Região Sudeste

Região Sudeste (in red/vermelho)

Rio de Janeiro (Horacio)

Rio was built partly on blood: the bloody battles between the Portuguese and French, led by a young military captain Estácio de Sá, nephew of the governor of Brazil, fought the French and finally secured the sight for Portuguese colonization, although the pace was slow; the cidadela (the fortress to protect the city) was not begun until 1568. 

On a larger scale, it is important to understand why the largest and richest of the countries of South America speaks Portuguese, rather than Spanish, as does the remainder of the Hemisphere. The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) effectively, although accidentally, created Brazil; the treaty was an agreement sponsored by Pope Alexander VI dividing newly discovered lands in the Western Hemisphere between Spain and Portugal. The Pope drew a line north to south half-way between the Cape Verde Islands (owned by Portugal) and the newly-discovered islands adjacent to Hispaniola reached by Columbus, giving everything east of that line to Portugal and everything west of the line to Spain.

Brazil grew and expanded over time from that date, and today Rio de Janeiro is the sixth largest city in the Americas and the fourth richest (in GDP) in Latin America. Gaining independence from Portugal in 1889, Brazil is the largest (land area) country in South America. Rio, originally the capital of Brazil, now has over 7 and a half million people, and is home to a multitude of economic activities, including manufacturing, heavy industry, mining, electronics, ship construction, oil and gas exploration and refining, and banking and finance. Travel and tourism are extremely popular in the city, a main hub of culture and entertainment in South America.

Visitors to Rio generally come for its world-famous beaches (Copacabana; Ipanema; Barra da Tijuca; Prainha; Praia Vermelha; Arpooador; and the official nude beach, Abricó) and are rewarded handsomely: the city has more than 50 miles of beach.

  Although you could spend your entire vacation on the beach, in addition there are numerous other attractions. Perhaps the most famous is Corcovado Mountain, with the statue “Cristo Redentor” on top; a tram carries visitors to the top. Two more famous mountains within the city are Pão de Açucar and Pedra da Gávea. 

     Additionally, travelers enjoy the botanical gardens (jardim botânico) as well as the colorful bairros, the “favelas” (below), and the near-by rain forest, “Tijuca”.

      Cultural attractions in Rio include of course the world-famous “Carnaval” which is the Brazilian version of New Orleans’ “Mardi Gras”; the celebration is a colorful and exuberant lead-in to the fasting required during Lent. 

     Brazil is greatly blessed as a food-basket: Brazil is the world’s largest producer and 

 exporter of coffee and orange juice. In addition, Brazil produces sugar cane, cocoa, cotton, 

 bananas, wheat, rice, and soy. Popular foods served in the city include “frango com quiabo”  (chicken with okra); “queijo” (cheese of course); “feijão” (beans, either black or brown); “banana frita” (fried bananas); and “farofa” (lightly toasted manioc flour). “Feijoada” is the most popular national dish- a black bean stew with rice and pork. Portuguese-style sausage “linguiça” is of course a national favorite as well.

Meal times vary across the country but in Rio, breakfast is commonly fruits, like oranges and papaya, with tapioca or couscous and always coffee. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, bread and butter or jam, may also be served. Lunch is the heaviest meal of the day across Brazil, but in a busy cosmopolitan city like Rio, lunch is usually a quick meal of rice, beans, or salad. Street foods are very popular, especially “pastéis”, a Brazilian adaptation of Chinese wontons: a deep-fried thin pasta with a savory filling of meat or cheese, which may also have sweet fillings of fruit such as pineapple. Three dishes which are loved in Rio and served in the evening meal time are “Bobó de Camarão" (1)(shrimp in manioc and coconut milk purée); “Carne Seca com abóbora” (jerked beef with pumpkin purée and rice); and “Moqueca” (2) (shrimp or fish stew with coconut milk and rice).

