Fifth largest country in the world, which nearly covers half of South America. Ranging from vast cities to huge rain forests, it is culturally diverse and environmentally mixed. It offers tropical escapes as well as cultural escapes, a destination that travelers can find any activity they are seeking.

Officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas. Brazil was a colony of Portugal in 1500 until its independence in 1822. Famous for its football tradition and its annual Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Olinda. Diversity from the bustling urban mosaic of São Paulo to the the untouched wilderness of the Amazon rainforest and world-class landmarks such as the Iguaçu Falls, and a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.

The land now called Brazil was claimed by Portugal in April 1500, on the arrival of the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, they encountered stone age natives divided into several tribes. Colonization was effectively begun in 1534 by the Portuguese with the extraction of valuable pau-brasil wood, from which the country draws its name. The Portuguese assimilated some of the native tribes while others were enslaved or exterminated in long wars or by European diseases to which they had no immunity. By the mid 16th century, sugar had become Brazil's most important export and the Portuguese imported African slaves to cope with the increasing international demand.

Through wars against the French, the Portuguese slowly expanded their territory to the southeast, taking Rio de Janeiro in 1567, and to the northwest, taking São Luís in 1615. They sent military expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and conquered British and Dutch strongholds, founding villages and forts from 1669. In 1680 they reached the far south and founded Sacramento on the bank of the Rio de la Plata, in the Eastern Strip region, present-day Uruguay. At the end of the 17th century sugar exports started to decline but the discovery of gold by explorers in the region that would later be called Minas Gerais around 1693, saved the colony from collapse. From all over Brazil, as well as from Portugal, thousands of immigrants came to the mines.

The Spanish tried to prevent Portuguese expansion into the territory that belonged to them, but the Treaty of San Ildefonso, signed in 1494, confirmed Portuguese sovereignty over all lands proceeding from its territorial expansion, creating most of the current Brazilian borders. In 1808, the Portuguese royal family, fleeing the troops of the French Emperor Napoleon I that were invading Portugal and most of Central Europe, established themselves in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which became the seat of the entire Portuguese Empire. In 1815 Dom João VI, elevated Brazil from colony to sovereign Kingdom united with Portugal. King João VI returned to Europe on 26 April 1821, leaving his elder son as regent to rule Brazil. The Portuguese government attempted to turn Brazil into a colony once again, but Brazilians refused to yield and Prince Pedro stood by them declaring the country's independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822. Pedro was declared the first Emperor of Brazil and crowned Dom Pedro I. At that time almost all Brazilians were in favor of a monarchy and republicanism had little support. The subsequent Brazilian War of Independence spread through almost the entire territory, with battles in the northern, northeastern, and southern regions. The last Portuguese soldiers surrendered on 8 March 1824 and independence was recognized by Portugal on 29 August 1825.

The first Brazilian constitution was made on 25 March 1824, after its acceptance by the municipal councils across the country. Pedro I abdicated 1831 and went to Europe to reclaim his daughter’s crown, leaving behind his five year old son and heir, who was to become Dom Pedro II. As the new emperor could not exert his constitutional prerogatives until he reached maturity, a regency was created. Disputes between political factions led to rebellions and an unstable, almost anarchical, regency. The rebellious factions were not in revolt against the monarchy, even though some declared the secession of the provinces as independent republics, but only so long as Pedro II was a minor. Because of this, Pedro II was prematurely declared of age and Brazil was to enjoy nearly half a century of internal peace and rapid material progress. Brazil won three international wars during the 58-year reign of Pedro II and witnessed the consolidation of representative democracy, due to successive elections and unrestricted freedom of the press. Slavery was extinguished after a slow but steady process that began with the end of the international traffic in slaves in 1850 and ended with the complete abolition of slavery in 1888. When the monarchy was overthrown in 1889 there was little desire in Brazil to change the form of government and Pedro II was at the height of his popularity among his subjects. After the death of his two sons, Pedro believed that "the imperial regime was destined to end with him." He did nothing to prevent the military coup, backed by former slave owners who resented the abolition of slavery.

