If travelling is your passion, Brazil is your destiny
Brazilians often say they live in a continent
rather than a country, and that's an excusable exaggeration. The landmass
is bigger than the United States if you exclude Alaska; the journey from
Recife in the east to the western border with Peru is longer than that
from London to Moscow, and the distance between the northern and southern
borders is about the same as that between New York and Los Angeles. Brazil
has no mountains to compare with its Andean neighbours, but in every other
respect it has all the scenic - and cultural - variety you would expect
from so vast a country.
It's fair to say that nowhere in the world do
people know how to enjoy themselves more - most famously in the annual
orgiastic celebrations of Carnaval, but reflected, too, in the lively
year-round nightlife that you'll find in any decent-sized town. This national
hedonism also manifests itself in Brazil's highly developed beach culture;
the country's superb music and dancing; rich regional cuisines ; and in
the most relaxed and tolerant attitude to sexuality - gay and straight
- that you'll find anywhere in South America. And if you needed more reason
to visit, there's a strength and variety of popular culture, and a genuine
friendliness and humour in the people that is tremendously welcoming and
infectious.
Climate & Time Zones
Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical
zone, more than 60 percent of the population live in areas where altitude,
sea winds or cold polar fronts moderate the temperature. There are five
climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi arid, highland
tropical and subtropical. Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília
and Belo Horizonte have very mild climate with average temperature around
19º (66F). Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have
warm climate balanced by cool winds. In the Southern Brazilian cities
of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts
of United States and Europe with occasional frosting. In this region,
temperatures can fall below zero during winter.
Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat,
temperatures of more than 32ºdegrees ( 90º) are rarely experienced
there. In fact, the annual average temperature is in the range of 22-26º
( 72-76ºF), with only a very small seasonal variation between the
warmest and the coldest months. The hottest part of Brazil is the Northeast
where during the dry season, between May and November, temperatures of
more than 38ºdegrees (100ºF) are recorded frequently. The Northeast
has greater seasonal variation in temperatures than does the Amazon region.
Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, temperatures range
from 23º to 27º C ( 73º F - 81ºF). Inland, on higher
ground temperatures are lower, ranging from 18º - 21ºC (64º
F - 71º F) .
Brazil has four time zones. Brasilia time is the nation's official standard,
three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, London.
Visa Regulations
A visa is not required for holders of passports from
Europe or South America. As a matter of reciprocity, visas are
required for visitors from North America. Passports must be valid for
at least six months and a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds
may be requested on arrival. Tourists will be admitted for a stay of up
to 90 days which is extendable, at the discretion of the Federal Police,
for a further 90 days. Tourists are not permitted to work.
Vaccination
If you are visiting touristic destinations in the south of Brazil such
as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu or the North
East such as Fortaleza, Salvador, Recife, Natal, there is no need to worry
about vaccination. Only be aware that an international certificate of
vaccination against polio is compulsory for children aged between three
months and six years.
An international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory
for travellers who, within the three months prior to their arrival in Brazil, have visited or been in transit through any
of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French
Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire.
Additionally, vaccination against yellow fever is recommended for all
travellers when visiting the following states of Brazil: Acre, Amazonas,
Amapá, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso
do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Please note
that yellow fever vaccinations take approximately 10 days to become effective.
If there is any doubt about the need for vaccinations, please contact
the Brazilian Consulate General.
Sources: Brazilian Embassy in London, Wikipedia,
Justbrazil