The music of Brazil is a major part of the culture of this vibrant city: although most Americans think only of samba or bossa nova when they think of Brazilian music, the musical roots include African, native, and European traditions and forms. Samba is best known as a musical form attached to Carnaval, attributed to composers such as João Gilberto and Dorival Caymmi, while bossa nova became popular since the 1950’s under composers such as Antônio Carlos Jobim.  Indigenous and folk musical forms have found a growing audience across Brazil, and especially at sports events, performers are widely received in the city. The “choro” is a unique Brazilian musical form: literally “lament”, it is a semi-religious musical form that was formulated in the late 19^th century; the first phonograph recordings in Brazil were “choros”.

  This romantic, complex, exciting, and multicultural city has much to offer, whether to 
visitors or to business people or researchers; there is never a moment when you can be bored when experiencing Rio!

References

  

https://www.britannica.com/place/Rio-de-Janeiro-Brazil/People

https://www.riodejaneiro.com/v/history/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_cuisine

 São Paulo (José C.)

São Paulo is the richest and most populous state in Brazil and its capital city, bearing the same name, is the largest city in all of South America. São Paulo city is home to 18 million people and is the third largest city in the world, after Tokyo and New York. More people of Japanese descent live in São Paulo than in any other city outside of Japan. São Paulo is one of the country’s and, indeed, the continent’s most significant areas. In fact, it contributes over a third of Brazil’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

São Paulo enjoys a tropical to subtropical climate, depending on the altitude. It is generally warm and mild all year round, with some areas experiencing chilly night-time lows. The three most significant cities in São Paulo are São Paulo, Guarulhos and Campinas.

The state also hosts several large events such as the São Paulo International Art Biennial, the international Film Festival, São Paulo Fashion Week, the Virada Cultural – one of the biggest cultural events in the world with 1300 presentations for 24 uninterrupted hours – and the biggest  LGBT parade  in the world. Sao Paulo also staged the world’s biggest football event: 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

Food

Another São Paulo attraction is gastronomy, with 15,000 restaurants, 20,000 bars and 3,000 coffee shop-bakeries. São Paulo is renowned for its pizza, which is served in more than 5,000 stablishments. Altogether, São Paulo offers almost 100,000 restaurants and other food and beverage services. Some popular foods in the city: Tutu a Mineira, Pao de Queijo, Acaraje, Virada Paulista, Feijoada, Polenta and Churrasco. 

The city of São Paulo is also home to the second largest public library in the country, the Mario de Andrade Library, which was founded in 1925 and which has a collection of over three million items.The São Paulo Museum of Art and the São Paulo State Pinacoteca are among the best art museums in Latin America.

References

https://www.paralympic.org/news/five-facts-about-s-o-paulo

https://www.saopaulo.sp.gov.br/

http://www.saopauloglobal.sp.gov.br/frameSetores.aspx?gp=38&IdIdioma=2&IdTrad=97

Minas Gerais (Sarah)

Minas Gerais is located in the southeast of Brazil and is home to 20 million habitants making it the second most populated state. Interestingly it is the fourth largest state in the country and is named after its abundance of minerals. The population is full of European, Portuguese, and African origins all of which make the state unique and diverse. Religious and historical colonial influences are evident in the culture and architecture of Minas Gerais. In fact, Roman Catholicism is the most prevalent religion that is practiced by many habitants. Aside from the state's wealth of minerals, it is also the country's leading producer of rice, beans, corn, coffee and cheese. 

Cuisine
Minas Gerais is know for its diverse and exquisite cuisine in fact some recognize it as the culinary capital of Brazil. The cuisine ranges from distinct types of cheeses to an assortment of traditional meat dishes. Some of these cheeses include queijo minas, requeijao and catupiry. Pão de queijo is a popular dish known as “brazilian cheese bread”. A traditional dish from this part of Brazil, known as Feijao tropeiro, is made with beans, sausage, bacon, collard greens, eggs and manioc flour. Additionally, Carne de sol com mandioca is a dish made with salted cured beef and manioca, a potato like legume which is similar to yucca and cassava. Another popular dish of Minas Gerais is known as péla mare which is crushed corn and pork. 

