Brazil, South America’s giant

People generally travel from one city to another by airplane because it takes a very long time, sometimes days, to travel by car as it is such a big country. In fact, in some areas, such as the Amazon rainforest, there are no land routes.

The city of Rio de Janeiro alone is as popular as the rest of Brazil. The best place to view the city from is the top of Mt. Corcovado. The view of the ocean behind the tall buildings is enchanting. The highest hills and mountains in this predominantly Catholic country feature giant statues of Jesus or Mary or a cross. Rio de Janeiro’s highest point is Corcovado, which measures 710 meters. On top of the mountain, there is a statue of Jesus. The statue, named “Cristo Redentor” (Christ the Redeemer), is 39.6 meters high and can be seen from many parts of the city on a clear day. Rio has interesting weather conditions. Due to sudden changes in the weather, fog can quickly blanket the mountain. Sometimes tourists walk up the mountain to see the statue and the amazing view but are forced to go back down because of the fog.

They end up exhausted and tired for no reason. People can also view the city by helicopter. Helicopter tours are very common in Brazil. Sometimes the sky above tourist attractions can be filled with helicopters. It has turned into a sector of its own. A seven-minute helicopter tour is $80 per person. There are many beaches in Rio de Janeiro, but there’s one that stands out above all the others, Copacabana. Both Rio’s and Brazil’s most popular beach, it is one of the most famous in the world. Its white sand is constantly washed by the strong waves of the Atlantic Ocean. People from all walks of life visit the beach to swim, get a tan, walk along the coast, play soccer, go running or just catch up with friends. Copacabana is surrounded by hotels. Tourism is one of Rio de Janeiro’s main industries.

The popular Maracanã Stadium is also located in Rio de Janeiro. Built in 1950, the stadium was the largest stadium in the world at the time and still remains the largest stadium in South America. It set a world record in the same year it was built by hosting more than 184,000 spectators for the Brazil-Uruguay FIFA World Cup final. The record still stands. When it was first built, the stadium had a maximum occupancy of 210,000, but this has been reduced to 95,000 for safety reasons.

Rio de Janeiro is surrounded by mountains. In addition to Corcovado, another popular mountain is Sugarloaf, or Pão de Açúcar in Portuguese. You can go up to the top of the mountain either by cable car or by helicopter. Cable cars travel to the 396-meter-high summit and can hold up to 70 people. The fare to visit the top of the mountain via the cable line, which was built in 1912, is 35 reals, in other words $20, per person. The 14-kilometer-long bridge that connects Rio de Janeiro to the city of Niterói is another interesting attraction.

Maracana Stadium, Christ the Redeemer statue on Mt. Corcovado, Iguazu National Park, Performers at a carnival

Rio de Janeiro is a city built between mountains and the ocean. It has a long coastline. It is the second biggest city in Brazil after São Paulo but is the country’s most popular. São Paulo, the country’s most populous city, is a very lively and colorful place. Due to its large and concentrated population, Brazil is a crowded country. There are street vendors that try to sell things to people passing by, just like in Turkey. But these vendors are constantly on the look out for municipal police, who can appear out of nowhere at any time. The streets are filled with Brazilians trying to earn their daily bread. Soccer is such an important part of Brazilian people’s lives that many people can juggle a soccer ball with their feet for hours without dropping it. There are even some people who make money by putting on performances in the streets. You can come across people doing a wide range of different performances, from removing their shirt while juggling a soccer ball to putting on imaginative shows with tennis balls and marbles. Performers who can hold an egg with their foot, throw it into the air and then catch it on the back of their head without dropping it receive a lot of applause from their audience in particular. Capoeira, which was created by African slaves, is a form of dance that originated in Brazil. It is a combination of martial arts and dance. The slaves developed this dance to keep fit and stay strong, and it was initially a form of martial arts. Today it is performed in many countries around the world, especially in Brazil. What makes Capoeira different from other martial arts is that it offers a visual feast with its aesthetic movements. It is for this reason that the Capoeira dance attracts the attention of almost every tourist visiting Brazil.

More than 50 countries

[QUICK FACTS] Capital: Brasilia Official language: Portuguese Government: Presidential federal republic President: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Vice president: Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva Area: 8,514,877 square kilometers Population: 198,739,269* GDP (PPP): $10,100 ** Religion: Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6 percent, Protestant 15.4 percent, Spiritualist 1.3 percent, Bantu/voodoo 0.3 percent, other 1.8 percent, unspecified 0.2 percent, none 7.4 percent *July 2009 estimate **2008 estimate

There are people from more than 50 countries, including Japan, Lebanon, Syria, Italy, Spain, Russia and the US, living here. While the majority of the population is Catholic, there are Jews, Buddhists, atheists and Muslims as well. The society is tolerant and respectful and accepts people as they are. People are not persecuted or excluded because of their economic status, color, race, religion or level of education. In this respect, it is a wonderful and free country.

Many soap operas and Brazilian television series, which are very popular in Turkey, are filmed in Brazil. In this country of 192 million people, there are many who are obsessed with these shows. It is for this reason that they continue to be made. Hundreds of people make a living from these shows. There are Brazilian soap operas that go on for several years. At least two or three soap operas air on television each day. “La Esclava Isaura” (Isaura the Slave), which used to air in Turkey as well, is among the most popular soap operas. This show was filmed again and broadcast recently after a long period off the air.

Business relations between Turkey and Brazil have been increasing in recent years. However, relations have not reached the desired level. Brazil is a very big market for Turkey. There has been a significant increase in the export of machinery to Brazil in recent years. Brazil ranks third in line on the list of countries which Turkey exports machinery to. Turkey’s worldwide machine exports are worth $9 billion. There are commercial and investment opportunities for Turkish businessmen in Brazil, especially in infrastructure and the construction sector. Establishing economic cooperation with Brazil will enable Turkish companies to benefit from the big market offered by the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), which Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are members of. Mercosur, a regional trade agreement, created a customs union between the four countries. In addition, Brazilian companies will have the opportunity to enter markets in Europe via Turkey. In this respect, it is evident that an improvement in relations between Turkey and Brazil will foster both cultural and economic development.