Brazil

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Located in Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean with the total area at 8,511,965 sq km, is Brazil. Throughout time it has had a rich history that has not only effected but influenced its cultural dress. This Paper will cover Brazil's has a hot climate, diverse culture dew to slavery, and interestingly unique dress.

As a result of its location, its climate is a tropical one, with flat rolling low lands, plains, and some hills. Some of the natural recourses of the area include: bauxite, gold, iron, nickel, ore, petroleum, phosphates, platinum, timber, tin, and uranium. In July 1994 (the latest date recorded) Brazil's population was at 158,739,257, the population growth rate was 1.28%, birth rate was 21.48 births per 1,000, and the infant mortality rate was: 59.5 deaths/1,000 live births. Invent mortalities have decreased and the population it growing. Because of the geography and climate of Brazil the people are mainly petite (females more than the men) and athletic shaped. At one time being hefty was a sign of social and economic standing, hence, the upper class was bigger than the working class.

Before April 22, 1500 the indigenous Brazilian population was Indian pre- Columbian invasion. Expansion and development started slow but because of the great demand for sugar in Europe, it increased. The indigenous people were made slaves and when the demand grew even greater, slaves were brought in from Africa. In this period Quilombos (slaves who escaped from the plantations) built small towns in remote areas, where hundreds of people lived, raised families, grew crops, and fought to keep their independence. Consequently, the former owners called in the Paulistas and Band...

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...l religious holy days occur. Brazilians celebrate these with many parties. Children dress up in old-fashioned plaid clothes, paint freckles on their faces and wear straw hats. People also dance the quadrilha, a Brazilian square dance.

September 7 is Brazil's Independence Day. This is the day in 1822 when the country was declared independent of Portugal.

Christmas is important for Brazilians. Families will often get together and celebrate on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. The seasons in Brazil are opposite to those of Canada, so it is usually hot at Christmas time.

On New Year's Eve, thousands of spiritists, people who practice Spiritism, gather on the beaches of the Atlantic Coast. They come together to pay tribute to Iemanja, the goddess of the sea. This is a time to be thankful for the past year and to ask Iemanja for her blessing in the year to come.

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