BRAZIL
————————————————————————————————
1.
Climate and Temperature in Brazil
2. Foreign Exchange
and Currency
3. Entry visa for foreigners
4. When is the visa not required
5. Brazil is exuberant by nature
6. In Brazil you will find people from
every corner of the world
7. What’s good in the tropical
country
8. Brazil, a lifestyle
9. The delicious brazilian churrasco
(barbeque)
1. Climate and Temperature in Brazil
Brazil’s
climatic typology is very diverse. The huge territorial
expanse, allied with factors such as temperature,
altitude, barometric pressure and proximity to the
ocean, provide the country with climatic conditions
that can please everyone. It is one of the richest
and most complex ecosystems in the world, with extremely
diversified vegetation and sceneries. The Brazilian
territory is divided into climatic strips: 92% of
the territory is located between the Equator and
the Tropic of Capricorn. We can therefore say that
the Brazilian climate is predominantly tropical,
with equatorial and subtropical (temperate zones)
strips distributed over the remaining 8% of the
nation’s territory. The predominance of lower
altitudes throughout the country provides more elevated
temperatures, with averages exceeding 20°C.
The seasons are the exact opposite of those in Europe
and the United States, except in the northern region
of the country. The average annual temperature is
approximately 28ºC in the northern region and
20ºC, in the south. Extreme temperatures are
rare, but they may occur: in the winter, some cities
in the south of the country experience negative
temperatures, with frost and snow. And in Rio de
Janeiro, in the peak of summer, the temperature
may hit 40ºC. Now that you know about our climate,
choose the temperature you find most pleasant and
come fall in love with the beauty Brazil has to
offer.
2.
Foreign Exchange and Currency
The
currency used in Brazil is called the Real (R$)
and the foreign exchange rate is published daily
in the newspapers and other specialized sites. Foreign
exchange can be handled in banks, travel agencies
and authorized hotels. Travelers’ checks as
well as currencies are easily exchanged at these
locations. International credit cards are accepted
at most hotels, restaurants, stores, travel agencies,
car rental companies and other companies that render
services to tourists. A floating exchange rate is
used. The Brazilian currency has remained reasonably
stable. From November 2003 to April 2004, the American
dollar maintained an average exchange rate of R$
2,90, according to data from the Brazilian Central
Bank.
3.
Entry visa for foreigners
The
visa is federal permission for a foreigner to enter
Brazil. For most countries, it is only issued overseas;
but for some, a visitor’s entry and permanence
in Brazilian territory is authorized for a determined
amount of time, defined according to the purpose
of the trip.
However,
all foreigners who wish to stay longer in Brazil
or who were born in countries that do not have an
agreement with Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs should request a visa. It is advisable to
consult necessary requirements beforehand, because
the process may take a few days to be completed.
The
visas are granted to foreigners who come to Brazil
for reasons that include diplomatic missions, official
trips, tourism, to visit friends and family, business,
participation in sport and artistic events, as well
as their presence in international seminars and
conferences.
The
foreign visitor shall fill in the Visa Request Form,
available in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English,
individually, that is, even if the tourist is taking
a minor, said minor shall fill in his/her own form.
And if the minor is coming to Brazil without his/her
parents or guardian, he/she needs to present an
authorization with the signature of both parents.
The
request for an entry visa to Brazil can be made
at any Brazilian consulate overseas. A fee must
be paid, which varies according to the type of visa
requested and the amount of time the tourist will
remain in the country.
It
is important to remember that the passport must
be valid for at least six more months, from the
date the visa is requested. A recent 3x4 or 5x7
colored photo with white background must also be
presented.
4.
When is the visa not required
It
is possible to enter and remain in the country for
a specific period of time without a visa so long
as the visitor’s passport is valid. This permission
is derived from diplomatic agreements signed between
Brazil and some countries, and it is classified
according to the purpose of each trip.
Bearers
of Diplomatic passports currently do not need any
type of visa or authorization to enter Brazilian
national territory if they are from the following
countries: Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium,
Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Spain, Great Britain/RU,
Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway,
the S. M. Order of Malta, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal,
San Marino, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia,
Uruguay and the Vatican. But if they are from countries,
such as South Africa, Albania, Angola, Armenia,
Barbados, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cameroon,
Chile, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Croatia,
Egypt, El Salvador, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland,
France, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Honduras,
Hungary, India, Iceland, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico,
Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Netherlands/Holland,
Panama, Poland, Dominican Republic, Czech Republic,
Romania, Russia, St. Thomas and Prince, Suriname,
Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine,
Venezuela and Vietnam, they have the right to temporary
permission for up to 90 days to enter and remain
in the country without a visa. If they come from
the Philippines or Cuba, they can stay for up to
180 days; and for 30 days, if they are from Guiana
or China.
