
Brazil's People and Culture
Population
The history of Brazil begins with indigenous people in Brazil. Europeans arrived in Brazil at the opening of the 16th century. The Portuguese were the first European settlers to arrive in the area, led by their leader Pedro Cabral. The immigrant Portuguese language was greatly influenced by the numerous Indian and African native languages they encountered, but it remains the dominant language in Brazil today.
Brazil's Indegionous people

Brazil's Indigenous population stands at 896,900 individuals, 36.2% of whom live in urban areas. A total of 505 Indigenous Lands have been identified, covering 12.5% of Brazilian territory.

The current population of Brazil is 213,910,194 as of Tuesday, May 25, 2021, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
Click below to see the live Count of Brazil's Population
Brazil's Food and Drinks
Brazil really does have it all! Larger cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro boast unique culture, personality and nightlife, and the thousands of miles of coastline, epic countryside and hearty cuisine will have you in raptures.
Eating in Brazil is an absolute pleasure. Just like the country itself, Brazilian cuisine is vibrant, colorful, diverse, and exciting. Brazil is a vast country and the food vary greatly from region to region.The typical food of Brazil has many influences. The Portuguese had a huge impact in shaping Brazil's culture and traditions. Brazilian food has also been influenced by other European, African, South American, and Asian countries. Here are some essential Brazilian dishes you can try on your visit.
Moqueca (pronounced moo-kek-a)

Moqueca is a dish that's been made for over 300 years in Brazil. It's a fish stew recipe using fish caught off the coasts of Brazil such as swordfish or shark, and usually has prawns in it as well.
Feijoada

One of the few dishes eaten the length and breadth of Brazil, feijoada is a hearty stew of black beans, sausages and cuts of pork of varying quality. Most Brazilians go out to restaurants and bars to eat feijoada, and it's traditionally eaten on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Pamonha

Pamonha is a unique dish that exist nowhere other than Brazil. It can be served savory or sweet. It is made out of fresh grated corn, mixed with milk, and salt (or sugar).It has become increasingly common to add more complex fillings like sausages or cheese for an ever better flavor! It is served mostly during the Festa Junina, a festival that celebrates the beginning of winter
Vitamina de abacate ("fruit smoothie")

This blended smoothie (called a vitaminas in Portuguese) is made with avocado, sugar and milk. Interestingly, avocado is considered to be a fruit in Brazil and is often sweetened (rather than being used as a salty ingredient).
Chimarrão
("tea")

A cultural experience as much as a drink, Chimarrão is a special tea that is generally shared with groups of friends. "The tea is passed around in a metal cup...and everyone takes turns drinking from it." [5] This drink is more common in southern Brazil.
Agua de coco
("coconut water")

Forget the coconut water craze back home, this is where it started. This classic Brazilian drink comes from actual coconuts along the beaches (with unripe coconuts having more liquid than ripe ones). Ask for coconuts that are gelado- it means cold!
Celebration
Brazil has a large number of celebrations that have become very popular internationally.


Rio Carnival
(Portuguese: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro)
The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro a festival held every year before Lent and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. Rio Carnival's history has evolved- Once, it was celebrated with roots to Roman Catholic traditions taking place just before Lent. Carnival was the final feast and celebration before Christians spent the next 40 days fasting. Brazil's Rio carnival is a mixture of African, Portuguese and indigenous culture. Portuguese settlers brought with them the theme of it being a festival of food. Rio de Janeiro's carnival roots began in 1723 when Portuguese immigrants colonised Brazil. The most important and known is the one held in Rio de Janeiro, where the party invades the streets for about four days. The big event begins at the Marqués de Sapucaí Sambadrome, where King Momo is named and is given the keys to the city. From there, the samba parade also starts, where there is music, dancing and fun are guaranteed. All of them are usually presided over by samba schools, the traditional music of the country.


Bahia's Carnival in Salvador
While samba is the main music of Carnaval in Rio, things are a bit different in Salvador.
The street parties are still the main way to celebrate Carnaval, but the real star here is the Axé Music, with its famous singers and bands bringing their 'trio elétrico' to the streets. 'Trio elétrico' is a popular type of sound truck on top of which an electric band plays.
In Salvador, rather than using different costumes, people wear 'abadá', a special T-shirt used as a ticket to enjoy Carnaval closer to the trucks.
The official Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is five days. In Salvador, it lasts a week with plenty of shows, events, and street parties happening several days - even weeks - before the official first day of Carnival and after too. Rio de Janeiro's Carnival is intense with days of dancing, drinking, and mingling. However, Salvador is on a different level with bigger parties and longer days, complete with a totally liberal attitude.
The blocos (street parties) and Trio Electricos are influenced by the African heritage of the city that adds another interesting dimension to the parties.