General Information

Government

Brasil is a federative republic — with over 210 million people, it is the 7th most populous country in the world, and one of the very largest constitutional democracies in existence. 

In area, it is the largest country in South America, and is the 5th largest country in the world. The country is very rich in resources and is extremely diverse both in its population and in its natural flora and fauna. Brasil has had and continues to have many institutions and figures over the years who work to advance and organise its people and lands — as literally written on the flag:

 "Order and Progress." 

History

There are plenty of basic facts about Brasil that people from abroad might find interesting. 

One of which is that it was one of the only empires in based in the new world - indeed, Rio was even the seat of the Portuguese court, for a time! 

Much history has passed since that period, of course, but each nuanced, colourful, and indeed sometimes dark, chapter of Brasilian history has contributed deeply to the Brasil we know today. Indeed, much of the 1988 Federal Constitution of Brasil is informed directly by the lessons learned in previous periods. One shining example is that, in Brasil, citizens are obligated by law to vote in federal elections, as it is considered a civic duty — similar to jury duty in many countries.  Civics are in fact regarded as prestigious and a public service in Brasil, with government agencies like IBAMA and others requiring potential-public-servants to "concourse" or contest for public service spots in competitive and difficult public service exams. 

Environment

IBAMA (Brasilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) leads the defence of environment and is the main coordinator of the fight against Climate Change in Brasil. Differently than in some countries, under IBAMA Brasil has its own environmental police, to preserve and protect nature itself. In addition to environmental protection, many research and rehabilitation efforts are sponsored or directly coordinated under IBAMA or other Ministry of the Environment departments. 

It is interesting to note that in the unique history of environmental studies in Brasil, some have centuries-old roots in  European institutions or even nobility, such as the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, that they founded as they descended upon the continent intent understanding (or profiting from) the many unique and endemic species. Others, though, are both more recent and hav begen to turn to more indigenous knowledge-based studies. Indeed IBAMA plays a unique role together with FUNAI (National Indigenous People Foundation), to work in tandem to protect both indigenous peoples and plants in the globally precious and unique Brasilian Amazon. FUNAI has many other functions as well, administering relationships between Brasil's government and indigenous peoples who reside within the country's modern borders, and adminstering programs to preserve native cultures.

Culture

Culture in Brasil is very complex and layered, as the result of various earlier peoples cultures like those involved in various waves of immigration, colonisation, and slavery interacting with the already complex and varied indigenous peoples' cultures. Very few places in the world have such an array of distinct cultures and mixtures of cultures, with exception of other countries on the American continent (indeed, "America" means something different depending on what culture one hails from, it must be recalled). 

With such a vast territory, Brasil contains both the remnants of and still-vibrant communities of thousands of indigenous cultures. Many place-names in Brasil originate from indigenous languages such as Tupi, Guarani, and Jé peoples in the more populated regions, for example. In the former hinterlands of Brasil, one will also encounter protected areas that were granted not only to the surviving indigenous peoples in the 1988 constitution, but also those of surviving Quilombos, or communities founded by and inhabited by the descendants of escaped slaves. Brasil is a country that is racially diverse, with no one ethnicity claiming a majority percentage.  Afro-Brasilians, or pessoas negras, pretas, or pardos (mixed), contribute just as much, if not more, to the fabric of Brasilian culture and society as any other group. Despite this, as is too often the case, there remains a history of racism to be reckoned with, alongside the direct fallout slavery had on these populations and their descendants. However, happily, African cultures and their derivatives have nevertheless thrived and flourished, settling into new forms and even developing into hybrid religions, including Candomblé and Umbanda — which even can claim white adherents despite being "African Diaspora Religions," as a testament to the increasingly mixed and diverse society in Brasil.

In the south and southeast of the country descendants from immgrants tend to predominate in the place of descendents of slaves. Following abolition in 1888, the country began to pursue a policy emphasizing immigration, resulting in significant migration of Italians, Germans, Japanse, among others. Mainly in the southern states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul, there are many families that continue to claim both Italian and Brasilian citizenship, and there continue to exist families who retain their German dialects such the family of the famous Brasilian model Gisele Bündchen. Somewhat later immigration by Japanese people was focused on the southeastern state of São Paulo, as well as neighboring Paraná. As recently as 2022, 2 million Japanese-descended people were estimated to reside in Brasil, making it the country with the largest population of Japanese origin outside Japan. A result of this is that, similar to other countries greatly influenced by immigration like the United States, it is commonly the case that even in more rural areas it is possible to come across ethnic restaurants like Sushi bars or Italian ristorantes. 

As part of its diverse cultures, Brasil also has rich culinary, musical, and other cultural traditions that are descendant from or hybrids of the various cultures that all exist alongside one another. In fact some of the more famous Brasilian exports such the martial arts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Luta Livre, and Vale Tudo, are all mixes of or continuations of different traditions that were influenced by others. Regarding music, there is much beyond the Girl from Ipanema and its parent genre of Bossa Nova — the music of Brazil encompasses various regional musical styles influenced by different European, American, African and Amerindian musical forms. Examples include forró, repente, coco de roda, axé, sertanejo, samba, bossa nova, MPB, gaucho music, pagode, tropicália, choro, maracatu, frevo, brega, and modinha as well as Brasilian versions of otherwise foreign musical styles, such as rock, pop music, soul, hip-hop, disco music, country music, ambient, industrial and psychedelic music, rap, classical music, fado, and gospel. Art is just as varied, with many storied museums and insitutions preserving and presenting of each, with the famous art museums of Rio and São Paulo representing only a fraction. Also notable is the prevalence of free cultural programs throughout the country — be it a full Lady Gaga concert on Copacabana beach or a more simple free admission to a cultural center or art museum. Beyond the many free options, there are also reduced prices for preferential populations such as seniors, students, and children.

Finance and Banking

The financial system in Brasil, differently than in some countries, is organised directly under a central bank, the Central Bank of Brasil. While various economists will have many opinions and more knowledge about what that entails, one effect of this organisational system is that it enables a system that is both centralised and decentralised, called Pix. For people in North America who are familiar with Apps like Venmo, for users it functions similarly, enabling direct, essentially instant financial transactions. However differently than Venmo, Pix is backed and administered directly by the Central Bank of Brasil, lending significant security and stability to such a critical part of modern finance.