Before Columbus arrived in the Americasthe area now known as Brazil was home to people mainly of the Tupi and Guarani ethnic groups. Colonization by the Portuguese began late in the 16th centurywith the extraction of valuable wood from the pau brasil treefrom which the country draws its name. Brazil was colonized and developed by the Portuguese and not the Spanishwho claimed most of the rest of the Americas. Eastern Brazil was a waypoint on the Cape Route between Europe and Asia. Some parts of Brazil formed a Dutch colony between 1630 and 1654. The Dutch founded several citiessuch as Mauritsvilleand many sugar cane plantations. The Dutch fought a grim jungle war with the Portugueseand without the support of their homeland due to a war with Englandthe Dutch surrendered to the Portuguesethough they did not officially recognize Portuguese rulewhich led to an all-out war with Portugal off the coast of Portugal in 1656. In 1665 the Peace Treaty of The Hague was signedPortugal lost most of its Asian colonies and had to pay 63 tons of gold to compensate the Dutch Republic for the loss of its colony.

The following four centuries saw continued exploitation of the country's natural resources such as gold and rubberalongside the rise of an economy based largely on sugarcoffee and African slave labor. Christianizing and exploitation of natives continuedand the 19th and 20th centuries saw a second wave of immigrationmainly PortugueseItalianSpanishGerman (in southern Brazil)JapaneseAmerican (mainly in São Paulo State)Polish and Ukrainian (in the south)adding to the set of factors that generated today's complex and unique Brazilian culture and society.

Independence was a far less revolutionary undertaking in Brazil than in its Spanish-speaking neighbors. The Portuguese king Dom João VI (John VI) fled along with the Portuguese royal family in 1808when France under Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. He established himself and his government in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

From 1815Brazil started to have the same status as Portugalceasing to be a colony. The separation was gradual and supported by Prince Pedroson of Dom João VI. Pedro initially stayed in Rio as provisional regent. Following the ideals of the leader of the independence movement in South AmericaSimón BolívarPedro declared independence from Brazil on September 71822 and was crowned Emperor Dom Pedro I. Six years laterin 1828the province of Cisplatina became independent after a long war involving Argentina and Brazilbecoming what is now Uruguay.

Until 1889Brazil was an empire under the rule of Dom Pedro I and his son Dom Pedro II. By this timeit became an emerging international power. Slaverywhich had initially been widespreadwas restricted by successive legislation until its final abolition in 1888. Many factors contributed to the fall of the monarchy and the rise of nominal Republicanism thereafterbutin effectthere was military intervention in Brazil until 1894. Since thendemocracy in Brazil was interrupted by coups and dictatorships until 1985.

By far the largestmost populous and prosperous country in Latin AmericaBrazil emerged from more than two decades (1964-1985) of military dictatorship to pursue democratic rulewhile facing the challenges of continuing its industrial and agricultural growth and developing its interior. Exploiting vast natural resourcesenormous geographic areaand a large labor pooltoday Brazil is Latin America's leading economic power and a regional leaderovershadowing the likes of Mexico and Argentina. Political corruptionas in most of Latin Americaand high barriers to entry of markets including labor remain pressing problems. A consequence of this is high crime ratesespecially in large cities.

The "pink tide" in Latin American politics has brought greater economic disparity in Brazil as in other countrieswith political classes growing in wealth and number while poorly educated and politically poorly-connected people suffer from high barriers to entry into labor marketshigher education and other markets. Discontent with the Brazilian government erupted into open protests during the 2014 World Cup football tournamentand again during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Government forces had begun evicting people from their homes before the tournamentsand the response to the protests was brutal by most accounts. Some protesters pointed out the absurdity of building expensive stadiums in faraway places when people were living in slums with no property rights.

Widespread discontent with the economy led to the election of far-right populist candidate Jair Bolsonaro as president in 2018. Bolsonaro pledged to end environmental protections and roll back indigenous and minority rights in exchange for pursuing economic development. In 2022he was defeated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvamore commonly known as Lula. Bolsonaro's supporters then stormed government buildings in Brasilia in an action described by others as a self-coupfor which he was charged in February2025 and will stand trial.

With a land area of 8,515,767 square kilometres (3,287,956 sq mi)Brazil is the world's fifth largest country. It is about the same size as the contiguous United States and half the size of Russia.

Brazil's landscape is characterized by extensive tropical forests from the Amazon plain in the north to plateaushills and a mountainous coastline in the south and southeast. While the basis of the country's agriculture is in the savannas of the Midwestmost of the population lives near the Atlantic coastwhere almost all major cities are also.

The Brazilian territory also has the archipelagos of São Pedro and São Pauloabout 800 km off the Brazilian coastwhich have only one lighthouse built on themand the former penal colony of Fernando de Noronhawhich is not far from the rocky group. Both are on the Mid-Atlantic Ridgein the equatorial Atlantic. The islands of Trindade and Martim Vazwhich belong to the state of Espírito Santoare of volcanic origin. The oval-shaped Rocas Atoll spans several kilometers and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional wildlife.

But the largest island in Brazil is the Marajó Islandin the Amazon. It is the largest river island in the world andwith an area of ​​around 48,000 km² (18,532.90 square miles)is larger than Switzerland. Howeveras large parts are flooded in the rainy seasonthe island is populated only in a few places. Bananal Island is also one of the largest river islands in the world with an area of ​​approximately 20,000 km². It is located in a national park in the state of Tocantins on the Araguaia River and its size is similar to Jamaica.

Brazil is a federal republicmodeled after the American presidential system. The people directly elect a president who is both head of state and head of government. The president is elected for a four-year termwith the right to only one re-election.

The legislative branch is the National Congressa bicameral parliament that consists of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Both houses are directly elected. Senate members are elected for 8-year termswith renewal of one or two thirds every 4 years. Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected every four years through the proportional representation of each state. The Supreme Federal Courtthe Superior Court of Justice and other Superior Courtsthe National Justice Council and the Regional Federal Courts form the judicial branch. The political system follows a multiparty system. The main political parties represented in National Congress are the Workers' Partythe Brazilian Democratic Movementthe Brazilian Social Democracy Partythe Social Democratic Partythe Liberal Party and the Brazil Union. It is common for many Brazilian politicians to switch parties frequently.

One of the main problems in Brazilian politics is corruption. Clientelismnepotismpolitical favoritism and overpricing of public funds are common. In additionthe unrestricted multiparty system and the high number of parties make Brazilian politics highly fragmentedmaking the president needing support from alliances of several different parties in order to implement his governmental agenda (a phenomenon called coalition presidentialism).

Owing to Brazil’s continental dimensionsvaried geographyhistory and peoplethe country’s culture is rich and diverse. It has several regional variationsand in spite of being mostly unified by a single languagesome regions are so different from each other that they look like different countries altogether.

Music plays an important part in Brazilian identity. Styles like chorosamba and bossa nova are considered genuinely Brazilian. Caipira music is also in the roots of sertanejothe national equivalent to country music. MPB stands for Brazilian Popular Musicwhich mixes several national s under a single concept. Forróa north-eastern happy dancing music has also become common nationwide. New urban s include funk - a name given to a dance music genre from Rio's favelas that mixes heavy electronic beats and often raunchy rapping - and techno-bregaa crowd-pleaser in northern statesthat fuses romantic popdance music and Caribbean rhythms.

A mixture of martial artsdancemusic and gamecapoeira was brought to Brazil by African slavesmainly from Portuguese colonies Angola. Distinguished by vivacious complicated movements and accompanying musicit can be seen and practiced in many Brazilian cities. Later immigrants from Japan brought their traditional martial arts with themwhich gradually evolved into a unique known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

In classical musicthe Modern Period is particularly notabledue to the works of composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos and Camargo Guarnieriwho created a typical Brazilian schoolmixing elements of the traditional European classical music to the Brazilian rhythmswhile other composers like Cláudio Santoro followed the guidelines of the Second School of Vienna. In the Romantic Periodthe greatest name was Antonio Carlos Gomesauthor of some Italian-d operas with typical Brazilian themeslike Il Guarany and Lo Schiavo. In the Classical Periodthe most prominent name is José Maurício Nunes Garciaa priest who wrote both sacred and secular music and was very influenced by the Viennese classical of the 18th and early 19th century.

Candomblé 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.

Indigenous traits can be found everywhere in Brazilian culturefrom cuisine to vocabulary. There are still many indigenous groups and tribes living in all Brazilian regionsalthough many have been deeply influenced by Western cultureand several of the country's surviving indigenous languages are in danger of disappearing completely. The traditional life and graphic expressions of the Wajãpi indigenous group from the state of Amapá were proclaimed a Masterpiece of the World's Intangible Heritage by UNESCO. The vast majority of the world's last uncontacted peoples reside within the dense Amazon rainforest of Brazil.

Globothe largest national television networkalso plays an important role in shaping the national identity. The other five major Brazilian TV networks are SBT (the second largest)RecordTVBandRedeTV and Cultura (the public and educational television network). There are also many other local or regional TV channels. In additionBrazilians increasingly have access to many other cable or satellite TV channels. Nine out of ten households have a TV setwhich is the most important source of information and entertainment for most Braziliansfollowed by radio broadcasts. TVs broadcast sportsmovieslocal and national news and telenovelas (soap operas)– 6-10 month-long series that have become one of the country’s main cultural exports.

Throughout its historyBrazil has welcomed several different peoples and practices. Brazil constitutes a melting pot of the most diverse ethnic groupssomewhat mitigating ethnic prejudices and racial conflictsthough long-lasting slavery and even genocide among indigenous populations have taken their toll. Prejudice is generally more directed towards different social classes rather than between races. Neverthelessracedenoted by skin colouris still a dividing factor in Brazilian society and you will notice the skin typically darkens as the social class gets lower: wealthy upper-class people are mostly light skinned; most average middle-class people are tan; and the majority of poor people are black. NowadayshoweverAfro-Brazilians and Amerindian populations are increasingly aware of their civil rights and of their rich cultural heritageand they can hope to achieve social mobility through education.

In generalBrazilians are a fun-loving people. While Southerners may be considered somewhat colder and more reservedfrom Rio northwardpeople can boast a vivacious attitude and enjoy leisure time.

Friendship and hospitality are highly prized among Braziliansand both family connections and social interactions are valued highly. To people they have metor at least know by nameBrazilians are usually very openfriendly and sometimes quite generous. Once introduceduntil getting a good reason not toa typical Brazilian may treat you as warmly as he would treat a best friend. Brazilians are reputedly one of the most hospitable people in the world and foreigners are usually treated with respect and often with true admiration. That being saidtourism in Brazilas in most of the worldbrings out the darker side of humanity.

