TRAVEL
Rio’s natural beauty is breathtaking, with various peaks encircling its distinctive port, earning it a spot on the list of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders. Although there are dozens of historic and modern attractions across the city, it is still wise to avoid the flaws, or slums. Even yet, if you’re searching for a bit of fun and adrenaline, this city is one of the best in South America. Brazil is the fifth most- populous country on Earth and accounts for one-third of Latin America’s population. Most of the inhabitants of Brazil are concentrated along the eastern seaboard, although its capital, Brasília, is located far inland and increasing numbers of migrants are moving to the interior. Rio de Janeiro, in the eyes of many of the world, continues to be the preeminent icon of Brazil. The nation’s burgeoning cities, huge hydroelectric and industrial complexes, mines, and fertile farmlands make it one of the world’s major economies. However, Brazil struggles with extreme social inequalities, environmental degradation, intermittent financial crises, and a sometimes deadlocked political system. Brazil is unique in the Americas because, following independence from Portugal, it did not fragment into separate countries as did British and Spanish possessions in the region; rather, it retained its identity through the intervening centuries and a variety of forms of government. Because of that hegemony, the Portuguese language is universal except among Brazil’s native Indians, especially those in the more-remote reaches of the Amazon basin. At the turn of the 21st century, Brazilians marked the 500th anniversary of Portuguese contact with a mixture of public celebration and deprecation. The Brazilian landscape is immense and complex, with interspersed rivers, wetlands, mountains, and plateaus adjoining other major features and traversing the boundaries of states and regions. The cultures of the indigenous Indians, Africans, and Portuguese have together formed
EC Magazines | L.A. Times Edition 2022 56
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator