Around The World: Brazil

By B. Rafael

Through the mist, one can hear the croaking of frogs. Jaguars prowl up ahead while toucans flutter around the tree branches. Welcome to the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world, 60% of which is located in Brazil. The rainforest is always hot and rainy, and provides a home to many animals, birds, and snakes who surround the Amazon River, the second largest river in the world. In fact, Brazil is home to the most species of animals and plants of any country in the world.

Brazil is located in South America and is the largest country on the continent. Covering an area of 3.3 million square miles, Brazil makes up 47% of South America. This means that Brazil is actually larger than the mainland of the United States, which covers 3 million square miles. Almost half the country is within the rainforest. However, there is still quite a human population too. There are 214 million people who live in Brazil.

While it is well known that South American countries speak Spanish, in Brazil they speak Portuguese. This stems from the days of colonization, when different countries raced each other to claim countries in America. Portugal grabbed Brazil, and to this day, Brazil is the only country in all of America to speak Portuguese, even though today Portugal is no longer in charge in Brazil. Interestingly enough, there are 10 million people living now in Portugal. That means that there are more Portuguese-speaking people in Brazil than in Portugal itself!

Many people drink coffee every day. Some people have a coffee every hour. However, most people don’t stop and think where their coffee beans originate from. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee, growing a third of all coffee beans. Brazil also produces a lot of cocoa, and many types of nuts. There is a nut that is called the Brazil nut which grows in the rainforest.

Along the border of Brazil and Argentina lay the Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world, 1.7 miles wide. We are awed by the tremendous gush of Niagara Falls, however, the Iguazu Falls are more spread out and are made up of 275 waterfalls. Many nature-loving tourists come each year, to see Hashem’s wonders that are located in Brazil.