Brazil Researched via: Student Name: Timothy Rorie Date: 3 / 25 / 11

Where is Brazil located? Brazil is located in South America and borders all the other countries in the continent excluding Ecuador and Chile.

Flag, Motto, Anthem: The placid banks of Ipiranga heard the resounding cry of a heroic people and in shining rays, the sun of liberty shone in our homeland's skies at this very moment. If the assurance of this equality we achieved by our mighty arms, in thy bosom, O freedom, our chest shall defy death itself! O beloved, idolized homeland, Hail, hail! Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray of love and hope descends to earth if in thy lovely, smiling and clear skies the image of the Southern Cross shines resplendently. Cont.  Giant by thine own nature, thou art beautiful, thou art strong, an intrepid colossus, and thy future mirrors thy greatness. Beloved Land amongst a thousand others art thou, Brazil, O beloved homeland! To the sons of this land thou art a gentle mother, beloved homeland, Brazil! National Motto- Ordem e Progresso ['Order and Progress']

Sports: Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art marked by deft, tricky movements often played on the ground or completely inverted. It also has a strong acrobatic component in some versions and is always played with music. It is a culturally significant sport, developed in colonial times by slaves. Nowadays Capoeira is practiced internationally and found its way into popular culture through many computer games and movies.

Government and Politics: Brazil’s government supports the ideology of a federal republic. A former finance minister, Fernando Cardoso, won the presidency in the Oct election with 54% of the vote. Cardoso sold off inefficient government- owned monopolies in the telecommunications, electrical power, port, mining, railway, and banking industries. In Jan. 1999, the Asian economic crisis spread to Brazil. Rather than prop up the currency through financial markets, Brazil opted to let the currency float, which sent the real plummeting—at one time as much as 40%. Cardoso was highly praised by the international community for quickly turning around his country's economic crisis. Despite his efforts, however, the economy remained sluggish throughout 2001, and the country also faced an energy crisis. The IMF offered Brazil an additional aid package in Aug And in Aug. 2002, to ensure that Brazil would not be dragged down by neighboring Argentina's catastrophic economic problems, the IMF agreed to lend Brazil a phenomenal $30 billion over fifteen months.

Famous people/role model: Best known by the name 'Pele', he is a former Brazilian football player who is regarded as the most illustrious football players of all times, a living sporting legend. Pele was honored with the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. He is the all-time top scorer in the history of the Brazil national football team and is the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup- winning teams.

What do you like the most about Brazil? Capoeira-Angola This form of martial arts proved to be exceptionally original and inspirational and it was one of the few I have been taught in my earlier years.