Fascinating facts about Brazil - Known as the country of samba and carnival, Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest territory in the world. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean from north to south, the country has great cultural diversity and is home to many immigrants from countries such as Portugal, Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain, and Japan. The country has approximately 210 million inhabitants and its rich history and heritage deserve your full attention. Check it out!

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The best beach in the world - According to TripAdvisor, Sancho Bay, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, is the best beach in the world. The 21 islands have beaches that attract millions of tourists every year.

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The fifth largest country in the world - Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and its area occupies 47% of South America's territory. Its geographical area is around 3,287,956 sq mi and it has approximately 210 million people.

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Population - There are 13 cities in Brazil that have more than 1 million inhabitants.

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History - Brazil was a Portuguese colony for more than 300 years. The country gained its independence in 1822.

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The most ancient city - São Vicente, in São Paulo, is the oldest city in Brazil and was founded in 1532. It was also the first place where the Portuguese stayed when they came to the Americas.

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Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro was once the capital of Portugal. This makes Rio the only European capital outside Europe.

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The country - Brazil is a federal republic and has 26 states and 5,579 municipalities.

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Japanese community - Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million Japanese descendants live in Brazil.

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Airports - Brazil is the country with the second-highest amount of airports in the world at 2,498. The US has the most airports.

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Borders - Brazil is bordered by ten countries. This constitutes almost all of South America, with the exception of Chile and Ecuador.

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The highest point - Brazil's highest point is Pico da Neblina, at 9,827 ft above sea level.

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Soccer - The country is known for its love for the sport. Brazil has won the FIFA World Cup five times and their national team is currently in second place in the official FIFA world ranking.

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The most popular player - Although Brazil has several world-renowned soccer stars, Pelé is still the most well known. He is considered the best soccer player of all time.

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Amazon - The Amazon rain forest is the most biodiverse place on the planet.

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Territory - In total, 60% of the Amazon rain forest is in Brazilian territory. The forest also occupies parts of Peru, Colombia, and small parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and French Guiana.

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Capital - The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, which was built in 1960. Previously, Rio de Janeiro was the country's capital for 197 years.

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Language - The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. The country has the largest Portuguese-speaking population in the world.

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Historical language - More than 1000 languages were spoken in Brazil before the arrival of the Portuguese. Only 180 survived to this day and only 11 languages are spoken by more than 5000 people.

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Religion - With around 123 million believers, Brazil continues to be the country with the largest number of Catholics in the world. In second place comes Mexico, with 96 million.

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Stadium - The line that divides the field of Milton Corrêa Stadium in Macapá is completely aligned with the equator, which means that each team is positioned in a different hemisphere.

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The largest producer - Brazil has been the largest coffee producer in the world for more than 150 years.

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Banned - Brazil was the first country in the world to ban sunbeds.

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Tribes - The Bororo tribe is one of the few populations in which everyone has O-type blood.

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Dangerous island - Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is undeveloped and not visited.It has between one to five snakes per square meter and is considered the most dangerous place in the world!

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Sex change - Since 2008, Brazil is one of the few countries in the world to offer free sex-change surgeries through their national health system.

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São Paulo - In addition to being the most populated city in Brazil, São Paulo is also considered the helicopter capital, with over 410 flying overhead each day.

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National animal - Brazil's national animal is the macaw.

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Olympic games - Brazil was the first South American country to host the Olympic Games.

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Suffrage - Voting is not only a right in Brazil, it is actually mandatory by law.

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Immigrants - São Paulo has the largest number of Portuguese, Japanese, Italian, and Lebanese people living outside their respective countries.

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The most popular name - Just like in Portugal, the most popular surname in Brazil is Silva.

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Christ the Redeemer - The statue of Christ the Redeemer weighs 635 tons and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

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Dangerous - According to data from the Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think-tank, the country is home to half of the 50 most-dangerous cities in the world.

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