Bearers
of Official Passports or Work Passports can enter
the country freely if they are from: Germany, Belgium,
Denmark, Great Britain/RU, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg,
Norway, the S. M. Order of Malta, Portugal, San
Marino, Senegal, Switzerland and the Vatican. And
they can remain for up to 90 days without a visa
if they are from: South Africa, Albania, Argentina,
Armenia, Barbados, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cape Verde,
Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Ivory Coast,
Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, El Salvador, Ecuador,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, France, Gabon,
Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, India,
Iceland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico,
Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Netherlands/Holland,
Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Dominican Republic, Czech
Republic, Romania, Russia, St. Thomas and Prince,
Sweden, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago,
Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam;
for 30 days, if they are from China or Guiana; and
for up to 180 days, if they are from Austria, the
Philippines, Peru and Tunisia.
Visitors
traveling with common Passports, on tourism, can
enter and remain in the country for up to 90 days
if they are from: South Africa, Germany, Andorra,
Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium,
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica,
Denmark, Ecuador, Slovenia, Spain, Philippines,
Finland, France, Great Britain/RU, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia,
Norway, New Zealand, The S. M. Order of Malta, Netherlands/Holland,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino,
Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and the Vatican.
However, tourists from: Germany, Angola, Armenia,
Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cameroon, China, Ivory Coast,
Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Slovakia, Gabon,
Guatemala, Guiana, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Hong
Kong, India, Mozambique, Dominican Republic, Czech
Republic, Romania, Russia, St. Thomas and Prince,
Senegal and Vietnam, should invariably apply for
the visa in their home country.
Tourists
coming from Venezuela can enter and remain in the
country for up to 60 days without any need for a
visa.
Bearers
of common Passports, but who are on business, may
enter and remain in Brazil for up to 90 days without
a visa, if they are from any of the following countries:
South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium,
Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Denmark,
Ecuador, Slovenia, Spain, Philippines, Finland,
France, Great Britain/RU, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
Iceland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Mexico,
Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, The S. M. Order of
Malta, Netherlands/Holland, Paraguay, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname,
Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Uruguay and the Vatican. However, if they are from:
Albania, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Bahamas, Barbados,
Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cameroon, China,
Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador,
Slovakia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guiana, Guinea Bissau,
Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Liechtenstein, Malaysia,
Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Dominican Republic,
Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, St. Thomas and
Prince, Senegal, Ukraine, Venezuela and Vietnam,
they shall request the visa in their home country
prior to departure.
Some
countries do not maintain diplomatic relations with
Brazil, and therefore, Diplomatic, Official and
Work Passports are not accepted, and the visa is
only granted to tourist or business visitors, under
Brazilian “laissez-passer”. The countries
included in this group are: Bhutan, Central African
Republic and Taiwan.
The
Visa Request form must be filled out for all of
the following countries – regardless of the
type of passport and the purpose of the trip -,
before departure from their home country. They are:
Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Saudi Arabia,
Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain,
Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bosnia, Botswana, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Qatar,
Kazakhstan, Chad, Cyprus, Singapore, Comoros, Congo,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Cook Islands, North
Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Arab Emirates, Eritrea,
United States, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands,
Gambia, Ghana, Georgia, Granada, Guinea, Equatorial
Guinea, Haiti, Yemen, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Yugoslavia/Serbia
and Montenegro, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati
Islands, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Latvia, Lebanon,
Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Maldives Islands, Mali, Malta, Mariana Islands,
Marshall Islands, Mauritius Islands, Mauritania,
Micronesia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Myanmar/Burma, Nauru,
Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine
Authority, Papua/New Guinea, Pakistan, Kenya, Kyrgyz,
Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa, St. Lucia,
Saint Christopher-Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Sierra Leon, Seychelles Islands, Syria, Somalia,
Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
East Timor, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu Islands,
Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Should
you have any doubts about obtaining a visa to enter
Brazil, contact the local or nearest Brazilian consulate.
5.
Brazil is exuberant by nature
In
Brazil, exuberance is everywhere. You find it in
the immensity of the desert-like sands of the Lençóis
Maranhenses and in the seven thousand kilometers
of coastline. In the rivers so wide they look like
seas. In the Amazon Forest, the largest on the planet.