Attitudes towards foreigners may also be subject to regional differences:

• The state of Santa Catarina welcomes their Spanish-speaking tourists with bilingual signs and welcome committees.
• In Salvadorthe largest city of the Northeastanyone talkingacting or looking like a tourist (even other Brazilians!) could be charged higher pricessuch as in parking lotsin restaurantsetc.

Most Brazilians are honest and genuinely friendlybut many are used to small acts of corruption in their everyday livesthe so-called jeitinho brasileiro. If you obviously look like a touristyou are a potential target; for instancea vendor may try to sell goods at higher pricesor a taxi driver may choose the longest route to the destination. It doesn't mean that you can't trust anyonejust that you have to be a bit more alert and carefulparticularly if someone seems too friendly.

Whereas the "Western" roots of Brazilian culture are largely Europeanespecially Iberianas evidenced by its colonial towns and sporadic historical buildings between the newer skyscrapersthere has been a strong tendency to adopt a more "American way of life" which is found in urban culture and architecturemass mediaconsumerism and a positive attitude toward technical progress. Despite thisBrazil is still a nation facing the Atlantic rather than Hispanic Americaand the intellectual elites are likely to look up to Europeespecially Franceas sources of inspirationas opposed to the US. Many aspects in Brazilian societysuch as the educational systemare inspired by the Frenchand may seem strange at first to North American visitors.

The contrasts in this large country equally fascinate and shock most visitorsespecially Europeans. The indifference of many locals towards the socialeconomic and ecological problems can upset visitors accustomed to addressing these issues at home. While an elite of well-educated professionals and the political class partake in the amenities of modern societychild laborilliteracy and grossly inferior housing still exist even in cities blessed by economic growth and huge foreign investment such as São Paulo or Rio.

As much as Brazilians acknowledge their self-sustainability in raw materialsagricultureand energy sources as an enormous benefit for the futuremost of them agree that without enormous changes in education and access to entrepreneurship for allthere will hardly be a way out of poverty and underdevelopment.

Since the beginning of the 21st centuryBrazil has faced an increasing wave of immigration from ChinaBolivia and Haiti.

Brazil is a huge country with different climatic zonesalthough most of the country is in the tropics. Temperatures vary greatly depending on the altitude of the place you are and the distance from the equator. In the Amazon regionfrom northern Mato Grosso to western Maranhãothere is a tropical rainforest climatewith very frequent rainshigh temperatures and a reduced thermal amplitude. There is an almost uninterrupted rainy season in the Amazon rainforestwith the main rainy months from November to March. In the Northeastthe coast has frequent rains in the winter.

The interior of the Brazilian Northeast has a semi-arid climatewhere there are very high temperaturesrare rains and frequent droughts. The central areas of Brazil have a tropical savanna climatewith extremely dry winterlow humidity levels in the middle of the year (below 30%) and a hot and rainy summer.

In the southeastthe coast is hot and humid and suffers the direct action of the tropical Atlantic masswith frequent rains in the summer. In the highest areas of the Southeastwith altitudes between 500m and 1000m or morethere are the lowest temperatures in the entire tropical areareaching an average lower than 18º C. In the south of the state of São Paulo and in the three southern regions of the states of In Brazilthe climate is subtropicalwith rains evenly distributed throughout the year. The summer is very hot and has an average temperature of 30ºwhereas the winterconsidered very coldhas frequent frosts and low temperaturessometimes getting less than 0° C. In many cities of altitude over 1000m in Santa Catarina and north of the Serras Gaúchas region of Rio Grande do Sultemperatures are even coldereven occurring snow.

Brazil is one of the world's most religiously diverse countries. Brazilians follow a variety of religious faiths and religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution.

Christianity is the largest religion in Brazilwith most Brazilians being followers of the Roman Catholic Church. Catholicism was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century and used to be Brazil's official state religion until the 19th century. A significant portion of Brazilians are Protestants; most Brazilian Protestants are followers of Pentecostalism and the number of Protestants has grown considerably over the past few decades.

Buddhism was introduced to the country by Asian immigrants and Brazil has one of the largest Buddhist populations in the Americas. More than 250,000 Brazilians are adherents of Buddhism.

Judaism came to the country during the 15th or 16th century. Brazil is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world and has the second largest Jewish community in South America. More than 120,000 Brazilians are adherents of Judaism.

Islam is one of Brazil's largest minority religions. Islam is believed to have been introduced to the country by African slaves from West Africa.

Afro-Brazilian religionssuch as Umbanda and Candombléhave many followerssyncretizing African deities (orixás) with Catholic saints. Spiritism is the third most followed religion in Brazil and the country has the largest number of Spiritists in the world.

Brazil observes the following 13 national holidays:

• New Year's Day - 1 January
• Carnaval - February/March (movable - 40 days before Easter. Monday and Tuesday are the actual holidaysbut celebrations usually begin on Saturday and last until noon of Ash Wednesdaywhen shops and services re-open.)
• Good Friday - March/April (movable) two days before Easter Sunday
• Tiradentes - 21 April
• Labour Day - 1 May
• Corpus Christi - May/June (movable) sixty days after Easter Sunday
• Independence Day - 7 September
• Day of Our Lady of Aparecida (Patron Saint of Brazil) and Children's Day - 12 October
• Day of the Dead (Finados) - 2 November
• Republic Proclamation Day - 15 November
• Christmas - 25 December

Working hours are usually from 08:00 or 09:00-17:00 or 18:00. Banks open Monday to Fridayfrom 10:00-16:00. Street shops tend to close at noon on Saturday and re-open on Monday. Shopping malls normally open from 10:00-22:00 or 23:00Monday to Saturdayand from 15:00-21:00 on Sundays. Some mallsespecially in large citiesare also open on Sundaysalthough not all the stores may be open. It is also possible to find 24-hour stores and small markets that are open on Sundays.

Brazil spans four standard time zones from UTC-2 to UTC-5 (in Brazilian terms"Brasilia time -2" to "Brasilia time +1").

• Brasilia time +1 (UTC-2): Fernando de Noronha and some other smaller islands in the Atlantic.
• Brasilia time (UTC-3): SoutheastSouthNortheastGoiásDistrito FederalTocantinsParáAmapá.
• Brasilia time -1 (UTC-4): Roraimaeastern AmazonasRondôniaMato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
• Brasilia time -2 (UTC-5): Acre and western Amazonas.

Since 2019daylight saving time is no longer observed in Brazil.

• Visit Brazil website

Visa restrictions: Starting on April 102025all U.S.Canadianand Australian citizens will be required to obtain a visa in order to enter to Brazil for the purposes of business or tourism. Howeveran eVisa option is available for travelers going into Brazileliminating the need of traveling to the Brazilian Diplomatic post. If you already have a valid physical visa on your passportyou do not need to apply for an eVisa until your physical visa expires. This does not apply to Brazilian Dual Citizens as they need a Brazilian Passport to return into Brazil. To apply for an eVisaplease visit this website.

(Information last updated Mar 2024)

Brazil has a reciprocal visa policy with many countriesmeaning that when visa fees and restrictions are applied to Brazilian visiting a countryBrazil generally adopts the same measures for that country's visitors.

• Citizens from ArgentinaBoliviaChileColombiaEcuadorParaguayPeruUruguay and Venezuela may enter the country with a valid ID card and stay up to 90 days.
• No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days from holders of passports counting from all countries marked in green on the map except the following: all European Union member countries (90 days within a 180-day period except for CroatiaFinlandFranceIrelandPolandPortugalRomaniaSlovakiaand Spain)Albania (90 days within a 180-day period)Dominica (90 days within a 180-day period)Georgia (90 days within a 180-day period) Indonesia (30 days)Kazakhstan (30 days)Montenegro (90 days within a 180-day period)North Macedonia (90 days within a 180-day period)Seychelles (90 days within a 180-day period)Singapore (30 days)Ukraine (90 days within a 180-day period)Venezuela (60 days) and the United Kingdom. The immigration officer has the right to restrict your visa to less than 90 daysif they deem fit. (This has been done routinely for lone male travellers arriving in Fortalezaallegedly to combat prostitution tourism.) The officer will then state the number of days (e.g. 60 or 30) in pen writing inside the stamp just given in your passport; if notit remains as 90 days.

• Citizens from all other countries do require a visa< about="#mwt83" data-mw='{"name":"templates","attrs":{"src":"Dead link/s.css"},"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Dead link","href":"./Template:Dead_link"},"params":{"date":{"wt":"January 2023"},"bot":{"wt":"InternetArchiveBot"}},"i":0}}]}' data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r5167228" id="mwAV0" typeof="mw:Extension/templates mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .error-deadlink{color:red;background:yellow;display:none;white-space:nowrap}^{[dead link]}. The fees vary depending on reciprocity: Cost of Brazil visa for citizens of Taiwan or Taiwanese passport holder pay US$20 (Reference from Embassy of Brazil in LimaPeru) and 5 days to process.
• Citizens from the United StatesCanadaand Australia can also apply for an eVisa.

• The requirement to first enter Brazil within 90 days of the issue of the visa now only applies to nationals of AngolaBahrainBurmaCambodiaCape VerdeChinaCubaEquatorial GuineaGabonGhanaGreeceHondurasJapanJordanKoreaKuwaitLaosLibyaNigeriaOmanPakistanParaguayThe PhilippinesPortugalQatarSyriaSwitzerlandTaiwanThailandand Tunisia. Failure to enter Brazil within 90 days will invalidate the visano matter how long it is otherwise valid for.
• By law you are required to produce your outbound ticket upon entry. If you didn't book a return flight to Brazilbuy an onward ticket online for around US$12 or a fully refundable flight ticket to your home country.
• When you are travelling from certain tropical regions to Brazil you need a yellow fever vaccination and the certificate showing you had this. It is illegal to bring in animalsmeatdairyseedsplantseggshoneyfruitor any kind of non-processed food without a permit. Contact [[email protected]] for more information.
• If you want to enter/exit the country for some reason without coming in contact with the immigration authoritiesthere are numerous tiny border towns that have virtually no control. You will perhaps be told by the local police (who don´t have stamps or computer registers for immigration) to contact the federal police in such and such nearby town.

