Brazil: Lesson 3

Brazil is a mix of several cultures. Nearly 40% of Brazilians have a mixed ancestry.

There are smaller multi-ethnic groups of African and Native descent. These are the descendants of the African slaves who escaped into the hinterland, often remote inland regions far from the coasts.

Some 17 million people live in Sao Paulo's metropolitan area, or city and built-up areas around the central city.

The central city is the largest or most important city in a metropolitan area.

Most of Brazil's large cities have shantytowns called favelas. These are make shift communities located on the city edges.

Personal warmth, good nature, and "getting along" are valued as the Brazilian way.

Portuguese is their main language, but it is often closer to the Spanish language than the original Portuguese, as many words have been added by various ethnic groups.

Most of Brazil is Catholic, but only 20% practice regularly.

People in both rural and urban areas own their own houses.

Family ties are strong, and families usually live with or near each other.

Life in rural Brazil hasn't changed much, but city life is moving faster with more job opportunities.

Soccer is played everywhere on a daily basis.

Education is important in Brazil, yet 60% of Brazilians have only 4 years of schooling or less.

The government wants to colonize the sparsely populated interior to stop overcrowding and also develop more land in the Amazon.

However logging is a serious problem already, 15% of the Amazon is already gone.