In the 250 thousand square kilometers of Mato Grosso
swamplands, the impressive nature reserve, a Heritage
of Humanity.
Beauty
also reigns in the 44 national parks that preserve
the ecosystem. In the long rows of coconut trees
that line the sea of Alagoas. In the Chapada Diamantina,
in Bahia, and in Pico de Itatiaia, in Rio de Janeiro.
In the archaeological sites in Piauí. In
the sunsets of Brasília and in the pampas
of Rio Grande do Sul. In the impressive mountains
of Minas Gerais and the amazing pororoca, the strange
and noisy meeting of waters in the States of Amapá
and Pará. Everywhere you look, there are
plenty of reasons to become enchanted, to become
emotional, and why not say, to fall in love with
Brazil.
6.
In Brazil you will find people from every corner
of the world
One of the most remarkable characteristics about
the Brazilian is the generous, compassionate spirit,
with its good, irreverent humor. When you add this
temperament to a country with such an enormous territorial
expansion, you come up with a land where there is
always room for one more. A land that has received
thousands of immigrants searching for a new world
with open arms, where they could build or restart
their lives and bet on the future.
They
came from every corner: Portuguese, Italians, Japanese,
Spaniards, Germans, Africans, Arabs, Koreans, Chinese,
Poles, etc. And they brought with them new habits,
traditions and customs that integrated with our
culture with surprising harmony. Today, we find
them in hundreds of entities, associations, clubs
and churches; in the celebration of special dates
from their countries of origin, in districts and
even in typical cities. They have made Brazil even
richer and more fascinating by assimilating new
features, new looks and new sentiments.
7.
What’s good in the tropical country
Very few tourist destinations can offer such varied
options as Brazil. Its natural beauties, the enormous
popular festivities and the countless protected
environmental reserves are valuable attractions
that astound the foreign tourist when it comes time
to choose a vacation destination. Everyone has already
heard about Rio de Janeiro, Carnival, the Amazon
or the country’s paradisiacal beaches.
Recent
surveys carried out by Embratur (Brazilian Tourism
Institute) show that the most sought after Brazilian
location is Rio de Janeiro. Also called the Marvelous
City, this capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro
has some breathtaking scenery and is also home to
the largest popular festivity in the world: Carnival.
The grandiose celebration, which gathers thousand
of merrymakers every year to dance and watch the
Samba School parades, attracts a significant number
of foreign visitors to the grandstands and box seats
that line the Marquês de Sapucaí Avenue.
Carnival
is also present in the schedules of several other
Brazilian cities, attracting the interest of a great
many foreigners who visit Brazil. São Paulo
follows Rio’s example, and it too puts on
some lively Samba School parades; in Pernambuco,
the merrymakers in Olinda and Recife, who dance
in the streets in costumes, following music groups
on floats and maracatus, and carrying the famous
gigantic dolls from the region are the ones who
stand out; in Salvador, capital of Bahia, the fun
is provided by trios elétricos, mobile stages
that pull thousands of people along behind them
to the sound of the axé music from Bahia
until sunrise.
The
country’s beautiful beaches and natural wonders
also call people’s attention and attract 35%
of the tourists, according to surveys carried out
by Embratur. With a coastline that extends more
than seven thousand kilometers, Brazil has the privilege
of being able to offer several leisure options in
this segment. Among the most visited beaches in
the country, we have the famous beaches of Ipanema
and Copacabana, along the Rio de Janeiro coast;
Joaquina, in the south of the country, famous for
holding national and international surf championships;
Praia do Forte, along the north coast of Bahia,
headquarters for the Tamar Project for the preservation
of sea turtles; and the wonderful beaches in the
Fernando de Noronha archipelago.
And
one cannot forget about Ecotourism, the segment
that has attracted most new followers over the past
few years. According to data from the Ecotourism
Society, average annual growth has been between
10% and 15%. Those interested in this type of traveling
total 5% of the entire world tourist flow, or approximately
35 million people. And Brazil is one of the destinations
with greatest potential in this segment, since it
has one of the world icons for ecology and biodiversity:
the Amazon, located in the north of the country,
with around 5.5 million square kilometers. It is
estimated that the forests alone in the Amazon region
have 60% of all life forms on the planet –
more than half of which are still unknown to science.
8.
Brazil, a lifestyle
For a long time now, Brazil’s natural beauty
and Carnival rendered it international fame, attracting
thousands of tourists all year long. The number
of foreigners visiting the country went from an
average of 1.5 million per year in the 1990s to
more than 4 million visitors per year from the year
2000 on, according to Embratur’s (Brazilian
Tourism Institute) Statistical Yearbook for 2003.