• Tourist visas (including those granted on the spot in immigration control) can be extended at any office of the Policia Federal. Tourist Visas granted to citizens of the Schengen Area can not be extended. All state capitalsand most border towns and international ports have one. Tourist visas will only be extended oncefor a maximum of 90 daysand under no circumstances can you be granted more than 180 days with a tourist visa for any 365-day period. You should contact the federal police about 1 week before your visa expires. The handling fee is R$67 (Oct 2008). You may be asked for an outbound ticket (book a fully refundable one on the internetthen cancel when your visa is extended)and a proof of subsistence (for which your credit card is mostly accepted.) In order to apply for the extensionyou must fill out the Emissão da Guia de Recolhimento^{[dead link]} on the Federal Police websitewhich you will carry to the Banco do Brasil in order to pay the fee. Do not pay the fee until you have spoken with a federal police officer about your case. If she/he denies the extension of your visayou must have a bank account in Brazil in order to receive a refund.
• If you overstay your tourist visa or visa-free visityou will be fined R$100 per day (as of July 2021)for a maximum of 100 days. This means that even if you stay illegally for 4 yearsthe fine will never exceed R$10,000. You will be made to pay this at the border crossing. As this can take timeit could be wise to do it a few days up front at a federal police officeespecially if you have a domestic to international flight connection. The federal police will then give you 8 days to get out of the country. If you don´t pay your fine upon exitingyou will have to pay the next time you enter. The fact that you have been fined for overstaying in the past does not normally imply future difficulties with immigrationbut you´d better keep all receipts and old passports for reference. The overstaying fees are cancelled 5 years after exiting Brazil.

The two main international gateways to Brazil are São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU ^IATA) and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport (GIG ^IATA). Both are the two major international airports in Brasilare close to their respective city centers and have connections by metro or bus lines. A smaller number of international flights are available to other Brazilian capitalssuch as BelémBelo HorizonteBrasíliaFortalezaManausPorto Alegre and Recifeas well as Campinas.

The largest Brazilian airline is the flag carrier LATAM Airlines which has direct flights to many destinations in the Americas and Europe. Other low-cost airlinessuch as GOL and Azul also have direct flights between many Brazilian and South American cities. Delta Air LinesUnited Airlinesand American Airlines also operate flights to São Paulo-Guarulhos from some U.S. cities AtlantaDallasHoustonMiamiNewarkNew York City (JFK) and Chicagoas does Air Canada from Montreal and Toronto. European airlinessuch as British AirwaysKLMAir FranceLufthansaITA AirwaysIberia and TAP also operate international flights to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro from London (Heathrow)AmsterdamParis (Charles de Gaulle)FrankfurtRomeMadrid and Lisbon.

Coming from Europe you usually get low air fares in high frequency from Madrid and Lisbon.

Air travel in Brazil grew from 70 million passengers in 2009 to almost 120 million in 2019partly as a result of the poor condition of many Brazilian roads and the absence of any viable rail network. It is still relatively inexpensive with discounts sometimes available and easily the best option for long distance travel within the country. Some major airportsespecially those in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiroarehoweverbecoming very crowded.

The main border crossings are at:

• with Uruguay: Chuy/ChuíBella Unión/Barra do QuaraíArtigas/QuaraíAceguá/AceguáRío Branco/Jaguarãoand between Rivera/Santana do Livramento
• with Argentina: Paso de los Libres/UruguaianaSanto Tomé/São BorjaBernardo de Irigoyen/Dionísio CerqueiraTobuna/Paraíso (Santa Catarina)Comandante Andresito/Capanemaand between Puerto Iguazu/Foz do Iguaçu
• with Paraguay: Ciudad del Este/Foz do IguaçuSalto del Guaira/Guaíraand between Pedro Juan Caballero/Ponta Porã
• with Bolivia: Puerto Suarez/CorumbáCobija/Brasileia/Epitaciolandia and San Matías/Cáceres
• with Peru: Iñapari/Assis Brasil
• with Colombia: Leticia/Tabatinga No road connections on either side of the border.
• with Guyana: Lethem/Bonfim

In certain border townsnotably Foz do Iguaçu/Ciudad del Este/Puerto Iguazuyou do not need entry/exit stamps or other formalities for a daytrip into the neighbouring country. These same towns are good venues if you for some reason want to cross without contact with immigration authorities.

Long-distance bus service connects Brazil to its neighboring countries. The main capitals linked directly by bus are Buenos AiresAsunciónMontevideoSantiagoand Lima. Direct connections from the first three can also be found easilybut from Lima it might be trickythough easily accomplished by changing at one of the others. Those typically go to São Paulobut southern cities such as Porto AlegreFlorianópolisCuritiba or Pelotas have good connections too. It should be kept in mind that distances between Sāo Paulo and any foreign capitals are significantand journeys on the road may take up to 3 daysdepending on the distance and accessibility of the destination. The national land transport authority has listings^{[dead link]} on all operating international bus linesand the Green Toad Bus offers bus passes between Brazil and neighbouring countries as well as around Brazil itself.

Amazon river boats connect northern Brazil with PeruVenezuela and Colombia.

From French Guianayou can cross the river Oyapoquewhich takes about 15 minutes.

From the city of Guayaramerínin Boliviayou can cross the Mamoré river for the city of Guajará-Mirimin Rondônia. The crossing last about 5 to 10 minutes.

Train service within Brazil is almost nonexistent. Howeverthere are exceptions to the rulesuch as the Serra Verde Expressa tourist route starting from Curitiba.

Air service covers most of Brazil. Many flights make many stops en routeparticularly in hubs such as São PauloRio de Janeiro or Brasilia. Some airports with regular passenger traffic are still operated by state-owned company Infraeroalthough many international airports already had their operation privatized.

There are now several Brazilian booking engines that are good (although not perfect) for comparing flights and prices between different companies. They will mostly include an extra feehence it is cheaper to book on the airline's own site.

The Brazilian airline scene changes surprisingly often. The largest Brazilian carriers are the flag carrier LATAM Airlines and low-cost airlines Gol and Azul. These airlines have flights that serve all capitals and major cities in the country. Azul's subsidiary Azul Conecta and VoePass^{[dead link]} offer short-haul flights to smaller regional airports throughout the country. There are also regional carriers.

Many domestic flights have so many stops that someincluding yoursmay be missing from the listings in the airports. Double check your flight number and confirm with ground staff.

Certain domestic flights in Brazil are "international"meaning that the flight has arrived from abroad and is continuing without clearing all passengers through customs and immigration. This means all passengers must do this at the next stopeven those having boarded in Brazil. Do not fill out a new immigration formbut show what you were given upon actual arrival to Brazil.

Brazil has the largest road network in Latin America with over 1.6 million kilometres. A car is a good idea if you want to explore scenic arease.g. the historic cities of Minas Geraisthe Rio-Santos highwayor the beaches in North-East Brazil. There are the usual car rental companies at the airports. Many roads are in good conditionespecially in the east and south of the country and along the coast. In other areas and outside the metropolitan regions there are also gravel and dirt roads for which an off-road vehicle can be strongly recommended. This especially applies to the Amazon area where many roads are difficult or not at all passable during the rainy season from November to March. This is why it is advisable to travel with a good map and to be well informed about distancesroad conditions and the estimated travel time. Road maps of the brand Guia Quatro Rodas was available in the most newsstands in Brazil until 2015but they ceased to be published from that year. Many Brazilian drivers also tend to use online maps such as Google Maps and Waze to find the best routes. In theorythe driving rules of Brazil resemble those of Western Europe or North America. In practicedriving in Brazil can be quite scary if you are used to European (even Mediterranean) or North American road culturedue to widespread violations of driving rulesand the toleration thereof.

Distances kept to other vehicles are kept at a bare minimumovertaking whenever close to possibleand changing lanes without much of a prior signal. Many large cities also suffer from hold-ups when you wait at a red light in the night. Even if there is no risk of robberymany drivers (including of city buses) run red lights or stop signs at night when they do not see incoming traffic from the cross street. Drivers also indulge in "creative" methods of saving timesuch as using the reverse direction lanes. In rural areasmany domestic animals are left at the roadsideand they sometimes wanders into the traffic. Pedestrians take enormous chances crossing the roadsince many drivers do not bother to slow down if they see pedestrians crossing. The quality of the paving is very variedand the presence of enormous potholes is something that strongly discourages night-driving. Also consider the risk of highway hold-ups after darknot to mention truck drivers on amphetamines (to keep awake for days in a row).

• In Brazil cars are driven on the right hand side of the road.
• A flashing left signal means that the car ahead is warning you not to passfor some reason. If the car ahead of you wants to show you that it is safe to pass it will flash the right signal. The right signal is the same signal to indicate that you're going to stop on the side of the roadso it means you're going to slow down. On the other hand the left signal is the same signal to indicate you're going to pass the car aheadmeaning you're going to speed up.
• Flashingtwinkling headlights from the cars coming on the opposite side of the road means caution on the road ahead. Most of the timeit indicates that there are animalscops or speed radar ahead.
• Keep the doors locked when drivingespecially in the larger citiesas robberies at stop signs and red lights are quite common in some areas. You'll make it much easier for the robber if he can simply open up the door and sit down. Be equally careful with keeping your windows wide openas someone might put their hands inside your car and steal a walletfor instance. Leave your handbags and valuables out of sight.

In smaller cities and towns the bicycle is a common means of transport. This does not mean that cyclists are usually respected by carstrucksor bus drivers. But you may find good roads with little traffic outside the cities. It is also easy to get a lift by a pickup or to have the bike transported by a long-distance bus.

Cycling path are virtually non-existent in citiesexcept along certain beachfrontssuch as Rio de Janeiro and Recife.

There are bicyclers groups around the countrye.g. Sampa Bikers in São Paulo which meets weekly.

Brazil has a nationwide law for inter-state bus travel that enforces that luggages should be transported free of charge provided that they are below 23 kg300 dm³ and has a maximum dimension of 1 m. Alsoexcess fees are regulated for the case of overweightbut not for oversize. Normallybike have a lower weight and volume than the maximawhile one dimension typically is slightly larger than the maximum. In practicethis creates a limbo on which some companies choose to be actively friendly or actively hostile to bike transportwhile the majority of companies simply don't have any rule whatsoever with the bike transportation being conditional on the bus driver goodwill (which is usually the case).

Some bus companies that are known for transporting bikes with no strings attached (and without requiring disassembly and packaging) are: Catarinense1001Viação Cometa and Pássaro Marrom. Some other bus companies that are known for being actively hostile towards bikes (by asking for rigid cases"nota fiscais" and extra fees) are Eucatur and Expresso Nordeste. There's a partial list of bus companies and reviews for them at

For companies with unclear rulesgetting on the bus with the bike disassembled (e.g. front wheel removed and attached to the frame) and packaged (in a plastic bag) will do the trick most of the time.

It is possible to ask the company channels for what are the rulesalthough most of the time it is inefficient. They are going to take forever to do it and will provide ambiguous or overly restrictive answers. Especially if asked in written (e-mail & messages) channels rather than oral (phone or talking in the balcony).

Brazil's railway system was mostly wrecked during the military regimes. Todayfew interstate passenger lines remain after the dismantling and scrapping of rail transport in Brazil. Howeverthere are several urban or short-distance tourist lines between municipalities in the same statemainly in the southern and southeastern states.

