Little-known facts about Brazil
Football and carnivals, coffee and tobacco plantations. The luxury of megacities and the poverty of favelas. Waterfalls, impenetrable jungles and endless waters of the Amazon. Probably, these associations come to most people with thoughts of “holiday in Brazil”. Oh yes, there is also a statue of Jesus Christ, with outstretched arms, as if embracing Rio. But we will try to move away from the cliché and tell the facts not so widely known, but no less interesting.
(1) Brazil is one of the world leaders in the number of plastic surgeries, second only to the United States.
But in terms of the number of clinics per capita, the country firmly holds the first place. The level of medicine in Brazil is quite high, and the cost of operations is much cheaper than in other developed countries. Therefore, thousands of tourists come to the country every year, seeking to "tuning" their body.
Local residents also actively use the services of plastic surgeons. Moreover, representatives of various social groups can afford operations (plastic is actively credited by many banks). These are mostly girls seeking to change the shape or volume of their hips and buttocks. In Brazil, these parts of the female body are considered the most important. Interestingly, until recently, breast reduction surgery was popular among Brazilian women. There is an opinion that a miniature bust better focuses on the thighs and buttocks, and also visually increases them. Today, under the influence of Western culture, trends have changed, and large breasts have become a trend.
(2) Rio de Janeiro is not the capital of Brazil.
In 1960, at the initiative of President Jucelino Kubitschek, the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to a city called Brasilia. The construction was carried out in record time (less than 5 years) by the legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The capital is executed according to the so-called pilot plan. If you look at the city from a bird’s eye view, you can see that it was built in the shape of an airplane.
One of the main reasons for the transfer of the capital is the desire to fully develop the entire territory of the country, not only its coastal part. Historically, the most developed part of Brazil was the axis of the cities of Rio - São Paulo, as well as the surrounding areas. In many ways, this situation remains to this day. Many Brazilian officials are giving up higher government positions to avoid moving from Rio or São Paulo to a capital with less infrastructure.
(3) Cases of jurisprudence.
The street crime rate in Brazil is one of the highest in the world. Most crimes are committed by teenagers. In many ways, this is facilitated by legislation that is quite liberal in relation to juvenile offenders. For example, there is a law under which an amnesty is applied to a convicted juvenile who has reached the age of 18, regardless of the gravity of the crimes committed. That is, if at the age of 16-17, a teenager commits, for example, murder, then until the age of 18 he is detained in a juvenile colony, and then he is simply released, rather than transferred to an adult prison, as is done in most other countries. This is actively used by drug lords who involve teenagers in illegal activities, and juvenile criminals themselves are more willing to break the law, realizing that for them an amnesty will inevitably come.
The Brazilian prison system is far from perfect. Conditions of detention leave much to be desired, and overcrowding is a major problem in Brazilian prisons.
(4) Brazilian beer.
It is believed that the best beer comes from Europe: Germany, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Belgium. The Brazilian brewing industry is somehow not on hearing, but in vain.
In 2004, after the merger of two major world companies, Brazilian Ambev and Belgian Interbrew, the InBev concern appeared, today is the world leader in the production and sale of foam beverage.
The most famous brand of Brazilian beer is Brahma. It is fair to say that the company was founded by a native of Europe. Back in 1888, an immigrant from Switzerland, Joseph Willinger, named his beer after a Hindu god, began production at a small private brewery. Initially, the volume of manufactured product was very modest. In 1934, a truly revolutionary decision was made for those years - Brahma began to be bottled in glass bottles, and not in wooden barrels, as it was before. This innovation led to a big jump in sales, and the brand in record time became the most famous in Brazil and then throughout South America. Today Brahma is one of the ten best-selling beer brands in the world.
Not many people know that there are beer festivals in Brazil. In the state of Santa Catarina, which is home to a large number of immigrants from Germany and Austria, the Oktoberfest is held annually, with music, cuisine, competitions and all the attributes of the burgher celebration.
Of course, all these facts will not be able to convey a hundredth of the diversity and contrast of this amazing country. We only hope that after reading it, you will have a desire to get acquainted with the culture, traditions and perhaps better understand the “mysterious” Brazilian soul, the mentality of people whose veins intricately mixed the blood of the descendants of African slaves, Portuguese conquistadors and indigenous people of the Amazon.
Author of the article: Evgeny Stoyanov