But there is a very special attraction that you
only discover when you come here: the Brazilian
people. Much beyond the breathtaking scenery, the
way these people live surprises everyone with its
simplicity, willingness, hope, hospitality and happiness.
Studies
carried out by Enbratur indicate that 75% of the
tourists who seek Brazil as their vacation destination
do so first of all because of the natural beauty.
But once they arrive here, they find such hospitality
that they soon become enchanted with the mixture
of colors, races and cultures of the people as well.
According
to surveys, when foreign tourists are questioned
about Brazil, they indicate happiness as the main
characteristic of our people. Happiness that can
be perceived in every moment they stay in the country
– whether in our music, the warmth of our
northeastern beaches, the lively Rio de Janeiro
nightlife or the exuberant Amazon.
From
this warm and festive spirit, popular displays such
as Carnival, New Year’s Eve celebrations and
June Parties arise, all famous for their liveliness
and joy. It seems that the people’s desire
to show what is good about Brazil transforms this
vigor into creativity, flashed about in contagious
colors and sounds.
Research
carried out with international tourists who have
already had the opportunity to know Brazil reveal
that the visitor truly finds the country to be beautiful.
The results also show that 52% of this public goes
back home valorizing yet another aspect of this
land: its people. After all, besides appreciating
some of the most beautiful spots on the planet –
including countless beaches, ecological paradises
and historical cities – the visitor is always
accompanied by people who are willing to show the
best points of every excursion, making the trip
unforgettable.
9.
The delicious brazilian churrasco (barbeque)
When the churrasco (barbeque) was first introduced
in the gaucho Pampas – which covers part of
Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina – it was not
like the one we know today. At that time, around
the 17th century, people were not worried about
commercializing beef like today; what mattered was
the animal’s hide and fat.
For
such, they used to have ‘vacarias’,
which was when large numbers of cattle were killed
in order to remove what really had commercial value
at the time. After that, the ‘vaqueiros’
(cowboys) would carve out the easiest piece of meat
to remove and roast it in a hole opened in the ground,
seasoning it with the ashes from the fire. This
can be considered the most remote origin of the
churrasco (barbeque).
As
time went by, the number of people that enjoyed
this novelty began to increase; its preparation
was improved and the meat was handled more hygienically.
Little by little the churrasco (barbeque) became
one of the most famous and liked dishes in the gaucho
region.
In
the 1960s, the rodizios (the serving of a variety
of meats at the table) became the main attraction
in the State of Rio Grande do Sul menus, especially
in restaurants located along the side of the roads,
which are basically truck stops – the ones
who disseminated the novelty to the rest of Brazil.
This
new churrasco (barbeque) modality (rodízio)
consisted of serving all tables at the same time;
the waiters would come around with several skewers
of different types of meat, offering it to whoever
wanted the cut, and as much as they wanted. Today,
this practice is found throughout the country, and
it is loved by admirers of good roasted meat.
Together
with the traditional cuts of beef, items such as
chicken, pork, sausages, chicken hearts as well
as other types of wild meat like boar and alligator,
were incorporated to the churrasco (barbeque). Today,
a modern churrascaria (restaurant where churrasco
is served) works with at least 10 different varieties
of meat, besides all the side dishes – salads,
rice, beans, manioc flour and much more - making
it one of the most popular dishes in the country.
At
present, Brazil is the world’s largest meat
producer. The Brazilian herd consists of 165 million
heads of cattle, losing only to India, which has
245 million. However, Brazil has the largest commercial
herd because in India the cow is considered sacred
and, thus, cannot be consumed. Brazil’s meat
consumption, which is 34.5 kilos per capita per
year, ranks among the 10 largest in the world.
In
Rio Grande do Sul, churrasco (barbeque) is still
part of the deep-rooted gaucho culture. In other
parts of the country the dish acquired special peculiarities
according to the region where it is prepared. However,
the place does not matter; what matters is that
the Brazilian churrasco (barbeque) is mouth-watering
and it has become a national passion. As a matter
of fact, today we can find an enormous number of
churrascarias (restaurants) anywhere in Brazil.
Nowadays,
our churrasco (barbeque) has acquired international
fame. There are many Brazilian churrascarias (restaurants)
spread around several parts of the world, and they
are a success, in countries like the United States,
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Switzerland,
England, Macaw, Singapore, and Thailand.
It
is Brazilian culture permeating the world through
its delicious culinary.
