,093 airports, Brazil has the second highest number of airports in the world (only surpassed by the USA with 13,513!)
- Hydropower: Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of hydropower
- Gemstones: Brazil is the world’s leading producer of gemstones (although production of individual gemstones may be higher in other countries, such as Russia, which produces the most diamonds)
- World Cup in football: Brazil is the country that has won the most World Cups in football. They have won 5 times! (in the years: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002)
- The death penalty: Brazil was one of the first countries in the world to abolish the death penalty. The last death penalty in Brazil, according to official records, was a man named Pereira de Sousa, who was executed by hanging on October 30, 1861. However, it wasn’t until 1889 that the death penalty was abolished for all crimes (with the exception of certain war crimes during wartime, as in many other countries)
- Languages: Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world. Portuguese is the official language and is spoken by more than 99% of the population. However, the dialect is different from that spoken in Portugal, for example. Before Brazil was colonized, the most widely spoken language was Tupi (or Tupinambá). Many of the original indigenous languages are still spoken (around 180), but only by very small minorities. In recent years, Spanish, German, Italian, English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean have become more common as foreigners have settled in Brazil and continue to speak their native languages. In total, 210 languages are spoken in Brazil
Fact: Brazil’s national sport is football – and they have won the World Cup 5 times! (in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002)
Facts about the Amazon
- Amazon: The name ‘Amazonas’ can refer to both the Amazon River and the Amazon Rainforest. The name comes from the European explorers who were shot at by arrows from blowpipes from the native Indians. When the explorers saw that the Indians were wearing bast skirts, they assumed they must be Amazons – female warriors who lived in the far reaches of the world (the crew knew about the Amazons from Greek mythology)
- The Amazon River: The Amazon River is generally considered the second longest river in the world (second only to the Nile) and has more than 200 tributaries, which together cover approximately 7 million km2 of water. In terms of volume, this makes the Amazon the world’s largest river
- The Amazon rainforest: Brazil has the largest area of rainforest in the world, covering 480 million hectares. In second place is Congo with 234 million hectares
Fact: The name ‘Amazonas’ can refer to both the Amazon River and the Amazon Rainforest
