25 Interesting Facts about Brazil

Want to know more about Brazil? Here are 25 Interesting Facts about Brazil that you probably didn’t know before reading this!

To make this even more fun, I want to challenge you as well. How many of these Brazil facts did you know before reading this? Share your result in the comment section!

1. There’s a Brazilian island where the largest population are snakes

The Snake Island or Ilha Queimada Grande is not inhabited by humans. In fact, the island is so dangerous that humans aren’t even allowed to embark it.

The island is populated by the Golden lancehead snake, and it is estimated that there is one snake per square meter. This type of snake is also present on the mainland, but their island cousins are much more venomous. 

2. Home to more animals and plant species than any other country

Brazilians can pride themselves in sharing their country with a massive number of animals and plants. It’s such a diverse country that researchers estimate it to be the most biodiverse country on the planet.

The Amazon rainforest, which 60% is located in Brazil’s territory is threatened though by deforestation.

3. Maria and Jose are the most common names

More than 11 million Brazilian females are named Maria, and more than 5 million males are named Jose. The second most common names are Ana and Joao.  

4. Brazil has been the largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years

Many countries produce coffee around the world, but none can compete with the massive amounts produced by Brazilian coffee plantations.

5,714,381,000 pounds of coffee was produced in 2016/17. 

5. Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world

In South America alone, the total land area accounts for almost half of the continent (47,3%) and 5.6 % of the total area of Earth. 

6. There are more than 4000 airports

The United States of America is the only country in the world with more airports.

7. Brazil was once connected to West Africa

If you look at the shape of Brazil and the Eastern side of the South American continent, it’s easy to see how it once was attached to West Africa.

Before this, they were both parts of the supercontinent Gondwana. The split happened about 140 million years ago. 

8. Caipirinha is a popular cocktail

You can’t visit Brazil without having a Caipirinha, it’s like visiting Cuba without having a mojito. Caipirinha is the national liquor drink and it’s made from the local Cachaça, Lime, and Sugar, served with ice in an old fashioned glass. 

9. Home to the biggest Japanese population outside Japan

Approximately 1,6 million Japanese descendants reside here.

Most of them came from 1926 to 1941, but the earliest Japanese immigrants came already in 1907 after the Japanese and Brazilian governments signed a treaty. 

10. Piranha soup is considered an aphrodisiac in Brazil

Piranhas are lurking in the waters of the Amazon river, and it’s a popular food in the Pantanal region. The Piranha soup is especially known as an aphrodisiac, but it can also be served grilled on a banana leaf with tomatoes and lime as garnish. 

In some parts of the Amazon, it’s considered taboo to eat piranhas though.

11. Home to the largest population of Catholics

The USA has the biggest population of Christians, but when it comes to Catholics, the largest population resides here in Brazil.

In total there are about 118 000 million Brazilian Catholics. 

12. Brasilia is the capital, not Rio de Janeiro

Most people have heard of Rio de Janeiro, and it’s undoubtedly the most famous Brazilian city – with its Copacabana, Carnival, Favelas and of course the Christ Redeemer Statue and much more. 

However, Rio de Janeiro is surprisingly not the capital. Instead, Brasilia is the capital since 1960. 

13. Brazil borders every South American nation except Ecuador and Chile

It borders 9 other countries! 

14. 92% of new cars sold in the country use ethanol as fuel

Ethanol is renewable since it’s derived from plants and the production and combustion completes a cycle. The Brazilian ethanol is made from sugarcane, and up to 92% of all new cars that are sold use this as fuel for the engine. 

15. Brazil’s football team is the most successful national team in the world

Football might have been invented in China, but the most successful nation is without a doubt Brazil. So many of the best football players throughout history and still today comes from this proud nation. 

Until this date, the Brazilian football team is also the only nation to have won five World Cups. 

Bonus Fact

Brazilians are the second most sexually active population on the planet.

5 x Fun Facts about Brazil

• Brazilian prisoners can reduce their sentence by 4 days for every book they read and write a report on
• There is a stadium in Brazil in which the midfield line lies on the Equator, making each team defend one hemisphere
• In 2007, it was reported that there were 67 tribes who have never had contact with modern man
• Some of the most beautiful people in the world are Brazilian
• In 1958, a rhinoceros called Cacareco was a candidate in the city council elections in Sao Paulo and received the most votes

5 x Brazil Facts for kids

• The Macaw is the national animal
• The country’s motto is “Ordem e Progresso”, meaning “order and progress”.
• Human settlement in Brazil is thought to have begun at least 32,000 years ago
• Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil which is a stew of beans with beef and pork
• There are more species of monkeys in Brazil than in any other nation

General Facts about Brazil

Below are some general info such as total population, land area, biggest lake, highest mountain and other general facts about Brazil that might be interesting to know.

• Total Population: 209 million people
• Capital: Brasilia
• Life expectancy: 75,51 years.
• Highest Mountain: Pico da Neblina (2994 meters)
• Land area: 8,515,767 km² (3,287,956 square miles) 
• Largest Lake: Lagoa Dos Patos
• National Day: 7th September
• Government: Federal presidential constitutional republic
• President: Jair Bolsonaro
• Currency: Real (R$) (BRL)
• Official language: Portuguese
• Religion: 88% Christian. 
• Official Website: www.brasil.gov.br
• Member of Nato: No
• National song: “Hino Nacional Brasileiro”
• Time zone: (GMT−2), (GMT−3), (GMT−4), (GMT−5)
• Country Number/Prefix: +55
• Country Code: BR

Map of Brazil

Below you can see the borders to other countries as well as the country’s territory marked in Yellow. 

Flag of Brazil

Did you know that each color has its own representation?

The green is for the forests, yellow represents the mineral wealth, and the blue circle and stars are from the evening’s sky on the day when Brazil declared itself as a republic.

Biggest Cities in Brazil

• São Paulo
• Rio de Janeiro
• Brasilia
• Salvador
• Fortaleza
• Belo Horizonte
• Manaus
• Curitiba
• Recife
• Porto Alegre

Book Your Trip

• Click here to find the cheapest flight tickets
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• Airbnb – Get 40 USD in discount

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How many of these Brazil Facts did you know beforehand? Share your result in the comment section below!