Music

Brazilian music contains a variety of different sounds that come from very important historical influences, particularly the African culture. A popular music style that is known throughout the country but is more prevalent in Minas Gerais is known as Sertanejo. This style of music dates back to the 1920’s, originating from festival and religious celebrations. Sertanejo shares many similarities to Iberian folk songs however advancements in technology have modernized this style of music. 

Economy

As the state’s name suggests, Minas Gerais is known for the minerals it possesses that are found in the state's abundant mines.  Additionally, it is the largest producer of coffee and dairy products. The state generates close to 10% of Brazilian GNP in addition to 13% of Brazil’s exports, making it an important component in the country's economy. 

Main cities

A few of the largest and most well known cities of Mines Gerais include Juiz de Fora, Belo Horizonte and Ouro Preto. In particular Juiz de Fora is known for its important steel mills and automotive factories and is ranked as being the third most important industrial center of the state. On the other hand Belo Horizonte is known for having numerous mines and livestock. Belo Horizonte sits in the middle of the Curral del Rey mountains and is home to the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Catholic University of Minas Gerais. The city Ouro Preto was founded in 1698 as one of the greatest center for gold mining. After Brazil’s independence from Portugal, the city became the capital of Minas Gerais however this later changed due to transportation difficulties and resulted in Belo Horizonte becoming the official state capital. 

References

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Ouro Prêto.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 Aug. 2012, www.britannica.com/place/Ouro-Preto.

Brown, Sarah. “A Music Lover's Guide to Brazilian Pop.” Culture Trip, 2 Sept. 2016, theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/a-music-lovers-guide-to-brazilian-music/.

Meyer, Amelia. “Brazil.org.za.” Portuguese Colonisation Of Brazil, 1 Jan. 1970, www.brazil.org.za/minas-gerais.html

“Minas Gerais - Economy and Infrastructure.” Rules of Beach Soccer in Brazil, www.v-  brazil.com/information/geography/minas-gerais/economy.html.

“Minas Gerais Food: The Richness of the Jequitinhonha Valley.” Vivejar, 16 Aug. 2017, vivejar.com.br/en/minas-gerais-food/

“Sertanejo.” Great Brazilian Music - Samba, www.greatbrazilianmusic.com/sertanejo.html.

Espírito Santo (Wilson)

Espírito Santo is one of the fastest growing states in Brazil because of its strategic location on the coast of Brazil. Espírito Santo's location encourages new and investments for all markets, international and domestic. Espírito Santo is Brazil's ports and its capital Vitória has the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Espírito Santo also has a huge tourism industry and tourists can choose different routes throughout the country. These routes include: Sun and Moqueca Route, Coast and Immigration Route, Marble and Granite Route, and Caparaó Route.These routes include things from agricultural tourism to adventure, from beaches to historical routes of German and Italian immigrants. Espírito Santo has tons of beaches and coastlines for tourists to enjoy. They even have black sand beaches. Other than beaches Espírito Santo also has mountains as you move inland. Tourists attractions in Espírito Santo include Jacaraípe and Manguinhos, Domingos Martins (mountains) and Guarapari (black sand beaches).

Parque Estadual de Pedra Azul

Guarapari

The food in the region has cultural influences from Europe, India, and Africa. Dishes that have these cultural influences and heritage are the Torta Capixaba (Seafood Salt Cake) and Moqueca Capixaba (Fish Stew).  

Vitória is the capital city of Espírito Santo. The city was founded in 1551 and is the 3rd oldest capital in Brazil. Vitória has approximately 315,000 inhabitants which is comparable to St. Louis. Vitória includes the mainland area as well as 34 islands off the coast. Many of Vitórias neighborhoods are surrounded by parks and natural tourists attractions. Since Vitória is on the coast and includes the 34 islands there are plenty of activities to do. These include whale watching, the sea turtle conservation center, windsurfing, museums, boat tour, and city parks. 

The beautiful beaches and mountains are waiting for you in Espírito Santo.