BRAZIL

If you like salsa, samba, carnival and tropical beaches, this is the place for you. Brazilian life seems to revolve around fiesta and football and this is truly so. It is also, however, a country with a fascinating history of occupation and revolt, of slave trade, of dictatorship and democracy. The country exports a lot of cane sugar, beef, coffee, small aircrafts, etc., and the economy is growing. There are also extremely large contrasts in Brazil between rich and poor. A large section of the Brazilian population can just about keep their heads above water. The result of this is high criminality figures. The nature inland varies a lot: just think of the contrast between the huge Amazon area and the dry, savannah-like ‘sertão’. The people are very friendly and have a zest for living despite the widespread poverty.

Climate/Working climate:
Brazil is large and, therefore, there are differences in climate. The equator runs through the northern Amazon. This area is tropical even during the rainy season. The north east is also tropical but very dry. The central highlands have a subtropical moderate climate with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. The climate can be compared with that of the Netherlands in the south with average temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius and snow and ground frost in the winter.

It is wise for those going to work in Brazil to know in advance where they will be going. Making agreements about wages is, moreover, essential. They vary hugely depending on the company and the sector in which the company is active. Generally, many people have not gone to work in Brazil because of the money but because they feel connected in some way with the country.

Facts and Figures:
Capital city: Brasília
Surface area: 8,514,877 km², 205x the Netherlands
Population: 186,771,000
Time zone: GMT/UTC -2, GMT/UTC -3, GMT/UTC -4, GMT/UTC -5
Currency: Brazilian Real (R$)
Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish (other), French (other)

If you want to know more, visit:
www.brazil.com/
www.brazilinsight.com/