• From Belo HorizonteMinas Gerais to VitóriaEspírito Santo - Daily trains operated by Vale leave Belo Horizonte at 07:30 and Cariacica (10 km of Vitória)at 07:00. Travel time is about 12½ hours. Seats are limited and it is not possible to reserveso it is advisable to buy in advance at the Vale's website. The railway is the second longest passenger line of Brazilalmost 700 km long.
• From São LuisMaranhão to ParauapebasPará - interesting because part of it passes through the Amazon rainforest and it's the longest passenger railway of Brazilalmost 900 km long. It is operated by Vale. The train leaves São Luís at 08:00 on MondaysThursdays and Saturdays. From Paraopebasthe train leaves at 06:00 on TuesdaysFridays and Sundays. 15 hours of travel.

Long-distance buses are a convenienteconomicaland rather comfortable way to travel between regions. Bus stations (Terminal RodoviárioEstação Rodoviária or Rodoviária) in Brazilian cities play a role akin to train stations in many countries. You should check travel distance and time while traveling within Brazil; going from Rio de Janeiro to the south region could take more than 24 hoursso it may be worth going by plane if you can afford it.

Brazil has a very good long-distance bus network. Basicallyany city with more than 100,000 people will have direct lines to the closest state capitals and also to other major cities within the same range. If there is no bus station in a citythere may be some form of public transport (a busprobably) to a bus station of a city nearby.

Sometimes you may need to go to the bus station in person to buy a ticketalthough today the big bus companies make reservations and sell tickets onlineas long as you get your ticket in advance. In some citiesyou can also buy a ticket over the phone and receive it at the hotel for an extra fee of R$3 to R$5. Some companies have also adopted the ingenious pricing policy of airlines: in some casesbuy with advance can save more than 50%. The ease of flagging a bus and getting on it (if there are no seats availableyou will have to standstill paying full price) is common in the country. This is less likely to work along a few routes where armed robberies have happened frequentlysuch as those leading to the border with Paraguay and to Foz do Iguaçu.

No bus company serves the whole countryso you must identify the company that connect two cities. Buser and National Land Transport Agency^{[dead link]} website can be a quick way to find bus tickets to many Brazilian cities. Another possibility is to call the bus station of one city. Flixbus serves the country and has rides in every part of Brazil except in the area of the Amazon river< about="#mwt101" data-mw='{"name":"templates","attrs":{"src":"Listing/s.css"},"body":{"extsrc":""},"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"go","href":"./Template:Go"},"params":{"lastedit":{"wt":"2024-04-01"}},"i":0}}]}' data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r5180145" id="mwAms" typeof="mw:Extension/templates mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .listing-directions{font-:italic}.mw-parser-output .listing-phone-symbol{text-decoration:none}.mw-parser-output .listing-tollfree-symbol{text-decoration:none}.mw-parser-output .listing-metadata{font-size:0.8em}.mw-parser-output .listing-lastedit{color:rgb(150,150,150)}.mw-parser-output .vcard a.external,.mw-parser-output .vcard a.external:visited{color:var(--color-base,#252525)}.mw-parser-output .vcard a.external:hover,.mw-parser-output .vcard a.external:focus{color:var(--color-base--hover,#0645ad)}  (updated Apr 2024)

Bus services are often sold in three classes: RegularExecutive and First-Class (Leitoin Portuguese). Regular may or may not have air conditioning. For long distances or overnight travelsExecutive offers more space and a folding board to support your legs. First-Class has even more space and only three seats per rowmaking enough space to sleep comfortably. All trips of more than 4 hours are covered by buses with bathrooms and the buses stop for food/bathrooms at least once every 4 hours of travel.

Some big cities like São Paulo and Rio have more than one bus stationeach one covering certain cities around. It is good to check in advance to which bus station you are going.

Bus stations in some Brazilian cities tend to be located far from downtown areas. They can be in quite remote neighborhoodsso if you travel at nightbe prepared to take a taxi to and from the station. There will also be local bus lines. Even if you have a valid ticket purchased elsewheresome Brazilian bus stations may also require a boarding pass. This can be obtained from the bus companyusually for an additional fee. If you buy a ticket at the departure bus stationyou will also receive this boarding pass.

In Brazilbus stations can include many servicesincluding fast-food restaurantscafesinternet cafesrestrooms and left-luggage office. As a general rulethe bigger the citythe more expensive the services can be (for exampleleaving a suitcase as luggage in a smaller city can cost R$1but in a capital like Recife it can cost R$5).

As required by Brazilian federal lawwhen buying ticketsas well as boarding the busan identification document may be requested (which for a foreigner means your passport). Not all drivers can read foreign passportsso be prepared to show them that the passport name really is the same as the ticket name.

Many people offer shared rides between many popular destinations. The most notable website for finding rides is BlaBlaCarwhich also has a rating system for driversmaking the trip very secureespecially for Brazilian standards. This wayyou can easily bring down your transport costs by 40-50%. Costs are about R$20 per 100 km.

Alsoit can be considerably fasterwithout unnecessary stops at restaurants and such. The BlaBlaCar website is freeand you only pay the driver directly. But they will almost certainly charge in the future like they do for other countries as well. But until the taxation status of such services (including Uber) is settled by the governmentthe free system will not change.

If you would like to see the price of the shared ride in the app in reaisyou need to select BRL (Brazilian real) after installing the app. If you have the app on your smartphone already in another currencyyou need to delete the app and reinstall it.

Do not underestimate the desire of Brazilians to discuss and talk about everythingand to give their opinions about even the most remote nonsense. This can be highly stressful if you have a different temperamentprefer a quiet driveand just want to reach your destination.

Most cities have extensive bus services. Multiple companies may serve a single city. There is almost never a map of the bus linesand often bus stops are unmarked. Be prepared for confusion and wasted time. The bus schedule for the urban passenger transport service in large and small cities can be consulted on the sitein addition to Google Mapsit includes some services.

Buses have a board behind the windshield that advertises the main destinations they serve. You may have to ask the locals for informationbut they may not know bus lines except the ones they usually take.

In most cities you have to wave to stop the bus when you want to take it. This in itself would not pose a problem; howeverin big cities there may be dozens of bus lines stopping at a given bus stop and bus stops are not designed to accommodate so many vehicles. Frequently one cannot observe the oncoming buses due to other buses blocking the view. Bus drivers are reluctant to slow down for a bus stop if they are not sure someone will take their busso it is common to miss your bus because you could not see it coming to wave on time or the driver did not see you waving in between buses already at the stop. Some people go into the middle of a busy street to wait for their bus to make sure they see it and the driver sees them. In some placeslike Manausdrivers even tend to ignore stop requests (both to get on and to get off) if it is not too easy to navigate to the bus stop.

Most city buses have both a driver and a conductor. The conductor sits behind a till next to a turnstile. You have to pay the conductor; the price of the bus is usually advertised on the windshield. The turnstiles are narrowand very inconvenient if one carries any kind of load (try balancing a heavy backpack over the turnstile while the bus is running). Larger buses often have a front sectionbefore the turnstilemeant in priority for the elderlyhandicapped and pregnant women - you can use it but you still have to pay! Typical prices are around R$3.

You can try asking the conductor to warn you when the bus is close to your destination. Depending on whether he or she understands you and feels like helping youyou may get help.

In addition to large city busesthere are often minibuses or minivans (alternativo). You pay the driver when you go aboard.

In northern Brazilit is possible to travel many distances by boat. In factthe boat is the main and most accessible means of transport to get around the Amazonsince the Amazon Forest is cut by many rivers and some cities are inaccessible by road. The best boat services in the country are in the Amazonwhere you can ride on speedboats and comfortable yachts or small wooden boats. The main navigable rivers are the Amazon Riverthe Araguaia Riverthe Xingu River and the Tapajós River. It is necessary to know the geography of the regionas in some places waterfalls are formed.

Brazil has availability of some e-hailing servicesUber being the largest of them. Notable e-hailing services in Brazilare:

• Uber.  (updated Jul 2020)
• 99Pop. If the app is not available in your Google Play storeyou can download it here. (updated Jul 2020)
• Cabify.  (updated Jul 2020)

Many of Brazil's natural wonders are protected areas that are part of its national parks systemwith more than 60 parks in all eco-regions of the countryincluding tropical rainforestsavanna grasslandsriversmountainsand coastal wetlands.

• Amazon Rainforest - The Amazon River Basin holds more than half of the world's remaining rainforestand over 60% of that lies within the North of Brazil — approximately one billion acres with incredible biodiversity. The region is home to about 2.5 million insect speciesover 40,000 plants species2,200 fish speciesand more than 2,000 types of birds and mammals. One in five of all the bird species in the world live in the rainforests of the Amazonand one in five of the fish species live in Amazonian rivers and streams.
• Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) - A region of tropical and subtropical forest which extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the Northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the South. The Atlantic Forest has a wide variety of vegetationincluding the many tree species such as the iconic araucaria tree in the south or the mangroves of the northeastdozens of types of bromeliads and orchidsand unique critters such as capivara. The forest has also been designated a World Biosphere Reservewith a large number of highly endangered species including the well-known marmosetslion tamarins and woolly spider monkeys. Unfortunatelyit has been extensively cleared since colonial timesmainly for the farming of sugar cane and for urban settlements — The remnants are estimated to be less than 10% of the originaland that is often broken into hilltop islands. Howeverlarge swaths of it are protected by hundreds of parksincluding 131 federal parks443 state parksand 14 municipal parksmost of which are open to visitation.
• The Pantanal - A vast tropical wetland expanseone of the world's largest. 80% of it lies within the state of Mato Grosso do Sul but it also extends into Mato Grosso (as well as into portions of Bolivia and Paraguay)sprawling over an area estimated at between 140,000 and 195,000 square kilometers (54,000-75,000 sq mi). 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasonsnurturing an astonishing biologically diverse collection of aquatic plants and helping support a dense array of animal species.
• Waterfalls (Cachoeiras) - Brazil has an amazing range of impressive waterfalls of all sizes and shapes. Iguaçu Fallsin eastern Paranais one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the worldtruly a sight to see. The 353-meter Cachoeira da Fumaça in Bahia's Chapada Diamantina National Park is the country's second highest waterfallafter the Amazon's almost inaccessible Cachoeira do Araca. Other famous waterfalls include Caracol Fallsin a Rio Grande do Sul state park of the same name near CanelaItaquira Fallsan easily accessible 168-meter fall near FormosaGoiásand the gorge at Parque da Cascata near Sete LagoasMinas Gerais. Aside from the nationally famous fallsin many parts of the countryparticularly the SouthSoutheastand Central West regionsyou are rarely far from at least one locally-famousnamed waterfall worth a short hike.

