1. Snakes!
Ilha da Queimada Grande is an island off the coast of Brazil that is filled with so many snakes (about five per square meter) that civilians are forbidden to go there.
2. Insane traffic
The Monumental Axis, a highway in the capital of Brasilia, has the widest space between the its two sides of traffic.
3. Shifting capitals
Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil for almost 2,000 years before it was moved to Brasilia in 1960.
4. Nostalgia
Brazil is the only country in South America where Portuguese is spoken. The Portuguese that is spoken in Brazil today is most similar to the way it was in the 1500s.
5. It’s huge!
Brazil is bigger than the whole U.S! It also shares a border with every South American country, except Chile and Ecuador, and spans three different time zones.
6. 2,500 airports
With more than 2,500 airports, Brazil is home to the second largest number of airports in the world (the US comes in first).
7. Bikes in prison
In Brazil, there’s a prison that lets inmates pedal stationary bicycles to provide electricity to a nearby city in exchange for reduced sentences.
8. Home Away from Home
The biggest community of Japanese expats is in Brazil.
9. Beer
Three out of 5 of the wealthiest Brazilians made their money from beer.
10. Nature
Brazil is home to one of the biggest waterfalls in the world: Iguazu Falls.
11. Caffeine
Brazil is currently the largest coffee producer in the world. They’ve held that title for the last 150 years.
12. Catholicism
It’s a popular misconception that the largest population of Catholics in the world is in Italy or Spain; it’s actually in Brazil! 123 million Brazilians are Catholic, around 64% of the country’s total population.
13. Tanning Beds
Brazil was the first country to ban tanning beds. Since 2008, sex changes have been covered under public health insurance.
14. Energy
Brazil is self-sufficient in energy. And 92% of all new cars that are sold in Brazil are fueled with ethanol, which is produced from sugar cane.
