Brazil (officially Federative Republic of Brazil<\/a>) is the world\u2019s fifth largest country and is located in South America. Although almost all of its neighboring countries speak Spanish, the language in Brazil is Portuguese. Brazil is different than many of the countries in South America because it was colonized as a part of Portugal (1500-1822) \u2013 also a Portuguese-speaking country.<\/p>\n The country is formed by 26 states plus a federal district where the capital, Brasilia, is located. The Brazil Gateway is situated in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo<\/a> in the city also named S\u00e3o Paulo, which is the capital of the state and Brazil\u2019s economic center. Campinas, a city in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo (less than two hours away from the capital) is also internationally known for its science and technology centers.<\/p>\n The country is the world\u2019s eighth-largest economy. It is a founding member of the United Nations, G20, BRICS, Mercosul and others. Brazil has vast biodiversity and beautiful natural sites worth visiting such as the Amazon forest, Pantanal, Iguazu Falls and all the incredible beaches on the coastline.<\/p>\n Temperatures are usually very warm in the north and northeast states, such as Amazonas and Pernambuco. In the southeast region, it rains frequently (it is where S\u00e3o Paulo is located), whereas it is usually dry in the central-west region (by the capital, Brasilia). In the south, where there are states such as Rio Grande do Sul, it can get cold in the winter and even snow a little.<\/p>\n More than 48% of the population describe themselves as \u201cwhite\u201d; almost 44% as \u201cpardo\u201d (brown); almost 7% as \u201cblack\u201d; 0.58% as Asian; and 0.28% as Indigenous. When describing themselves, Brazilians take more into account phenotypes rather than ancestry (National Research by Household Sample \u2013 PNAD – of 2008). According to the 2000 Demographic Census, Roman Catholicism is the country\u2019s predominant faith.<\/p>\n In literature, Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho are among the most read internationally. In terms of music, Samba (which is the predominant music in Carnival festivals) and Bossa Nova (which is a lyrical fusion of Samba and Jazz) are famous Brazilian styles. From 1990, four Brazilian movies have been nominated for the Oscar\u2019s. Soccer (\u201cfutebol\u201d) is the most popular sport and the country has won five World Cups. Volleyball, basketball, auto racing (Formula 1) and martial arts (such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira) also draw large crowds.<\/p>\n There are three main ways to get a visa for Brazil: Travelers can subscribe to receive Travel Advisory and Alerts via email from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil. They will include clear actions U.S. citizens should take before traveling. To sign up, please, visit the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at STEP.state.gov, and for more information visit travel.state.gov\/travelsafely.<\/p>\n For further general information from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates call 1-888-407-4747 tollfree in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).<\/p>\n International flights arrive at and leave from the International Airport of Guarulhos (GRU), which is almost one hour away from the Brazil Gateway office. Domestic flights can also arrive at\/leave from GRU, but the Airport of Congonhas (CGH)<\/a> is preferred for domestic flights, because it is closer to hotels and to the Brazil Gateway office (only 15-20 minutes). The Brazil Gateway team can recommend hotels and neighborhoods depending on the city you will travel to. Please, reach out to aparecido.1@osu.edu if you want to know about a specific location. If you are coming to S\u00e3o Paulo, where the Brazil Gateway is located, we have created a list of recommendations for hotels, restaurants, stores and malls and cultural places to visit: go.osu.edu\/saopaulo.<\/p>\n Source of this book: https:\/\/oia.osu.edu\/<\/a><\/p>\n This book is created with Visual Paradigm Online. With this online flipbook software, you can create professional flipbooks easily by uploading PDFs. It is easy-to-use for all people. Tryout the software<\/a> now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Obtaining a Visa<\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 eVisa \u2013 application online for those who will not stay for more than 90 days in Brazil
\n\u2022 Brazilian Consulate \u2013 with jurisdiction over your region, for stays longer than 90 days
\n\u2022 Travel or Visa Service Agencies such as Travisa \u2013 for stays longer than 90 days.<\/p>\nTravel Advisory and Alerts<\/h3>\n
Flights and Accommodations<\/h3>\n
Attribution<\/h3>\n