• Colonial architecture - Many cities have reminders of Brazil's colonial pastwith churchesmonasteriesfortsbarracksand other structures still intact. Some of the most concentrated and best-preserved colonial buildings can be found in old gold-mining towns such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentesbut many other cities such as Rio de JaneiroPetrópolisSalvadorParatyand Goiânia have quite significant colonial centers as well.
• Oscar Niemeyer works - NiemeyerBrazil's most famous architectis a modern architectural pioneer who explores the aesthetic impact of reinforced concreteusing curves to create buildings with a unique sense of space. He is most famous for designing many of the buildings when the new capital of Brasilia was built in the 1950sbut his works literally dot the countrywith major works in NatalJoão PessoaBelo HorizonteRio de JaneiroNiteróiSão PauloLondrina and other locations.

Due to its high degree of acceptance and tolerancegay travel is increasingly popular. Nowadaysthe main lesbian and gay destinations are Rio de Janeirowhich was elected the world's sexiest destination twiceSão Paulowhich has the world's largest Pride ParadeFlorianópoliswhich is the hippest gay hangout and Recifewhich is attracting more and more lesbian and gay tourists looking for fun and sun. Howevercaution should still be observed especially in rural areas outside of major citieswhere Brazil remains culturally conservative and deeply Catholic.

The biggest party in the world takes place across the country every yearlasting almost a week in February or early March. It is celebrated in a wide variety of waysfrom the giants boneco masks of Olinda and the trios elétricos of Salvador to the massive samba parades of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. For a relatively more subdued atmospherecheck out the university- street party of Ouro Preto or the sporty beach party at Ilha do Mel. Don't forget to make your reservations well in advance!

Almost the entire coast is lined with fabulous beachesand the beach life is a big part of Brazilian culture. Nowhere is that more true than in Rio de Janeirowith its laidbackflip-flop-footed life and famous beaches like Ipanema and Copacabana. Beaches in other areas of the country may not have the instant name recognition but are no less amazing. The Northeast has jewels like JericoacoaraPraia do FuturoBoa VistaPorto de Galinhasand Morro de São Paulo which bring in throngs of travellersparticularly Europeans. Landlocked mineiros go mingle with the rich and famous at Guarapari or dance forró in the sand at Itaunaswhile paulistas head for Caraguá or Ubatuba. In the Southweekend revelers flock to Ilha do Mel or Balneário Camboriúwhile the 42 beaches of Santa Catarina Island draw in thousands of Argentianian tourists every year. Hundreds more beaches lie ready to be explored as well. Don't forget those nude beaches in Rio and São Paulo!

Brazil's unit of currency is the real (pronounced 'hay-AHL')plural reais ('hay-ICE')denoted "R$" (ISO code: BRL)commonly referred to as a "conto" (slang) or "pila" (a slang term for the currency in Rio Grande do Sul). One real is divided into 100 centavos.

Coins are in denominations of R$0.05R$0.10R$0.25R$0.50 and R$1. Some denominations have several different designs. Bills come in the following denominations: R$2R$5R$10R$20R$50R$100 and R$200.

Small shops or street vendors are unlikely to have change for R$50R$100 or R$200 notes. Travelers would be wise to spend those at busy restaurants or grocery stores to keep an adequate supply of small bills on hand. Cash becomes less and less used over the countryas in larger cities most is dealt with credit cards and PIX.

While tips can sometimes be given for some servicesdelivery or tourismtips are very uncommon. It is usually not expected in cabsalthough rounding up the fare occasionally takes place. Many restaurants include a 10% delivery charge in the notewith no further tips being required. Such a charge often depends on the municipality. Tipping bartenders is not customary.

Brazil is considered an expensive country by South American standardsalthough it is cheaper than the European countries or the United States.

A budget traveler can get by with R$ 250 to R$ 400 a day and have a little more comfort with R$ 700 a day. Accommodation in hostels or inns tends to be cheaper than in hotelscosting an average of R$ 40. Accommodation can be considerably more expensive during the summer in the southern hemisphere and especially during festivities such as Carnaval.

Costs also vary depending on the regionwith large capitals such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro being the most expensive in the country.

It's not a bad idea to pack light and acquire a Brazilian wardrobe within a couple of days of arrival. It will make you less obvious as a touristand give you months of satisfied gloating back home about the great bargains you got whenever you are complimented on your clothing. Brazilians have their own sense of and that makes tourists - especially those in Hawaiian shirts or sandals with socks - stand out in the crowd. Have some fun shoppingand blend in. Another good reason for buying clothes and shoes in Brazil is that the quality is usually good and the prices often cheap. Howeverthis does not apply to any foreign brand as imports are burdened by high import taxes - thereforedo not expect to find any good prices on brands like DieselLevi'sTommy Hilfigeretc. To figure your Brazilian trousers sizemeasure your waist in centimetersdivide by 2and round up to the next even number.

Store windows will often display a price followed by "X 5" or "X 10"etc. This is an installment-sale price. The price displayed is the per-installment priceso that"R$50 X 10"for examplemeans 10 payments (typically monthly) of R$50 each. The actual price is often lower if you pay in cash.

Make sure any appliances you buy are either dual voltage or the same as in your home country. Brazil is 60 Hzso don't buy electric clocks or non-battery operated motorized items if you live in Europe or Australia. The voltagehowevervaries by state or even regions inside the same state. (see Electricity below).

Brazilian-made appliances and electronics are expensive. If notthey are usually of poor quality. All electronics are expensive compared to European or US prices. Prices for imported electronic goods can be quite expensive due to high import taxand the range of domestic electronic gadgets is not very wide.

There are plenty of bargains to be hadespecially leather goodsincluding shoes (sizes are different though). Clothes in general are a good buyespecially for womenfor whom there are many classy items. Street marketswhich are commonare also a very good optionbut avoid brand names like "Nike" - you will pay more and it's probably fake. Don't be afraid to "feel" an item. If it doesn't feel rightmost likely it isn't! If there is no labelit is probably Brazilianbut some Brazilian-made products are less robust than their American or European counterparts.

Souvenirs

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Similar to the rest of Latin Americahand-crafted jewelry and accessories can be found anywhereespecially in touristy areasbut they will be significantly more expensive. In regions with a larger Afro-Brazilian populationyou'll find more African-influenced souvenirsincluding black dolls. Havaianas flip-flops are affordable and readily available in Brazil and supermarkets are often the best place to buy them — small shops usually carry off-brand or fake ones. If you have space in your bagsa Brazilian woven cotton hammock is a nicefunctional purchase as well. Another interesting and fun item is a petecaa sort of hand shuttlecock used in an eponymous traditional gamewhich is similar to volleyball.

Brazil's cuisine is as varied as its geography and culturebased on the variety of cropslivestock and seafood produced in the country. On the other handsome may find it an unrefined melangeand everyday fare can be bland and monotonous. While there are some quite unique dishes of regional originmany dishes were brought by overseas immigrants and have been adapted to local tastes through the generations. Italian and Chinese food in Brazil can often be as baffling as Amazonian fare.

The standard Brazilian set lunch is called prato feitowith its siblings comercial and executivo. Rice and brown beans in saucewith a small steak. Sometimes farofaspaghettivegetables and French fries will come along. Beef may be substituted for chickenfish or others.

Excellent seafood can be found in coastal townsespecially in the Northeast.

• Brazil's national dish is feijoadaa hearty stew made of black beanspork (earsknuckleschopssausage) and beef (usually dried). It's served with ricegarnished with collard greens and sliced oranges. It's not served in every restaurant; the ones that serve it typically offer it on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A typical mistake made by tourists is to eat too much feijoada upon first encounter. This is a heavy dish — even Brazilians usually eat it parsimoniously.
• Brazilian snackslanches (sandwiches) and salgadinhos (most anything else)include a wide variety of pastries. Look for coxinha (deep-friedbatter-coated chicken)empada (a tiny pienot to be confused with the empanada - empadas and empanadas are entirely different items)and pastel (fried turnovers). Another common snack is a misto quentea pressedtoasted ham-and-cheese sandwich. Pão-de-queijoa roll made of manioc flour and cheeseis very popularespecially in Minas Gerais state - pão-de-queijo and a cup of fresh Brazilian coffee is a classic combination.

Even more:

• Farofa. A cassava flour stir-fried with bacon and onion bits; the standard carbo side dish at restaurantsalong with white rice.  (updated Jun 2018)
• Feijão verde. Green beans with cheese gratin.  (updated Jun 2018)
• Paçoca. Beef jerky mixed with cassava flour in a pilão (big mortar with a big pestle). Traditional cowboy fare.  (updated Jun 2018)
• Pastel. Deep-fried pastry filled with cheeseminced meat or ham.  (updated Jun 2018)
• Tapioca (Beiju de tapioca). Made with cassava starchalso known as tapioca starch. When heated in a panit coagulates and becomes a type of pancake or dry crepeshaped like a disk. Some will serve it folded in halfothers will roll it rocambole-. The filling variesbut it can be done sweet or savorywith the most traditional flavors being: grated coconut/condensed milk (sweet)beef jerky/coalho cheeseplain cheeseand butter (savory). Howeverit has become a "gourmetized" food itemto be treated with creativity; nutellachocolatenapolitano (pizza cheese/ham/tomato/oregano) and shredded chicken breast/catupiry cheese being almost standard options nowadays.  (updated Jun 2018)
• Brigadeiro. A traditional Brazilian dessert from the 1940smade of cocoa powdercondensed milkand buttercovered chocolate sprinkles.  (updated Jun 2018)

• Southern - Churrasco is Brazilian barbecueand is usually served "rodizio" or "espeto corrido" (all-you-can-eat). Waiters carry huge cuts of meat on steel spits from table to tableand carve off slices onto your plate (use the tongs to grab the meat slice and don't touch the knife edge with your silverware to avoid dulling the edge). Traditionallyyou are given a small wooden block colored green on one side and red on the other. When you're ready to eatput the green side up. When you're too stuffed to even tell the waiter you've had enoughput the red side up... Rodizio places have a buffet for non-meaty items; beware that in some placesthe desserts are not considered part of the main buffet and are charged as a supplement. Most churrasco restaurants (churrascarias) also serve other types of foodso it is safe to go there with a friend that is not really fond of meat. Churrascarias are usually fairly expensive places (for Brazilian standards)howeverin the NorthCentral and the countryside areas of the countrythey are frequented even by the less affluentand tend to be much cheaper than in the South and big cities.
• Mineiro is the "miner's" cuisine of Minas Geraisbased on pork and beanswith some vegetables. Dishes from Goiás are similarbut use some local ingredients such as pequi and guariroba. Minas Gerais cuisine if not seen as particularly tastyhas a "homely" feel that is much cherished.
• The food of Bahiaon the northeast coast has its roots across the Atlantic in East Africa and Indian cuisine. Coconutdende palm oilhot peppersand seafood are the prime ingredients. Tip: hot ("quente") means lots of peppercold ("frio") means less or no pepper at all. If you dare to eat it hot you should try acarajé (prawn-filled roasties) and vatapá (drinkable black beans soup).
• Espírito Santo and Bahia have two different versions of moquecaa delightful tomato-based seafood stew prepared in a special type of clay pot.
• Amazonian cuisine draws from the food of the indigenous inhabitantsincluding various exotic fish and vegetables. There is also a stupendous variety of tropical fruits.
• Ceará's food has a great sort of seafoodand is known to have the country's best crab. It's so popular that literally every weekend thousands of people go to Praia do Futuro in Fortaleza to eat fried fish and crabs (usually followed by cold beer).

