Buzz
With less than a month remaining until the opening day of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, what do you know about the hosting country this year? Let's explore Brazil with fascinating and unexpected information.
1. According to the renowned world travel website TripAdvisor, Bai do Sancho is the best beach in the world. This beach is located in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, just about an hour's flight from the city of Natal. Here, 21 islands form a marine park that attracts divers from far and wide to explore vibrant coral reefs beneath the sea or learn about the diverse and rich marine life system here.
2. Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world by population, with around 201 million people and an area of 8,514,215 km2. Brazil shares borders with all South American countries except Ecuador and Chile, covering 47% of the continent's area.
3. Brazil's motto is “Ordem e Progresso,” meaning “Order and Progress.”
4. São Vicente, near São Paulo, is the oldest city in Brazil and the first settlement of the Portuguese in the Americas.
5. Brazil's highest peak is Pico da Neblina (Mist Peak), situated on the border with Venezuela, towering at 2,994 meters. Almost entirely shrouded in clouds, it wasn't discovered until 1950, and only conquered in 1965.
6. Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, took just 41 months to build, from 1956 to 1960 (Rio de Janeiro held the capital position for 197 years prior). Despite planning the 2014 World Cup seven years in advance, doubts lingered about the readiness of necessary organizational tasks.
7. Viewed from above, Brasilia resembles an airplane.
8. Oscar Niemeyer, the chief architect of Brasilia's architectural works, designed over 500 structures in Brazil. The Cathedral of Brasilia is considered his most renowned masterpiece. This flower-shaped cathedral was inaugurated in 1970 after a decade of construction, standing on 16 columns weighing 90 tons each. Visitors must pass through an underground tunnel to enter.
9. Some German Nazis fled to Brazil after World War II, including the infamous Josef Mengele known for cruel experiments on twin pairs. The high rate of twin births in the town of Cândido Godói, near the Argentine border, is suspected to be related to Josef.
10. Brazil has been one of the world's largest coffee exporters for the past 150 years. In the 1920s, Brazil supplied about 80% of the world's coffee; however, that figure has now decreased to one-third of its previous levels.
11. Exploring the slums of Brazil has become increasingly popular in recent years. Among them, the most famous are the vibrant streets of Sant Marta, Rio de Janeiro.
12. Sao Paulo, one of the host cities for the World Cup, is among the cities with the worst traffic congestion in the world. According to the Traffic Engineering Company, the city's traffic management agency, a record traffic jam was set on 15/11/2013, covering approximately 309 km2 of gridlock, with long lines of cars surrounding the city during peak hours. The city plans to organize special train trips for fans attending matches here.
13. The most common surname in Brazil is Silva.
14. The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro weighs 635 tons, stands 30 meters tall, and was included in the “New Seven Wonders of the World” in 2007. Earlier this year, the statue was damaged by a lightning strike and is currently undergoing repairs.
15. Brazil has more than 4000 airports, more than any other country except the United States.
16. According to a 2007 report, there are at least 70 unidentified tribes in the Amazon region of Brazil.
17. Brazil boasts 19 UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites, including globally renowned locations like Iguacu National Park – home to some of the world's largest and most impressive waterfalls. Brazil is also home to many endangered and rare species, such as the giant river otter and giant anteater.
18. Approximately 1.5 – 2.5 million people in Brazil have Japanese roots.
19. Every year, about 6 million tourists visit Brazil, with half of them choosing Rio as their destination. The annual Carnival alone attracts around 2 million people to participate.
20. Manaus, the city that hosted the opening of the World Cup, is situated in the middle of the Amazon rainforest with a population of 2 million. The rubber industry made this city the wealthiest in South America in the 1880s.
21. The world's largest outdoor garbage dump is Jardim Gramacho, located in the city of Duque de Caxias, Brazil. This landfill had to be closed in 2012.
22. Brazil is one of the most biologically diverse countries globally, hosting a total of 4 million plant and animal species. It's also the country with the highest monkey diversity compared to any other nation.
23. Fishermen in Laguna, southeast Brazil, can utilize dolphins to assist them in catching fish. The dolphins will corral small fish towards the pre-set nets.
According to Dân Trí
