Period+4+Group+2

=Country Name: Brazil= media type="custom" key="322341"

__Cultural Features__
Cody & Alex

Social Groups
In Brazil skin color and ethnic backround often influence social interactions. Darker skinned Brazilians are typically poorer than other ethnic groups. Racial violence is not as common as it is in other countries. Whites are the common middle-class and upper-class. Interethnical marriages are extremely rare.

Language
Physically, Brazil is the fifth largest nation in the world. The first language is Portugese, which was first introduced in the 16th century. Language is one of the paramount elements which unites Brazilians. The written language differs a lot from the spoken language, and is only used correctly by small numbers of people. Also, Brazil's Indians speak dozens of discreet languages and hundreds of local dialects. Tupian was the language of the natives before the Europeans arrived; now English is very popular, but Portuguese is spoken by nearly 100 percent of the population. IN southern cities European immigrants speak German and Italian as well. The principal languages of Brazil's Indians are Tupi, Arawak, Carib, and Ge.

Daily Life
In Brazil, families stay much closer together than in the U.S. or in Europe. The family members usually live pretty close to each other. They also often hold reunions or little get-togethers, normally at a family farm or ranch. For people to stay that close together, that relationship sometimes depends on a certain amount of wealth and[or], stability.

Religion
Eighty percent of the Brazilian people are practicing Roman Catholics. It is said that Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country in the world. There is an awesome monument to Jesus Christ on top of Corcovado Mountain. The image of Jesus Christ with outstretched welcoming arms is world renown. This monument is a testimony to Christianity has stood for 80 years. The proclamation of the Republic in 1889 cemented the Roman Catholic religion. In fact, many Brazilians in addition pray to figures such as Padre Cicero, a revered priest. Almost the remainder of the population is Protestant. Small numbers of Brazilians are involved in the Easter Orthodoxy, Buddism, Shinto, Islam, and other religions. A few Brazilians even practice Macumba, Xango, and Umbanda, which are sycretism religions that blend Christian faiths with African beliefs and spirtualist pratices. Carnival is the most famous Brazilian holiday. This four day pre-lenten holiday is the combination of a Roman Cahtolic and African ancestry. During the year, Brazil prepares for the annual activivites and competitons in "samba schools." Carnival is the largest tourist attraction in Rio. Another important holiday is Tirandentes Day celebrated on April 21. This day commerates the death of Joaquim Jose da Siva Xavier; he was a dentist and Nationalist who died in the struggle of Independence Festas Juninas. Other notable holidays include Easter, Labor Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day and Republic Day. Brazilians also celebrate Christmas.

This is a picture of Christ the Reedeemer. Art Art in Brazil is mainly music and painting. Two famous dances from Brazil are the Samba and the Bossa Nova. In the Samba, it combines the African rythm and European style singing. The Bossa Nova has Brazilian popular music and jazz.

__Physical Features__
Haroon ===Land Forms:Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world. It covers about half of South America. Small mountains and board plateaus cover two-thirds of the country. The rest of the land are forests. The largest forest is the Amazon which is the largest in the world. The Amazon Region extends across most of northern Brazil. The Amazon is made up of low-lands covered with jungle and tropical rain forests called the selva. The Region has two mountain ares, the Guiana Highlands in the north and the Brazilian Highlands in the south. Pico da Nablina is Brazil's highest mountain and is 9,888 feet(3,014 meters) near the Brazilian-Venezuelean border.===

Water Forms: Brazil doesnt really have any lakes. Brazil has over 1,000 rivers rivers. The largest ones are the Amazon, Parana, and Sao Franciso. Brazil also has many beutiful waterfalls.
===Climate: In Brazil the climate is always hot and dry. In the winters its a little bit cooler but hardly. Even in the rainy season the climate is hot and the air feels dry when there is inches of rain falling.=== ===Animals: Brazil has more than 40,000 species of plants. Some of the most famous trees are the Brazilian Nut Tree, the Cannonball, Ceddrela, Cordia, Kapok, Mahogany, and Purple Heart. The Amazon also has many animals. It really isnt clear how much animals there are, but there are about 1,500 species of birds alone in the Amazon. Brazil has in total of over 2,000 species of birds. Brazil is famous for their pirhanas,panthers,spiders,snakes, and parrots.===

A picture of a waterfall in Brazil.(Looks really cool). [[image:redeemer.jpg]]The famous Redeemer with mountains in the back round. PHYSICAL MAP OF BRAZIL
one of the many.