• Pizza is very popular in Brazil. In São Paulotravellers will find the highest proportion of pizza parlours per inhabitant in the country. The variety of flavours is extremely vastwith some restaurants offering more than 100 types of pizza. There is a difference between the European "mozzarella" and the Brazilian "mussarela". They differ in flavorappearance and origin but buffalo mozzarella ("mussarela de búfala") is also often available. The Brazilian "mussarela"which tops most pizzasis yellow in color and has a stronger taste. In some restaurantsparticularly in the Southpizza has no tomato sauce. Other dishes of Italian originsuch as macarrão (macaroni)lasanha and others are also very popular.
• Middle-eastern and Arab (actually Lebanese) food is widely available. Most options offer high quality and a big variety. Some types of middle-eastern foodsuch as quibe and esfiha have been adapted and are available at snack stands and fast food joints nation-wide. You can also find shawarma (kebabs) standswhich Brazilians call "churrasco grego" (Greek Barbecue)
• São Paulo's Japanese restaurants serve up lots of tempurayakisobasushi and sashimi. The variety is good and the prices are mostly very attractive when compared to Europethe US and Japan. Most Japanese restaurants also offer the rodizio or buffet optionwith the same quality as if you ordered from the menu. Sometimeshoweverit can be quite a departure from the real thing. In particularBrazilian-made sushis often employ copious amounts of cream cheese and mayonnaiseand breaded sushi with tare sauce ("hot rolls") are as popular as "raw fish" sushi. The same can be said of Chinese foodagain with some variations from the traditional. Cheese-filled spring rollsanyone? Japanese restaurants (or those that offer Japanese food) are much more common than Chinese and can be found in many Brazilian citiesespecially in the state of São Paulo.

• Restaurants add a 10% service charge on the billand this is generally the only tip paid in Brazil. It is not mandatorybut asking for the charge to be removed is often considered very rude and is normally reserved for bad service. If you really want to tipR$5-10 are enoughand it will probably really surprise your server too.
• There are two types of self-service restaurantssometimes with both options available in one place: all-you-can-eat buffets with barbecue served at the tablescalled rodízioor a price per weight (por quilo or quilão)very common during lunchtime throughout Brazil. Load up at the buffet and get your plate on the scale before eating any. Especially in the Souththe traditional Italian "galeto" is common. You'll be served different types of pastasaladssoups and meat (mostly chicken) at your table.
• Customers are allowed by law to visit the kitchen to check how the food is being handledalthough this is extremely uncommon and doing so will probably be considered odd and impolite.
• Some Brazilian restaurants serve only meals for two. It might not be clear from the menuso ask the waiter. Most restaurants in this category allow for a "half-serving" of such plates (meia-porção)at 60-70% of the price. Alsocouples at restaurants often sit side-by-side rather than across from each other; observe your waiter's cues or express your preference when being seated.
• Fast food is popularand the local takes on hamburgers and hot-dogs ("cachorro-quente"translated literally) are well worth trying. Brazilian sandwiches come in many varietieswith ingredients like mayonnaisebaconhamcheeselettucetomatocornpeasraisinsFrench friesketchupeggspicklesetc. Brave eaters may want to try the traditional complete hot dog (just ask for a completo)whichaside from the bun and the sausagewill include everything on display. The ubiquitous x-burger (and its varieties x-saladax-tudoetc.) is not as mysterious as it sounds: the pronunciation of the letter "X" in Portuguese sounds like "cheese"hence the name.
• Large chains: The fast-food burger chain Bob's is found nationwide and has been around in the country for almost as long as McDonald's. There is also a national fast-food chain called Habib's which despite the name serves pizza in addition to Arabian food. Burger King and Subway are also widespread.

Brazil's national booze is cachaça (cah-shah-sahalso known as aguardente ("burning water") and pinga)a 40% sugar-cane liquor known to knock the unwary out quite quickly. It can be tried in virtually every bar in the country. Famous producing regions include Minas Geraiswhere there are tours of distilleriesand the city of Paraty. Pirassununga is home to Caninha 51Brazil's best-selling brand. Outside Fortaleza there is a cachaça museum (Museu da Cachaça) where you can learn about the history of the Ypioca brand.

Drinking cachaça straightor stirring in only a dollop of honey or a bit of lime juiceis a common habit on the Northeast region of the countrybut the strength of cachaça can be hidden in cocktails like the famous caipirinhawhere it is mixed with sugarlime juice and ice. Using vodka instead of cachaça is nicknamed caipiroska or caipivodka; with white rumit's a caipiríssima; and with sake it's a caipisaque or saquerinha (not in every region). Another interesting concoction is called capeta ("devil")made with cachaçacondensed milkcinnamonguarana powder (a mild stimulant)and other ingredientsvarying by region. If you enjoy fine brandy or grappatry an aged cachaça. Deep and complexthis golden-coloured spirit is nothing like the ubiquitous clear liquor more commonly seen. A fun trip is to an "alambique" - a local distilleryof which there are thousands throughout the country - not only will you be able to see how the spirit is made from the raw cane sugaryou will probably also get a better price.

Well worth a try is Brazilian whisky! It's actually 50% imported scotch - the malt component -and approximately 50% Brazilian grain spirit. Don't be misled by American sounding names like "Wall Street". It is not bourbon. Good value for money and indistinguishable from common British blends.

While imported alcohol is very expensivemany international brands are produced under license in Brazilmaking them widely availableand fairly cheap. You can buy booze in the tax-free after landing at Brazilian airportsbut it generally is more expensive than buying it outside the airports.

Beer in Brazil has a respectable history because of the German immigrants. Most Brazilian beer brands tend to be way less thick and bitter than GermanDanish or English beer. More than 90% of all beer consumed in Brazil is Pilsnerand it is usually drunk very cold (at a temperature close to 0°C). The most popular domestic brands are BrahmaAntarcticaand Skol. Traditional brands include BohemiaCaracu (a stout)Original and Serra Malte (another stout). They are easily found in bars and are worth trying but are usually more expensive than the popular beers. There are also some national premium beers that are found only in some specific bars and supermarkets; if you want to taste a good Brazilian beersearch for Baden BadenColoradoEisenbahnPetraTheresopolis and others. There are also some international beers produced by national breweries like Heineken and Stella Artois and have a slightly different taste if compared with the original beers.

There are two ways of drinking beer in bars: draft or bottled beer. Draft lager beer is called chope or chopp ('SHOH-pee')and is commonly served with one inch of foambut you can make a complaint to the bartender if the foam is consistently thicker than that. In barsthe waiter will usually collect the empty glasses and bottles on a table and replace them with full onesuntil you ask him to stopin a "tap" charging system. In the case of bottled beerbottles (600ml or 1l) are shared among everyone at the table and poured in small glassesrather than drunk straight from the bottle. Brazilians like their beer nearly ice-cold - henceto keep the temperature downbottles of beer are often kept in an insulated polystyrene container on the table.

Rio Grande do Sul is the leading wine production region. There are a number of wine-producing farms that are open to visitors and wine tastingand wine cellars selling wine and fermented grape juice. One of these farms open to visitors is Salton Winerylocated in the city of Bento Gonçalves. The São Francisco Valleyalong the border of the states of Pernambuco and Bahiais the country's newest wine-producing region. Brazilian wines are usually fresherfruitier and less alcoholic thanfor instanceFrench wines. Popular brands like Sangue de BoiCanção and Santa Felicidade and others with prices below R$6.00 are usually seen as trash.

In Minas Geraislook for licor de jabuticaba (jabuticaba liquor) or vinho de jabuticaba (jabuticaba wine)an exquisite purple-black beverage with a sweet taste. Jabuticaba is the name of a small grape-like black fruit native to Brazil.

Brazil is known world-wide for its high-quality strong coffee. Café is so popular that it can name meals (just like rice does in ChinaJapan and Korea): breakfast in Brazil is called café da manhã (morning coffee)while café com pão (coffee with bread) or café da tarde (afternoon coffee) means a light afternoon meal. Cafezinho (small coffee) is a small cup of strongsweetened coffee usually served after meals in restaurants (sometimes for freejust ask politely). Bottled filtered coffee is being replaced by stronger espresso cups in more upscale restaurants.

Cháor tea in Portugueseis most commonly found in its Assam version (orangelight coloured). Some more specialised tea shops and cafés will have Earl Gray and green tea available as well.

Mate is an infusion similar to tea that is very high in caffeine content. A toasted versionoften served chilledis consumed all around the countrywhile Chimarrão (incidentally called mate in neighbouring Spanish-speaking countries) is the hotbitter equivalent that can be found in the south and is highly appreciated by the gaúchos (Rio Grande do Sul dwellers). Tererê is a cold version of Chimarrãocommon in Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso state.

If you want a Coke in Brazilask for coca or coca-colaas "cola" means "glue" in Portuguese.

Guaraná is a carbonated soft drink made from the guaraná berrynative to the Amazon area. The major brands are Antarctica and Kuatthe latter owned by Coke. Pureza is a lesser known guaraná soft drink specially popular in Santa Catarina. Other local guaraná brands are Frukivery popular in Rio Grande do Suland Dollypopular in São Paulo. There is also a Guaraná Jesusa sweet pink soft drink that is popular in Maranhão. Almost all regions in Brazil feature their own local variants on guaranásome which can be quite different from the standard "Antarctica" in both good and bad ways. If traveling to Amazonasbe sure to try a cold "Baré," which due to its huge popularity in Manaus was purchased by Antarctica and is becoming more available throughout northern Brazil.

Tubaína is a carbonated soft drink once very popular among Brazilians (particularly the ones born in the 70s80s and early 90s) and becoming extremely hard to find. It was once mass-produced by "Brahma" before it became focused on beers only. If you happen to find a place that sells ittry it.

Mineirinho (or Mate Couro) is also a popular soft drink made of guaraná and a typical Brazilian leaf called Chapéu de Couro. Although most Brazilians say that it tastes like grassolder people (+70 years) claim that the drink has medicinal properties.

Fruit juices are very popular in Brazil. Some citiesnotably Rio de Janeirohave fruit juice bars at nearly every corner.

