10 interesting facts about Brazil – the country of football

Brazil… A couple of decades ago, Russians associated this country exclusively with TV shows and coffee. Now little has changed, except that carnivals and football have been added. This state is part of Latin America and is the largest in terms of area and population.

The country gained independence in 1822. At the moment, it has a good economic potential. Developed agriculture, mining industry, production. In terms of development, the Brazilian economy is significantly superior to other South American countries.

Unfortunately, this state is located quite far away, so most Russians can only dream of traveling to bright and exotic Brazil. In addition, such a trip will not be cheap.

If you are also interested in this country, pay attention to our article. Below is a ranking of interesting facts about Brazil. You can briefly plunge into its atmosphere and learn a lot of new things.

10 Named after the mythical island

The country is named after the Isle of the Blessed, which exists in Irish mythology.. The first mention of it dates back to the Early Middle Ages. This is a paradise, an overseas country, which is located at the end of the world. This is not the only version of the origin of the name.

There is an assumption that it is formed from the phrase “redwood“, which in Portuguese means “red wood“. After colonization, the Portuguese mined studded caesalpinia here, and then exported it to Europe.

9. When married, Brazilians get a double surname

Brazilian women do not have to answer a difficult question before marriage: take their husband’s surname or leave theirs. After the wedding, they become owners of a double surname. The order is as follows: 1st surname of the father, the second – the spouse.

All Brazilian names have a complex structure that is completely incomprehensible to foreigners. Children born in marriage also receive the surname of the father and mother. In this case, they are arranged differently: the 1st of the mother, the 2nd of the father.

The last part of the surname is considered the main one. It is used in personal contact and in other cases (for example, if you need to indicate authorship). When a woman marries, she loses her mother’s surname and uses her husband’s surname instead.

8. The architect designed the capital in the shape of a butterfly from a bird’s eye view

Brazilian politician Juscelino Kubicek has promised the people that if they elect him for the presidency, he will build a new capital as soon as possible. He fulfilled his promise, three years later a new city called Brasilia appeared.

The project was prepared by the architect Lucio Costa. He dreamed of building a city in the shape of a butterfly. If you look at Brasilia from a bird’s eye view, you can see something similar.

True, not everyone agrees with this statement. Most believe that the city was built in the shape of a bird. The head is legal buildings, the body is public and administrative buildings, the wings are residential buildings.

7. Same-sex marriage is legal in the country

In 2011, the country’s Supreme Court put forward the idea that same-sex marriage is not against the Constitution, and non-traditional couples have no rights.

Although a request for the legalization of same-sex marriage was sent back in 2009, it was not officially approved until May 2013. From now on gay people can marry, adopt children and enjoy all the rights that are available to traditional couples.

6. The toilets have cubicles for shemales

In 2005, a bill was passed that required large shopping centers, nightclubs and similar establishments to provide transvestites with toilets.

This happened after a big holiday – the samba festival. This event attracted the attention of many transvestites, but they had a problem with going to the toilet. The men were dissatisfied, the women felt embarrassed. Now in public toilets you can see cubicles marked with the letter “T”, they can only be used by transvestites.

5. About ¾ of the population are passionate about football

Brazil is called the most powerful football power. Residents of the country are ready to take part in this team game at any time of the day or night. Brazilian football teams are the strongest, the players are called “ball magicians».

They have won five World Championships. This is a very high figure, no one else has been able to reach such peaks. Not only professionals, but also amateurs are fond of football. Every city has at least one stadium.

4. Producing country of sugar cane fuel

Sugar cane has been cultivated in Brazil for a long time.. Back in 1530, small sugar refineries began to work on the territory of the country.

Now Brazil is the leader in the supply of sugar to other countries. But progress does not stand still, and now … fuel is produced from this culture.

Bioethanol is an industrial alcohol used to fuel aircraft and cars. This is a cost-effective production, it can also be called environmentally friendly. The harm from bioethanol is much less than from the usual gasoline.

3. In Rio de Janeiro at night it is allowed to drive on a red traffic light

In Rio de Janeiro, it is allowed to drive on a red traffic light from 22.00 to 5.00. In 2005, a corresponding law was adopted. It wasn’t just brought in.

Rio de Janeiro is not the most peaceful environment, and in the past, car robberies were quite common. As soon as the driver stopped at a traffic light, he was attacked. Ambushes at crossroads did not surprise anyone. Now the situation has returned to normal, and drivers can no longer worry about their safety.

2. Second place in the world in terms of the number of airports in the country

In 2013, a ranking of countries was compiled by the number of airports. The United States ranked first, Brazil second.. A big lead of 4 vs. 090 airports. The largest airports in the country are the International in Sao Paulo, Congonhas, the airport in Rio de Janeiro.

There are companies that operate flights within the country. Very convenient, especially for travelers who want to see as much as possible in a short time. Again, the prices cannot be called budget, tickets are expensive, but you can buy one for 4 trips.

1. First place in the world for the diversity of primates and freshwater fish

Brazil ranks first in primate diversity. A lot of wild monkeys live here: tamarins, saki, common marmosets, marmosets, etc. There are 77 species. You don’t have to worry, they don’t run around the streets. This is nothing more than a myth, just like with bears in Russia.

Interesting fact: the locals treat the monkeys with respect. In the winter of 2011, an interesting incident occurred. In winter, the temperature reached critical points, unusual for this area. The monkeys in the zoo started to freeze. The workers gave them blankets. At first, monkeys, in particular orangutans, mistook bedding for new toys, but then they appreciated all the delights of a blanket. Many then worried about wild monkeys, but workers in this area reassured the inhabitants of the country. They said that the animals will be able to adapt to any weather conditions.

Brazil is rich not only in primates, it is the leader in the number of freshwater fish species.. It’s simple: a significant part of the country is occupied by rivers and lakes. The largest river is the Amazon. The variety of species is amazing – there are about 3 thousand of them in total.