Discovering Brazil

Page 10

Discovering Brazil

People and Culture

The beauty of Brazil lies in understanding the diversity and remarkable differences this

country has to offer. The core culture of Brazil comes from its strong colonial ties with

Portugal, though it has many other influences from Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as

indigenous Amerindians.

Brazil is known for its enormous ethnical and cultural diversity among different religious

beliefs and ethnicities, along with its trademark cheerfulness and kindness. The country

faced many influences and welcomed many people from different places in the world who

have left a physical mark on the landscape, as well as in Brazilian culture. Brazil was

culturally developed by people from Portugal, as well as Africa, England, Germany, France,

Holland, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain, and many other nations.

Demographics

Brazil is by far the largest and most populated country in South America, and one of the

largest nations in the world in terms of both surface area, and demographics. It stands fifth

among the largest territorial domains, following Russia, Canada, China, and the United

States.

The Brazilian population is concentrated within the South and Southeast regions, and

throughout most of the coastal area. A significant percentage of this population is a mix of

European, Amerindian, Middle Eastern, African, and Asian cultures. For example, São Paulo

state has the highest Japanese concentration in the world outside Japan.

Language

Portuguese is spoken by nearly the entire population. The only exceptions are some

members of Amerindian groups and other immigrant groups who have not yet learned

Portuguese. The principal families of Amerindian languages are Tupí, Arawak, Carib, and

Gê.

Even though Portuguese is the native language in Brazil, the difference between the way it is

spoken here and how it is spoken in Portugal is drastic. Sometimes a Brazilian might not

understand what a Portuguese person is saying, and vice-versa. Within Brazil, there are no

dialects of Portuguese, but only moderate regional variation in accent, vocabulary, and use

of personal nouns, pronouns, and verb conjugations. Variations have diminished as a result

of mass media, especially due to national television networks viewed by the majority of

Brazilians.

Religion

Although Evangelical Protestantism is growing in appeal, Roman Catholicism is still the most

popular denomination in the country. Approximately two-thirds of the population identifies

themselves as Catholic, and Brazil is said to be the largest Roman Catholic country in the

world. Brazil does have a presence of other Christian religions, as well as Judaism, Buddhism,

and the religions of Candomble and Umbanda, which were introduced by African cultures.