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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL
homes over decades as an alternative to affordable housing, notoriously rare in
the big cities of the country.
FAVELA IN TRANSITION
Home to some 70,000people, Rocinha is Brazil’s biggest favela. Nearly
all of its homes have electricity, sanitation facilities, and running water
and are built of concrete or brick, no longer simply metal panels strung together
precariously
. As in other favelas in Rio de Janeiro and throughout the country,
cultural expression—especially music—is vibrant.
Another aspect of Brazilian family life is its cultural diversity. With an area
that covers 3.28 million square miles (8.50 million sq. km.), and with a popula-
tion of 201 million, Brazil is home to many indigenous tribes, each with its own
distinct family traditions and relationships, many still living off the land in the
Amazon Basin.
The Yanomami is the largest, most isolated indigenous tribe. They live in
the northern Amazon area, made up of mountains and jungle—in a territory
twice the size of Switzerland. Yanomami villages are populated by extended
polygamous families, in which husbands have many wives. Young children
often stay close to their mothers, who are expected to bear and care for many
children. Although they don’t hunt—that’s the male’s job—women tend
Colorful favelas in Rio
de Janeiro.