The early republican government was little more than a military dictatorship. The army dominated affairs both at Rio de Janeiro and in the states. Freedom of the press disappeared and elections were controlled by those in power. In 1894 the republican civilians rose to power, opening a prolonged cycle of civil war, financial disaster, and government incompetence. By 1902, the government began a return to the policies pursued during the Empire, policies that promised peace and order at home and a restoration of Brazil's prestige abroad, and was successful in negotiating several treaties that expanded and secured the Brazilian boundaries.

In the 1920s the country was plagued by several rebellions caused by young military officers. By 1930, the regime was weakened and demoralized, which allowed the defeated presidential candidate to lead a coup d'état and assume the presidency. Vargas closed the National Congress, extinguished the Constitution, ruled with emergency powers and replaced the states' governors with his supporters. In 1935 Communists rebelled across the country and made an unsuccessful bid for power. The communist threat, however, served as an excuse for Vargas to launch another coup d'état in 1937 and Brazil became a full dictatorship. Repression of the opposition was brutal, people imprisoned, internment camps created for political prisoners, widespread torture by the government agents, and censorship of the press. Brazil remained neutral during the early years of World War II until the government declared war against the Axis powers in 1942, they forced German, Japanese and Italian immigrants into concentration camps, and, in 1944, sent troops to the battlefields in Italy. With the allied victory in 1945 and the end of the Nazi-fascist regimes in Europe, Vargas's position became unsustainable and he was swiftly overthrown in a military coup. Democracy was reinstated in 1946, but Vargas returned to power in 1951, this time democratically elected, but he was incapable of either governing under a democracy or of dealing with an active opposition, and he committed suicide in 1954.

Several brief interim governments succeeded, the economy and industrial sector grew, and the construction of the new capital city of Brasília, inaugurated in 1960. João Goulart assumed the presidency, but aroused strong political opposition and was deposed in April 1964 by a coup that resulted in a military regime. The new regime was intended to be transitory but it gradually closed in on itself and became a full dictatorship with the announcement of the Fifth Institutional Act in 1968. The repression of the dictatorship's opponents, including urban guerrillas. Due to the extraordinary economic growth, known as an "economic miracle", the regime reached its highest level of popularity in the years of repression. General Ernesto Geisel became president in 1974 and began his project of re-democratization through a process that he said would be "slow, gradual and safe." Geisel ended the military indiscipline that had plagued the country since 1889, as well as the torture of political prisoners, censorship of the press, and finally, the dictatorship itself, after he extinguished the Fifth Institutional Act. Civilians fully returned to power in 1985.

It overcame more than two decades, 1964-1988, of military intervention in the governance of the country to pursue a democratic ruling, while facing the challenge of keeping its industrial and agricultural growth and developing its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, today Brazil is South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. A consequence of this is a high crime rate, specifically in large cities.

Music plays an important part in Brazilian identity, styles like choro, samba and bossa nova are considered genuinely Brazilian. Caipira music is also in the roots of sertanejo, the national equivalent to country music. Brazilian Popular Music mixes several national styles under a single concept, BPM. Forró, a north-eastern happy dancing music style, has also become common nationwide. New urban styles include funk, name given to a dance music genre from Rio's favelas that mixes heavy electronic beats and often raunchy rapping, and techno-brega, a crowd-pleaser in northern states, that fuses romantic pop, dance music and caribbean rhythms. A mixture of martial arts, dance, music and game, capoeira was brought to Brazil by African slaves, mainly from Portuguese Angola. Distinguished by vivacious complicated movements and accompanying music, it can be seen and practiced in many Brazilian cities. Candomble and Umbanda are religions with African roots that have survived prejudice and persecution and still have a significant following in Brazil. Their places of cult are called terreiros and many are open to visit.

Whereas the "Western" roots of Brazilian culture are largely European, there has been a strong tendency in the last decades to adopt a more "American way of life" which is found in urban culture and architecture, mass media, consumerism and a strongly positive feeling towards technical progress. In spite of that, Brazil and the intellectual elites are likely to look up to Europe, especially France, not the U.S., as source of inspiration. Many aspects in Brazilian society, such as the educational system, are inspired by the French.

In general, Brazilians are a fun-loving people. Some may even tell you that beer, football, samba and barbecue is all they could crave for.