• Nothing beats coconut water (água de coco) on a hot day. (Stress the first ootherwise it will come out as "poo" (cocô)). It is mostly sold as coco gelado in the coconut itselfdrunk with a straw. Ask the machete-wielding vendors to cut the coconut in half so that you can eat the flesh after drinking the water.
• Açai (a fruit from the Amazon) is delicious and nutritious (rich in antioxidants) and can be found widespread across the nations. In the Amazon region it's used as a complement to the everyday dietoften eaten together with rice and fish in the main meal of the day. Curiouslyoutside of the Amazon regionit's typically used in blended in combination with guarana (a stimulant) powder and a banana to re-energize from late-night partying. It is served cold and has a consistency of soft ice. There are also açai ice creams available.
• Maracuja (passion fruit) (careful during an active day as this has a relaxant effect)
• Caju (cashew fruit) and
• Garapa or caldo de cana: freshly pressed sugarcane juice
• Manga (mango) are also great juice experiences.
• Mangaba
• Umbu
• Vitamina: milk shake with fresh fruits

Brazilians have great taste when it comes to mixing juices.

A quick word of caution; in Brazil a "motel" is not the same as what one normally finds in the United States. The term motel in Latin America usually refers to a place of accommodation where the rooms are rented on a short term basistypically for romantic assignationsvery similarly to a Japanese love hotel. Hotelsby contrastare places of accommodation for travelers and are typically family friendly. Many hotels will not permit persons who are not registered as guests to go beyond the reception area. This is for the safety of both the guests and hotel staff and also to protect the hotel's reputation in what is still a culturally conservative and Catholic country. So visitors looking for a place to enjoy the physical company of anotherwill often use motels. Also privacy is something of a premium in Brazilwith children often living at home until they are married. For this and other practical reasonscoupleseven married couples desiring a little intimacysometimes rent a room at a motel. These motels are common in Brazil and do not carry the social stigma that used to be associated with so called "no tell motels" in the United States or Canada. The quality and price of motel accommodations variessometimes drasticallywith most being clean and well kept. Rooms are engaged anonymously with the tariff and any associated charges usually being paid on a cash only basis.

Brazil has both a public tax-funded health care system similar to the NHS in the United Kingdom (Sistema Único de Saúdeknown by its acronym in PortugueseSUS) and a large private health care system. Public hospitals tend to be crowded and terriblebut they attend any kind of personincluding foreigners. Most cities of at least 60,000 inhabitants have good private health care. Treatment in private hospitals is expensive. When travelling to Brazilyou should take out comprehensive travel insurance. The level and availability of care varies from region to regionbut in generalcare in private clinics is of a good standard. On the free public sidewaiting times can be longso access to private medical care is quicker. Public health care is available to tourists in emergenciesbut after emergency treatmentcare is usually transferred to the private sector. Adequate care may not be available outside urban areas.

In cases of acute serious illnesscall an ambulance on the emergency number 192 or 190 (Servico de Atendimento Móvel de UrgênciaSAMU)but you must speak Portuguese. The ambulance will take the patient to the public hospital emergency department (Emergência)where a doctor will assess the need for transfer to the intensive care unit. If the patient has travel insurance or can pay for the treatmenthe or she will be transferred to a private hospital.

If you have a minor illnessyou can go to the nearest municipal emergency departmentthe UPA (Unidade de Pronto Atendimento)or to a private hospital. In large citiesthere are first aid stations open 24 hours a day.

Recommended hospitals for foreigners include:

• Brasília: Hospital Sírio-Libanês and Hospital Brasília.
• São Paulo: Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinHospital Sírio Libanês and Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz
• Rio de Janeiro: Hospital Copa D`Or (Copacabana) and Hospital Samaritano (Botafogo)
• Porto Alegre: Hospital de Clínicas and Santa Casa Hospital Complex

In the private health sectoryou can obtain services either through travel insuranceBrazilian health insurance or by paying by card or cash. On the private sideyou must agree in advance whether you will pay for treatment through insurancecash or a guarantee cheque. Some places only accept cash payment.

Dental services are cheaper than in western countries. In generalthe quality of their work is goodespecially in the big citiesbut ask a local for advice and a recommendation.

Pharmacies are plentifuloffer a wide range of medicines and depending on the citycan be open 24/7. Certain medicines (e.g. antibiotics) can only be obtained with a valid prescription. Some medicines can be bought without a prescription. Not all medicines sold in Finland may be available.

Larger pharmacies also offer services such as COVID testing.

Brazil has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world; reports of carjackingstheftarmed robberiesand people (including tourists) being shot are not uncommon. Crime levels vary across the country; they tend to be lower in the South and higher in major cities like Rio de Janeiro.

You can drastically reduce the likelihood of being a crime victim by applying the kind of basic street smarts needed in many of the world's cities — don't display signs of affluencedon't look like a touristdon't flash around your gadgetskeep your valuables and belongings out of reachdon't go to unfamiliar areasdon't go out at nightand don't be too trusting of people you don't know. Having some knowledge of Portuguese might deter people from taking advantage of you.

If you are robbed at gunpoint or knifepointgive the robber whatever they're asking for. Do not fight back or resist or else you might die or get badly injured.

If you want to visit a favela (shanty town) or indigenous villageuse a licensedreputable tour service. Third-party governments normally forbid their staff from entering such places without permission. Wars between heavily armed outlaw groups against each other and against government forcesand even violence against civilians by these groupssuch as kidnapping and murderare a long-standing problem in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador and in isolated stretches of rivers of Brazilian Amazonia. Howeverfor tourists who are not interested in visiting these placesit is not something they should worry about as long as they avoid such areasto which these armed conflicts are limited.

Although the situation in the favelas of Greater Rio and Greater Salvador is much worse than in other urban centers of Brazilit is recommended not to go to slums in any city in the country. Alsotry to avoid any border areas in the North and Central-West regions.

Intercity buses are generally safebut in large citiesintercity bus terminals are often located in run-downunsafe areas.

Emergencies related to a crime can be reported to toll-free number 190.

Brazil has five police forcesone for a different purpose.

• Each state has a Military Police (Polícia Militar)often abbreviated as PME*where * is the abbreviation of the statewith exception of state of Rio Grande do Sulwhere its Military Police is called Military Brigade (Brigada Militar, abbreviated as BMRS)which is responsible for ostensive policing and the street patrolling. The uniform of Brazilian military police officers varies depending on the stateand may be graydark bluekhaki or black.
• The Civil Police (Polícia Civiloften abbreviated as PCE*where * is the abbreviation of the state)is responsible of dealing with investigations. Civil police officers usually work in plain clotheswithout uniforms.
• In state and federal highwaysroad patrol is handled by the State Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Estadual) and the Federal Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Federal).
• Border controlsecurity of ports and airportsand interstate crimes are handled by the Federal Police (Polícia Federal).
• Many municipalities in Brazil also have a Municipal Guard (Guarda Municipal)which is responsible for the security of public parkscity government buildings and city public schools. Municipal Guards can be armed or notdepending on the municipality.

Most Brazilian police officers are not fluent in foreign languagesso you will need at least basic knowledge of Portuguese.

The efficiency of the Brazilian police varies depending on the region of the countryas their salaries vary from state to state. Most inefficiency problems occur in the Southeast region of the countryespecially in Rio de Janeiro. Don't try to bribe a police officer: many Brazilian police officers are honest and you will be arrested if you try to do thisbut remember not to trust completely in the Brazilian police as their low salaries mean they are easily swayed and some do partner with criminals to commit scamsmuggings and other crimes. Always be respectful and collaborative when interacting with law enforcementand seek assistance from your country's embassy or consulate if you encounter any problem.

Murder is probably the top fear of visitors to Brazilbut traffic-related deaths are actually nearly as common as murders - in factthe chance of a road fatality in Brazil is comparable to countries with poor road safety reputationlike Malaysia or Vietnam. This may come as a surprise as the traffic in Brazilespecially in large citiesappears to be relatively well-organised compared to these countries. Howeverthis apparent sense of safety is where the danger lurks - Brazil has a large share of irresponsible driverswho defy speed limitsdrive under the influence of alcoholand sometimes ignore traffic lights. Thereforealways keep your eyes open when crossing the roadeven when the pedestrian light is green and the cars have stopped - you never know when a motorbike will pop up from between two cars.

In certain parts of the countryespecially in the northern partroads tend to be poor-maintainedand enforcement of traffic regulations tend to be lax. Although sometimes unavoidableit is worthwhile to re-consider taking very long road trips inside the country when there is the option of taking a plane instead.

Avoid using your phone openly on the street. Phone snatching is commonso step into a shop to check maps or messages.

As Brazil is a very large country and has a wide geographical and climatic diversityparts of the country can be affected by natural disasters.

Demonstrations and political protests are not unusual in Brazil. Brazil has a history of political instability characterised by corruption scandalseconomic crisesand shifts in power.

You should do all you can to avoid political protestsdemonstrationsand marches. If you suspect that a protest is about to take placeevacuate the area immediately.

Don't feel tempted to take photos of protestshelp out injured protestorsand so onor you might lose your lifeget detained by the authoritiesor get injured. Make it a point to monitor Brazilian media often during your stay.

The majority of popular demonstrations usually take place in the capitals such as São Paulo (in places like Largo da BatataAvenida Paulista and Praça da Sé)Rio de Janeiro (Cinelândia and Copacabana Beach)Brasília (Eixo Monumental and Esplanada dos Ministérios) or Porto Alegre (Esquina Democrática and the Historic District).

The main Brazilian newspapers are Folha de S. PauloEstado de S. Paulo (both published in São Paulo) and O Globo (published in Rio de Janeiro). Other major newspapers include Correio BrazilienseEstado de Minas and Zero Hora. VejaIstoÉ and CartaCapital is the main Brazilian national weekly news magazines.

Agência Brasil maintains a website with news in English language. The newspaper Folha de S. Paulo also has an English-language news website. The Rio Times^{[dead link]} is a Brazilian online newspaper in English.

Brazil is one of a few countries that uses both 110 and 220 volts for everyday appliances. Expect the voltage to change back and forth as you travel from one place to the next—even within the same Brazilian statesometimes even within the same building. There is no physical difference in the electric outlets (power mains) for the two voltages.

Electric outlets usually accept both flat (North American)and round (European) plugs. Otherwise adaptors from flat blades to round pins are easy to find in any supermarket or hardware shop. Some outlets are too narrow for the German "Schuko" plugs. One makeshift solution is to buy a cheap T-connection and just force your "Schuko" in-the T will breakbut it will work. Very few outlets have a grounding pointand some might not accept newer North American polarized plugswhere one pin is slightly larger. Againuse the cheap T. Near the border with Argentinayou might occasionally find outlets for the Australia/New Zealand-type plug. If crossing the borderyou'll probably need this adapter as well.

In 2009/2010the IEC 60906-1 was introduced to Brazil and some newer buildings already have it. It is backwards compatible with the Europlugbut it has a receded socket. AgainT-plugs can be used as adapters for other common formats.

