The country of Brazil is the fifth largest in the world and the biggest in South America. It is also one of the fastest growing economies in today's world. Brazil is also the largest Portuguese-speaking country. Geographically, the Atlantic ocean lies to the east of Brazil, while its neighbors include Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. In terms of GDP, the Brazilian economy is ranked eighth in the world, while the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) criterion, places it at ninth position in the world. Brazil is home to diverse wildlife and is a country rich in terms of natural resources. Facts about Brazil The República Federativa do Brasil was formed on 7th September, 1889 and Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca was the first president. The total area of Brazil is 8.514.215,3 sq. km, and the currency of this nation is known as Real. Brazil Climate The varied topography of Brazil hosts a wide range of climatic conditions. Important climatic subtypes of Brazil are equatorial, tropical, subtropical, highland tropical, temperate, and semiarid. Owing to these climatic conditions, it is possible to have equatorial forests, tropical savannas, temperate coniferous forests, and semiarid deserts in the same country. History of Brazil It is quite an interesting activity to study the history of Brazil. The bloodshed and story of independence from external powers is however, much similar to that of USA.

• Facts regarding origin of the word, Brazil are clouded by ambiguity. However, according to common beliefs, name of a timber called 'brazilwood' is said to be the origin of this word.
• The Portuguese claimed what is today's Brazil in 1500 A.D. Pedro Álvares Cabral was the one who led Portuguese forces that first arrived in Brazil.
• In the year 1534 A.D. a full-fledged colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese took place. The main reason behind intruders from Portugal taking over this huge land mass was the disputes among native tribes; this rendered them weak before the power of intruders.
• Brazil gained independence on 7th September, 1822. The first emperor of Brazil was Pedro I.

Present Day Brazil Today's Brazil is marked with contrasts. The country though, boasts of rapid economic growth, concerns like rapid deforestation and economic disparity cannot be ignored. Here are some of the important facts about present day Brazil.

• Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies and a BRIC nation (BRIC is an abbreviated form used to address the group of developing nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China). Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Salvado, and Manaus are amongst the major cities of Brazil.
• The coastline of this country is 7,491 km long, and Brazilian beaches are considered amongst most scenic places to visit. The country therefore, holds great potential for development of tourism.
• The abundant natural resources and a free economy are major assets of this country.
• Brazil is a leading sporting country as far as soccer is concerned.
• Although Brazil possesses natural resources aplenty, the rate of deforestation also is quite high. It should definitely be a cause of concern for this rising economic power.

Brazil Culture The culture of Brazil is a 'product' of the confluence of Native American, Portuguese, and the African culture. People from many different communities have settled in Brazil in the 19th and 20th century. Apart from the Portuguese, settlers/migrants came from different parts of the world, which includes the Italians, Arabs, Japanese, Spanish, and Germans. This country therefore incorporates a multi-ethnic society. The variety in climatic conditions, topographic features, customs, and traditions is reflected in the food of Brazil as well. Miscellaneous Facts

• All countries in the South America share their border with Brazil except for Chile and Ecuador.
• The southeastern region of Brazil is home to 43% of the total population. However, the area which holds this population is just 11% of entire Brazil.
• The varied wildlife of Brazil accounts for 600 mammal species, 1,600 species of birds, 1,500 fish species, and around 1,00,000 different species of insects.
• The world's largest wetland, 'Pantalan' is located in central-western region of Brazil. The swampy area of Pantalan is home to varied fauna including anaconda, caimans (South American alligators), and capybara (world's largest rodent).

The different Brazil facts and information covered in this article present before us the diversity and rich heritage of this lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nation. There is a lot to be said and written about this Latin American country. The summarized form of information pertaining to Brazil, should however be of some help to readers.