By: Gabby Stuckless & Bria Schickel

Geography Size- 8,511,965 sq miles Capital- BrasÍlia Major landforms- -Amazon basin- covered by the largest tropical rain forest in the world -Brazilian highlands- about 800 miles in length, the estimated highest point is 7,368 ft. -Amazon river- the largest river in the world by volume. Bordering countries/ bodies of water- Atlantic ocean, Venezula, Guyana, Colombia, Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Natural resources- bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphate, platinum, tin, uranium, petorleum, hydropower, and timber. Brazil is mostly tropical wet and dry,these climates usually have hot climates with seasonal rains

Demographics & Economy Population- 198,739,269 people Mortality rate deaths/ 1,000 population Literacy rate- 89% GNP- Brazil billion, U.S billion GDP- Brazil-1,616.0 billion, U.S trillion Latin Am. Rate billion Government- Federal republic Leadership- Luiz Inacio Currency name- Reals Exchange rate- Reals per U.S dollar

History Brazil was a Portuguese colony from Brazilians demanded for independence, but Portugal wanted Brazil to remain a colony. Brazilians signed petitions asking Dom Pedro, to rule Brazil as a independent country. In September of 1822 he declared Brazils independence from Portugal. Conflict- Portugal would not let Brazil declare its independence from them until Important leader- Dom Pedro, the son of Portugals king, helped Brazil declare its independence from Portugal in 1822.

Society Languages- Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and English. Religions- Roman catholic, Protestant, Spiritualist, Bantu/voodoo. Customs- a bar in Brazil serves alcoholic drinks. But also sells milk, bread, sandwiches, sweets, and soft drinks like a regular cornor store would. Another custom is Carnival which is the most colorful feast day. In Brazil the people would dress up in costumes and ride on floats in the streets. Capoeira, which is a dance and martial art that developed in Brazil from African origins. Dating and Marriage customs- Serious dating and the engagement period can last as long as 2-3 years. Traditional families usually have a young man ask the girls father for permission to be her boyfriend or husband. Until 1977, divorce was illegal. Some young married couples would occasionally live with their parents.

Current Issues The rainforests in Brazil being chopped down. Reasons people might FAVOUR- - It covers a large area, and as the population grows, more people need places to live. - The cleared areas make more room attractions, and tourists which brings in money. - The wood timber and construction industries give jobs to local people. Reasons people might be AGAINST- - 20% of the oxygen we breathe is produced in the Amazon rainforest - Many different plants and animals exist only in the rainforests, and if they eliminate the rainforests those animals may become extinct - People who live in the rainforest will lose their home, and have to move somewhere else. Our Solution- We think that the country shouldn’t cut down the rainforests, yes it make living soultions better but it takes other peoples homes away from them. It also takes trees away that porduce oxygen for the rest of the world. So we think that the people of Brazil shouldn’t continue to destroy the rainforests