A country, where nature was meticulous, and above all generous, Brazil is full of charms. Brazil, with its extensive territory, boasting continental dimensions, has varied climate characteristics. Its assorted natural landscapes make it one of the countries with the most complex and rich ecosystems in the world. Its attractions range from paradise-like beaches, to fascinating mountains, displaying fields, rivers, cascades and waterfalls.
You will find dunes, cliffs, swamps, caves, pristine forests, trails in the wilderness, and flower fields. These are ecological havens, which are home to many animal species, including some endangered species protected by law. There are more than 50 National Parks all over the country, each one of them having great importance as far as ecology, science and tourism are concerned. If you sum up their areas, they are many times as large as some European countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Portugal. Some of these park, like the Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, in Minas Gerais, display rock inscriptions that date back to 8,000 years ago. And in Paraná, you will find the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, the second oldest in Brazil, where you can see the famous Iguassu Falls, the largest group of waterfalls, regarding volume of water, in the world. Iguassu Falls consists of 275 waterfalls reaching up to 70 meters in height, being the “Devil’s Throat” the most impressive of them.
This Brazil, which abounds with natural beauty, is also noted for technology, medicine, science and telecommunications. Back in the 1950’s, Brazil established a support system for science and technology development with the creation of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ) and the Coordenação e Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes), and later the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep). Stimulated by these institutions, the country marked its presence in scientific publications, bringing out quality research and presenting technological solutions. In the last two decades, the Brazilian scientific production growth has been enormous, reaching 365%, while the world average was 104%. Brazil was second only to South Korea.
Science and technology have changed. Brazil has also changed. The country develops, consumes, and exports technology, which is becoming more accessible to all. Technology that is found in the soybean seeds and in the plantations, where the harvesters and other machines are satellite-guided, making use of on-line weather services. Brazil, the eternal exporter of agricultural products, today also sells high-tech airplanes, which also have high added value, and is one of the leading countries in the DNA sequencing research. The ever-growing competition has led the country to get prepared for the future, and show itself as a giant that awakes to new conquests.
With a GNP of US$700 billion, and an approximate population of 180 million inhabitants, Brazil is a converging point for international investments. More than US$300 billion must be invested in the country in this year, covering practically all segments of the Brazilian economy.
BRAZIL TODAY:
-A country with giant constructions and great achievements in Civil Engineering
-One of the major economies in the world
-One of the leading producers of software in the world
-The world’s leader in steel technology
-The leading country in deep-water oil prospecting technology
-The leading manufacturer of regional jet planes in the world
-The leading producer of coffee and sugar cane
-The second largest helicopter fleet in the world
-The second largest cell phone market in the world
-The fourth largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world
-The fifth largest market for books and music in the world
-The sixth largest manufacturer of machines and equipment in the world
-The sixth largest producer of grains, meat and orange juice in the world
-The seventh largest center for services in the world
-The eighth largest consumer of energy and steel in the world
-The ninth largest automobile assembly center, with a fleet of 20 million vehicles
-Home to 44 of the 50 largest multinational industries in the world, and to 225 of the 500 largest Latin American companies
-146,246 km of paved roads
-1,500,925 km of dirt roads
-30,223 km of railroads
Main sources: The Brazilian Consulate in Los Angeles, Rank Brasil, Brasilplast and Embratur
