Brazil

History

Brazil is thought to have been inhabited for at least 10,000 years by semi-nomadic populations when the first Portuguese explorers, led by Pedro Álvares Cabral, disembarked in 1500. Over the next three centuries, it was resettled by the Portuguese and exploited mainly for brazilwood at first, and later for sugarcane agriculture and gold mining. Work in the colony was based on slavery. Slavery was abolished in 1888, and intensive European immigration created the basis for industrialization.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Brazil attracted over 5 million European and Japanese immigrants. That period also saw Brazil industrialise, further colonize, and develop its interior. Brazilian democracy was replaced by dictatorships three times — 1930–1934 and 1937–1945 under Getúlio Vargas, and 1964–1985, under a succession of generals appointed by the military. Today, Brazil is internationally considered a democracy since 1985.

Climate

Brazil is a all year round travel destination. It has 3 climatic zones: a tropical north, a subtropical middle part and seasonable changes in the south. These seasons are contrary to ours, but they are much less distinctive.

Culture

Brazilian Culture is of a very diverse nature. The religion of most Brazilians is Roman Catholic. In fact, Brazil is the largest country in the world whose predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Many other beliefs have been incorporated into the Brazilian catholic belief system such as Spiritism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Ayahuasca, and Judaism.
Both Brazil and the United States are large countries whose population was formed by multiple immigration sources from many countries, each one bringing its own culture. The Brazilian culture has not only formed by the portuguese, but more so of its natives (Indios), Africans, Europeans and Asians. But although the Americans pride themselves on the diversity of multiple cultures and their generally peaceful coexistence, the Brazilian idea of culture is one of mixed unity, containing many diverse ingredients, but composing one meal, so to speak. While the ideal image of the average American is the idea of a white protestant, living next to an African-American, or a Jew, the typical Brazilian is multi-ethnic.

Languages

Portuguese is the official language, and is spoken by the entire population. It is virtually the only language used in schools, newspapers, radio and TV, and for all business and administrative purposes. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas, giving it a national culture distinct from its Spanish-speaking neighbors.
The language spoken in Brazil is slightly different from that spoken in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries. Brazilian Portuguese is more archaic than European Portuguese, and has some phonological and orthographic differences, although mutual comprehension is not affected.
Spanish is understood in various degrees by most people, since it is very similar to Portuguese and is spoken in the border of Brazil with Spanish-speaking countries. English is part of the official high school curriculum, but very few people achieve any usable degree of fluency.
Many minority languages are spoken daily throughout the vast national territory of Brazil. Half of these languages are spoken by indigenous peoples, mostly in Northern Brazil.
Still others are spoken by communities of descendants of immigrants, who are for the most part bilingual, in rural areas of Southern Brazil. These communities speak dialects of Italian, German, Polish or Japanese languages.

Visa information

(valid for Swiss citizens only)
You do not need a visa for travelling to Brazil, only a valid passport (valid for at least 6 months). Upon arrival the return ticket can be asked for. A stay of 90 days is possible with a one time extension of an additional 90 days, which has to be requested at the brazilian police (policia federal). The whole stay should not exceed 180 days within a period of 12 months.

Health

The risk of getting Malaria varies according to the areas and vaccination is recommended.
Other recommended vaccinations are yellow fever, tetanus, hepatitis A, diphtheria.
The doctor or the tropical institute can give you information about existing illnesses and if you are sufficiently vaccinated.