__CURRENT ISSUES__
Will Herbert

Current Events
Recently, Greenpeace, an environmental activist organization, was in Brazil focusing on the Amazon Rainforest and how it was being affected by Global Warming. The activists made loggers and citizens of a small Amazon town, angry. They were taking a very badly burned tree trunk to Rio de Janeiro for an exhibit on Global Warming. The activists were surrounded for a couple of days. More and more of the southern edge of the rainforest is being taken down and the activists want to stop it. The Amazon Rainforest is a home to many creatures that can only be found in the rainforest. The activists belive that if people tear down the rainforest the many exotic creatures within will die. Two death squads were recently found, arrested, and charged for murder in the town of Recife, Brazil. The two squads had killed 35 people since June. 34 people in the two death squads were arrested. Crime is becoming a big issue in Brazil. There are two Nuclear powerplants in Brazil and recently, Greenpeace blocked the construction of the third nuclear plant which would bring Brazil more energy. The third nuclear plant would also be the biggest in Brazil. Greenpeace has filed a lawsuit on the problem and refuses to let construction start on the third plant.

Government
Brazil's government is made up of an executive branch headed by the president, a legislative branch headed by a congress, and a judicial branch run by the court system. The President who is elected by the people serves a 4 year term. The president is limited to serving two terms in a row. The president receives a lot of power from the constitution such as intervening with the issues of a state's government. The legislative branch is made up of a congress. Brazil's congress is made up of a senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Brazil's 26 states and it's one federal district select three senators each for a total of 81 members of the senate. Senators serve an eight year term and can be elected to as many terms as the people within the state or federal district want. The Chamber of Deputies contains 513 members. The Chamber of Deputies depends on the population of the state. Although, no state has fewer than three deputies and each deputy serves a four year term and a deputy can stay in the Chamber for as long as the people within the state would like. The Judicial branch is the court system. The Supreme Federal Court is made up of 11 justices all of which are appointed by the President with the senate's approval. Each justice serves a life term. Each state and federal district has a lower federal court and then there are local courts. Each state has a governor and legislature that are elected by the people. There is one mayor for each municipios or district. The mayor is elected by the people and governs that district. The Federal district is run by a govenor that was appointed by the president.Brazil has four major political parties such as the Democratic Movement Party(moderate), the Brazilian Social Democracy Party(center-left), the Liberal Front Party(center-right), and the Workers' Party(liberal or left). All people in Brazil who are over 16 who can read and write are eligable to vote. If you are enlisted in the army, you can't vote. Voting is optional for al eligable 15 and 16 year olds. All qualified voters ages 18-70 are required to vote. For eligable voters 70 and over, voting is optional.

Economy
Brazil's farms, forests, and mines have long produced an enormous amount of valuable exports. Although, Brazil's factories and service industries are the biggest contributors to the gross domestic product (gdp) today. Brazil has the largest gdp in all of Latin America. The economy of Brazil is mostly private enterprise, but the government controls the steel industry and the smaller industries. 60% of Brazil's workers work in the service industry doing jobs in banking, government, tourism, and retail. Manufacturing is responsible for 20% of Brazil's gdp and 12% of Brazil's workers working in factories. 8% of Brazil's gdp comes from agriculture Agriculture is responsible for 20% of Brazil's workers. Airplanes, cars, iron ore, soybeans, and soy are Brazil's most valuable exports. Other Major exports are aluminum, animal feed, coffee, iron and steel, meat, oranges and orange juice, pulp and paper, shoes, and sugar. The main item imported to Brazil is petroleum. Brazil has other major imports such as chemicals, machinery, medicines, and wheat. The United States is the main trading partner with Brazil, but Brazil also trades with Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Brazil has groups within the country of South Africa that it traes with. The currency in Brazil is the Real. One real is worth about a half a doller in U.S. money.

History
In 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral found many people living on the East Coast of South America. He claimed the land for Portugal. In 1693, gold and diamonds were found. Mining begins and all work is done by slaves. In 1807, King Joao of Portugal fled to Brazil after France invaded Portugal. Brazil becomes a part of Portugal, instead of a colony in 1815 which led to the King going back to Portugal in 1821 and deciding to make Brazil a colony again. In 1822 Dom Pedro 1 declared Brazil its own country. It became illegal to import African slaves in 1850. In 1888, slavery was abolished but freed slaves had trouble finding land for themselves. Monarchy ends on November 15, 1889. Brazil had no written history before the Europeans arrived. People believe that there were tons of indian tribes in Brazil, especially near the coast. Portugal discovered Brazil and encouraged the tribes to fight each other and turn in the prisoners to Portugal and Portugal made them slaves and had them work in mines. Another way that Portugal was able to conquer were the diseases like measles and smallpox that killed many people. Portugal then made a lot of money off of all the rocks and other things they found in mines. The French, Dutch, and Spanish tried to make colonies out of Brazil's rich land, but Brazil had been conquered by Portugal in 1650. Brazil became its own country in 1889.

Six (6) Photos
Flag of Brazil

Brazil's Congress Building

Brazilian Real

Brazilian Car

Pedro Alvarez Cabral

Brazilian Coffee

Brazilian Supreme Federal Court

The Presidential Palace Bibliography Voicethread Story Workspace