By Celeste Wilson

Football The most popular and widely spread sport in Brazil is, undoubtedly, football (or soccer). This is especially appropriate as Brazil will be hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. This means millions of football fans from all over the world flooding into this South American country in the hopes of seeing their favourite team take the coveted title of world champions. A number of well- known football players and world- renowned teams hail from this country. Just some of the popular players are Pelé, Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaká, and Ronaldinho.

The Amazon rainforest, covering much of northwestern Brazil and extending into Colombia, Peru and other South American countries, is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, famed for its immense biodiversity. It’s crisscrossed with thousands of rivers, the most exceptional being the powerful Amazon. River towns, with 19th-century architecture dating to rubber-boom days, include Brazil’s Manaus and Belém, Colombia’s Iquitos and Peru’s Puerto Maldonado

This is brazil This is the amizon rain forest This is the amizon river

Some interesting facts The food of Brazil uses much fish, meat, tropical fruits, rice, beans, and manioc, among others. These main ingredients can be found in most regions of the country, although the most popular dishes of one region often are not the same as in other region of the same country. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil. This dish is made with pork, rice, black beans, ham, onions, beef, and chorizo. Traditionally, feijoada contains all parts of the pig, including parts such as tale, nose, and ears. Since some people, and specially tourists, don't find this very appealing, the recipe is often adjusted and those parts are not added.

When the Portuguese colonized Brazil, their gastronomy mixed with the traditional indigenous dishes. Then, during the times of slavery, Africans brought their gastronomy to Brazil as well, adding it to the combination of indigenous and Portuguese cuisine. However, these gastronomies didn't completely merge, in most cases they coexisted. Then, many other immigrants arrived as well: Lebanese, Germans, Italians, Japanese, Spanish, and many more, adding their dishes to the gastronomy of Brazil as well. This way, the actual gastronomy of Brazil is the result of a combination of cultures and dishes of many different origins

Brazilian clothing says as much about the country as a whole as the people in particular. It expresses the attitudes of society and provides an outward description of who Brazil is to the world.

1. The carnival is a wild four-day party held 40 days before Easter. 2. It started yesterday and ends on 'Fat Tuesday', the day before the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday. 3. February is the hottest month of the year in Rio and the city is at its liveliest. 4. The roots of the carnival can be traced back to the Romans and Greeks who celebrated the arrival of spring with parties. 5. These traditions were carried over to the New World with Portuguese immigrants in the 1700s.

6. Their 'Entrudo' festival saw revellers throwing water, limes, mud and even food at each other. 7. Brazil's carnival evolved over time with the addition of masquerade balls and then big street parades with groups of people playing music and dancing. 8. Today, carnival takes place in the city's streets, bars and clubs. 9. Hundreds of street bands, singers and orchestras will entertain party- goers largely with samba music.

10. The carnival highlight, though, is the Samba Parade, a fierce competition between Rio's samba schools, of which there are nearly Held in the purpose-built Sambodromo, the schools are judged on their elaborate floats, costumes, dancing and music. 12. Some of the schools are expected to spend up to £3 million on outfits and preparations. 13. The city's poorest residents, from the slums, typically make up the majority of the schools. 14. Around two million people per day are expected to take to the streets this year.

15. The carnival begins when Rio's mayor hands over a giant silver and gold key to Rei Momo, the Fat King. 16. Scores of mini street parties are held prior to the carnival proper getting underway. Smaller local parades known as 'blocos' are held across the city and attract thousands of spectators. 17. Despite there being 17,000 portable toilets dotted around the city for the carnival, a 'Pee Patrol' has been appointed to clamp down on revellers urinating in the streets. 18. A 1/4 million jobs will be created by Carnival and it will generate £420 million for local hotels, restaurants and bars. 19. Carnival is Brazil's most important festival but celebrations are held in Sao Paulo, Salvador, Recife, Olinda, Manaus and Porto Alegre.

By Celeste Wilson