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The 2014 World Cup kicks off in Brazil on June 12th, in a month-long event spread over 12 cities throughout the country.
In all, there will be 64 games played among 32 qualifying teams with 20,000 credentialed journalists and 600,000 foreign tourists expected to engulf the country in the coming weeks ahead.
So, before the games begin and your strong sense of national pride kicks in, have you asked yourself how much you really know about the host country, other than it is the largest country in both South America and the Latin American region?
What follows is a mixed bag of facts and stats you might be interested in knowing about Brazil.
What to know about Brazil?
- Government Type: Federal Republic (Democracy).
- Country Motto: ``Ordem e progresso'' (Portuguese, ``Order and progress’’).
- Declared Independence on September 7, 1822 (from Portugal).
- Capital: Brasilia.
- The official language is Portuguese (and most widely spoken language).
- Portuguese is the 4th language most spoken in the world. More than 260 million people speak Portuguese as their mother tongue.
- In Brazil, approximately 210 languages (about 180 indigenous) are spoken.
- The largest city in Brazil is São Paulo with an official population of 11,316,149 (2011 estimate).
- The largest community of Japanese speakers (outside Japan) and Lebanese (outside Lebanon) live in São Paulo.
- Currency: Real (2.21 Real for 1 US dollar).
- Unemployment Rate: 5.7 percent (2013 estimate).
- Most of Brazil is 3 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T.-3) or 2 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
- Internet country code: .br
- Internet users: 75.982 million (2009 estimate).
- Brazil is the only nation to have appeared in all 20 World Cups, including Brazil.
- Brazil has won the World Cup five times, more than any other country.
- Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup for the first time in 64 years (1950).
- According to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC, U.S. State Department) more than half of Brazil’s computers run on pirated, unsecured software. Avoid exposing sensitive information over potentially insecure networks, such as leased, Internet café, or hotel equipment, and avoid using public or wireless networks.
- According to a report released by a Mexico-based research institute and supported by information from the UN, 11 of the 30 most violent cities in the world are in Brazil; these include seven of the 12 cities that will be hosting matches of the FIFA Football World Cup.
- According to a recently published United Nations report on international homicide, Brazil’s murder rate is more than four times higher than that of the United States, and rates for other violent crimes are similarly high. In addition, violence linked to organized crime groups, drug trafficking gangs, and police shootings account for a large share of homicides in Brazil.
- Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China and the United States; and largest country in Latin America.
- Brazil is the largest country in South America, which shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.
- Brazil is home to the largest Catholic population in the world. 64.6% of Brazilians identify themselves as Roman Catholic.
- Brazil has the largest African-descended population in the world outside of Nigeria.
- Brazil imported the largest number of African slaves across the Atlantic (approximately 4-5 million between the 16th and 19th centuries).
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The Brazilian Coastline is 4,650 miles long.
- 60% of the Amazon rain forest is located within Brazilian territory.
- Brazil is the planet's top exporter of Raw Sugar, Coffee, ethanol, crude petroleum, Poultry Meat, soybeans, Fruit Juice, Frozen Bovine Meat, Raw Tobacco, Flexible Metal Tubing, Gelatin, and Waxes,
- The largest gay pride parade in the world takes place in São Paulo, bringing together approximately 3-4 million people.
- Brazil contains the most voluminous river in the world (Amazon).
- Brazil is home to one of the world's largest soccer stadiums (the Maracana) with a seating capacity of 78,838.
- Brazil has the longest bridge in the southern hemisphere-the Rio-Niterói Bridge-which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói in Brazil. It is 8.25 miles (13,290 m) long.
- Brazil is home to the largest automobile industry in the third world.
- Brazil is the world's third largest airplane maker.
- 2013 was the first time Brazil topped 200 million inhabitants, and it continues rising faster than previous estimates as its burgeoning middle class live longer than their parents.
Do’s and Don’ts while in Brazil:
- It's considered a great sign of respect when in Brazil to sprinkle your dialogue with at least some common Portuguese words or expressions rather than Spanish.
- The "O.K.’’ sign is considered vulgar or obscene in Brazil, thumbs up would be the more appropriate hand gesture. Snapping fingers means something was done long ago or for a long time.
- In Brazil, the fig is a symbol of good luck.
- Never send purple flowers to a Brazilian; its' a symbol of death.
- If offered Cafezinho (very strong coffee) please accept it, not to accept it will offend your host in a country which is extremely proud of their superior coffee.
- Try to avoid discussing Argentina with Brazilians; and avoid ethnic jokes, discussions of religion, and other sensitive subjects. Soccer, local cuisine, and Brazilian music, on the other hand, are welcomed topics, along with the social activities their involved with and their children.
-Bill Lucey
June 11, 2014
Source: Fernando Arenas, Professor of Lusophone African, Brazilian, and Portuguese Studies at the University of Michigan; Niedja Fedrigo, Lecturer LSA, Romance Languages Department at the University of Michigan; International Office at the University of Texas at Austin, The World Factbook (Central Intelligence Agency).
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