Frequency is 60 Hzwhich may disturb 50 Hz electric clocks. Blackouts are becoming less frequentbut you always run a risk at peak of high season in small tourist towns and during particularly strong stormseven in big cities.

The CPF number (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas[sepeˈɛfi]; Portuguese for "Natural Persons Register") is the national taxpayer identification number of Brazil. This unique identifier is essential for navigating various aspects of daily life in Brazilfrom purchasing tickets to events and using self-checkout kiosks in storesto booking flightsjoining loyalty programsand setting up phone plans. For travelers planning to stay in Brazil for more than a few days or intending to shop onlineit is highly recommended to apply for a CPF number before departing for Brazil. The application process is straightforward and can be completed at any Brazilian consulate or embassy abroad. Simply fill out a short form and bring it along with your passport and birth certificate (with parent's informationif available) to the Brazilian foreign mission. The process typically takes about 10 minutesand no justification for acquiring a CPF number is required. Citizenshipresidency or property ownership are not a prerequisite for obtaining a CPF number. Having this important identifier will greatly simplify your experience and enable you to fully enjoy the conveniences of modern life in Brazil during your stay.

Brazilians tend to be transparent; it's common for them to freely talk about their problems and subjects that are usually seen as shockingly private in other parts of the world.

Try not to be surprised or on guard when someone you don't know approaches you in a public place and tries to initiate a conversation with you; this is how Brazilians get to know the people around themand you may easily make a friend or two this way. Ignoring someone when they try to converse with you can be seen as insensitiveso try to respond accordingly when someone tries to talk to you.

Brazilians may be known for being friendly and talkativebut you should try to be diplomatic with your words. Just because they seem sociable and confident does not mean they are immune to offence.

Try not to assume the worst in people. Brazil may have its share of social and political problemsbut that does not mean everyone is alike.

Brazilians are rather casual about time. You should expect your Brazilian contacts to arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes late for any appointment. This is considered normal in Brazil and does not mean a lack of respect for the relationship. Howeverthis does not apply to work or business meetings.

If you are invited to a dinner or partye.g. 19:00that does not mean that you must be present at 19:00but that you must not arrive before 19:00. You will be received at some minutes later. Howevernot all scheduled activities are tolerant with delays in Brazil. For exampleat concerts or playsthe venue's doors close at the scheduled time. Long-distance buses also depart on the scheduled time. Short-distance public transportsuch as city buses and subwayis not even concerned with the estimated time of arrival; they arrive when they arrive! Keep these elements in mind when calculating how long things will take.

Delays in the subway or city buses are not uncommonespecially in the capitals (such as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro). Howeverlong distance bus departures almost always leave on time (even if they arrive late)so don't count on lack of punctuality to save money when you arrive late at the bus terminals. Brazilian airports are also known for their punctuality: flights always take off at the scheduled time.

Racism is a very serious offence in Brazil. Most Brazilians frown upon racism (at least in public)and even if you are only joking or you think you know your interlocutorit is still wise to refrain from anything that can be perceived as racism. According to the Brazilian Constitutionracism is a crime for which bail is not availableand must be met with 6 months to 8 years of imprisonmentalthough the law only seems to apply to overtunquestionably racist statements and actions.

Brazilians are not Hispanic. Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking countrynot a Spanish-speaking country.

Brazilians are generally pretty engaged in their country's politics. While it may be common to hear grumblings about the governmentforeign criticism of Brazil's government and politicians is seldom appreciated and may be seen as insulting.

Do not ask about someone's personal convictions ― religious beliefssalaryeconomic statusand so on ― unless you know them well.

The Brazilian military governmentwhich ruled the country from 1964 to 1985is a sensitive topic of discussion. The dictatorship torturedimprisonedexecuted and mistreated thousands of Braziliansand many others had to flee the country for safety. Howeversome Brazilians feel that there was more stability under its rule and may be offended by negative comments about it.

As is the case throughout South Americafamily is one of the most important pillars of Brazilian culture.

Avoid being overly enthusiastic about Argentina. Although relations between Brazil and Argentina are healthy and there are no feelings of resentment and hatred towards Argentine peopleBrazil and Argentina are considered "rivals".

Brazil is considered the most LGBT-friendly country in Latin America. Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2013São Paulo boasts the largest LGBT Pride Parade in the worldand most major cities will have gay scenes. However homophobia is still widespread in Brazilian societyand Brazil is not the sexual heaven that many foreigners imagine. Couples who somehow do not conform to traditional heterosexual expectations should expect some verbal harassment and stares if displaying public affection in the streetsalthough several neighborhoods of many of the major cities are very welcoming of the LGBT populationand bars and clubs especially oriented for the LGBT public are common. In generalsmall towns or rural areas mainly in the northtend to be conservative and many people (especially older ones) may be shocked by public displays of homosexual affection.

Under current Brazilian lawsreligious intolerance — which also encompasses writing hateful comments about religion on social media — is punishable by up to 5 years in prisona hefty fineor both. In 2015a Brazilian TV network was heavily fined after one of their hosts made some negative remarks about atheists.

In Sao Pauloengaging in religious intolerance is punishable by fines up to R$82,000.

Anything hinting at proselytisation is generally frowned upon and will not be appreciated. When visiting sites of religious importanceyou should always act and dress respectfully.

• Cheek-kissing is very common in Brazilamong women and between women and men. Two men will shake hands. A man kissing another man's cheek is extremely bizarre by Brazilian standards (unless in family relationshipsspecial Italian descendantsand very close friends). Kissing is suitable for informal occasionsused to introduce yourselfespecially among young people. A handshake is more appropriate for formal occasions or between women and men when no form of intimacy is intended. Trying to shake hands when offered a kiss will be considered oddbut never rude. Howeverto clearly refuse a kiss is a sign of disdain.
  When people first meetthey will kiss once (São Paulo)twice (Rio de Janeiro) or three times (Florianópolis and Belo Horizontefor instance)depending on where you arealternating right and left cheeks. Observe that while doing thisyou should not kiss on the cheeks (like in Russia) but actually only touch cheeks and make a kissing sound while kissing the airplacing your lips on a strangers cheek is a clear sign of sexual interest. Failing to realise these rules likely won't be seen as rudeespecially if it is known that you are a foreigner.
• Many Brazilians can dance and are usually at ease with their own bodies. While talkingthey may stand closer to each other than North Americans or Northern Europeans doand also tend to touch each other moree.g. on the shoulder or armhugs etc. This is not necessarily flirtatious in nature.
• Brazilians love to drinkand going to pubs and bars is definitely part of social life - sometimes even for those who don't drink alcohol. Howeveralcoholic beverages aren't allowed in certain places such football stadiumsand laws concerning driving under the influence of alcohol have become increasingly more strict and more rigorously enforced.
• Brazilians do not normally take their shoes off as soon as they get homeneither expect their visitors to do so. Henceonly take off your shoes when you visit someone's house if your hosts ask so or you see them do so.

• Except for highly formal situationsBrazilians don't normally mind their tones when eating and chatting. Restaurants tend to be relatively noisy and cheerful environmentsespecially when there are tables with large groups of people.
• Most meals will be eaten with forks/spoons and knivesbut there are some things that you can eat with your hands. If you are unsure whether you should use the knife to cut something shorter or just grab it with your handsobserve how people behave around you and imitate them - or simply ask.
• Burping is considered impoliteunless you are among very close friends or relatives. Brazilians usually place the knife and the fork in a parallel manner on the plate to signalize they are finished.
• If you order a beer or a soda and it comes with a cupwaiters may fill it for you from time to time as they see it becoming empty. They will normally collect empty bottles and cans without asking you first.

Brazil has international telephone code 55 and two-digit area codesand phone numbers are eight or nine digits long. Some areas used seven digits until 2006meaning you might still find some old phone numbers which won't work unless you add another digit. (Mostlytry adding 2 or 3 at the beginningor if it's an eight-digit number starting with 6 to 9 try adding a 9 at the beginning).

Eight-digit numbers beginning with digits 2 to 5 are land lineswhile eight-digit or nine-digit numbers beginning with digits 6 to 9 are mobile phones.

All cities use the following emergency numbers:

• 190 - Police
• 192 - SAMU (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência, Paramedics)
• 193 - Firefighters

Howeverif you dial 911 while in Brazilyou will be redirected to the police.

To dial to another area code or to another countryyou must choose a carrier using a two-digit carrier code. Which carriers are available depends on the area you are dialing from and on the area you are dialing to. Carrier 21 (Embratel) is available in all areas.

The international phone number format for calls from other countries to Brazil is +55-(area code)-(phone number)

In Brazil:

• To dial to another area code: 0-(carrier code)-(area code)-(phone number)
• To dial to another country: 00-(carrier code)-(country code)-(area code)-(phone number)
• Local collect call: 90-90-(phone number)
• Collect call to another area code: 90-(carrier code)-(area code)-(phone number)
• International Collect Call: 000111 or through Embratel at 0800-703-2111

Public payphones use disposable prepaid cardswhich come with 204060 or 75 credits. The discount for buying cards with larger denominations is marginal. Phone booths are nearly everywhereand all cards can be used in all boothsregardless of the owner phone company. Cards can be bought from many small shopsand almost all news agents sell them. The Farmácia Pague Menos sells them at official (phone company) pricesomewhat cheaper. Calls to cell phones (even local) will use up your credits very quickly (nearly as expensive as international calls). Calling the USA costs about one real per minute. It's possible to find all international and Brazilian phone codes on DDI and DDD phone codes^{[dead link]}.

Brazil uses a hybrid video system called PAL-M. It is not at all compatible with the PAL system of Europe and Australia. Nowadaysmost new TV sets are compatible with the NTSC system used in the United States and Canada. Until 2023Brazil will bring digital broadcasting with the Japanese ISDB standard. Digital terrestrial television is available in almost 90% of Brazil. In addition to the 6 major Brazilian television networks (GloboRecordTVSBTBandRedeTV and Cultura)many cities in the country have pay TV via cable or satellite.

Digital video appliances such as DVD players are also compatible with NTSC (all digital colour is the same worldwide)but make sure the DVD region codesif anymatch your home country (Brazil is part of Region 4). Alsothe term "DVD" in Brazil is both an abbreviation for the disc and for its playerso be specific to avoid confusion.

Hotelsairports and shopping malls often offer free WiFi hotspots for your laptop computer or smartphone. In additionBrazil seems to be a country with overly many open WiFi hotspotsonly requiring login via Facebook for instance.

For general tips on internet while travellingsee our travel topic: Internet access.

The Brazilian Correio is fairly reliable and post offices are everywhere. Howeverif you ask how much it costs to send a letterpostcard or package they will automatically give you the "priority" price (prioritário) instead of the normal one (Econômico). You might think that the priority one will make it go fasterbut it isn't always true; sometimes it takes as long as the normal fareso be sure to ask for the "econômico" price of anything you wish to dispatch.