IGF Brazil 2007 :: About Brazil

Brazil is much more than the country of soccer, samba, and bossa nova, of the Amazonian and Pantanal regions and the beautiful beaches.

We are almost 190 million Brazilians and immigrants, and form one of the most fascinating countries of the planet, connected by one single language - Portuguese, on an area of more than 8.5 million square kilometers, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator. A country that respects and values the culture of men and women of all ethnic groups, nationalities, religions and cultures, which merged in order to form just one people - the Brazilian people.

With a Gross Domestic Product of approx. US$795 billion, Brazil has the largest economy in South America, producing state-of-the-art technology, especially in the areas of aerospace technology, medicine and IT.

Many Brazilians stand out in the international scenario. Pelé and Ayrton Senna in sports; Tom Jobim, Os Mutantes and Caetano Veloso in music; Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho in literature; Cândido Portinari in painting; Carmen Miranda and Glauber Rocha in the movies industry; Rui Barbosa in politics; Oscar Niemeyer in architecture and Santos Dumont in aviation, among many others!

Despite being a young country, Brazil stands out in many areas, with technology centres, universities, industrial areas, IT, communication and aeronautic companies; everything is present from the North to the South of the country. From the countryman to the businessman, from agronomy to aerospace engineering, Brazilians are connected to the newest technology and know-how in the world.

In the transition between the nice spring and the warm summer, Brazil will host the IGF Brazil 2007, gathering all nations on an occasion of enormous joy.

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Brazilian Regions

Brazil is divided in five geographic regions: the North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast and South. Learn more about each one of them:

The Northern Region

Geographically, the Northern Region is the largest one of Brazil, with more than 3,000,000 km². The region covers 45.28% of the national territory and includes the biggest portion of the Brazilian Amazonian system. The cities in that region are isolated from each other due to the region's low demographic density. The States Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins constitute the Northern Region.

From the cultural perspective, this is a very rich area. In the State Amazonas, the Folkloric Festival of Paritins attracts thousands of visitors in June. Since 1793 Belém, the capital city of the State of Pará, hosts the Círio de Nazaré feast, a popular celebration in honour to Our Lady of Nazaré, which gathers two million people every year. The largest river in the world crosses the largest forest in the world. The Amazonas River, with an extension of 6,868 km, crosses Peru and Brazil and has a water volume 56 times bigger than that of the Nile River. In Brazil, the river flows through two States: Amazonas and Pará, ending in the Atlantic Ocean near to the Marajó Island.

The Northeastern Region

Intense heat, beautiful beaches and the hospitality of the northeastern people are the major features of that region. From Bahia to Maranhão, a kaleidoscopic mixture of beliefs, races and cultures fascinates every visitor to those states.

Brazil was born in the northeastern region when the Portuguese landed in Bahia in the 1500s. Africans, native Indians and Portuguese made the city of Salvador the capital of the new colony. During the next centuries, Dutch and French men left their influence in the culture and typical accent of people of that region.

The northeastern region receives millions of tourists looking for its natural and cultural beauties. Olinda, São Luís, Lençóis Maranhenses and Fernando de Noronha are a few examples of the main tourist destinations in the country. Everything is accompanied by lots of music and unique cuisine!

The northeastern States are: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Piauí, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.

The Center-West Region

This is the land of the typical Brazilian countryman. The inner land culture of Brazil goes through the States of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Brasília, the capital of Brazil and the Federal District, was designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer and is also located in that region.

Between the calm rhythm of the Pantanal and the agitated life in Brasília, live a people who love their land. This region is also responsible for the largest portion of the Brazilian cattle industry. The music with roots in the simple man's life always delights attentive listeners.

The Southern Region

Three states form the southern region of Brazil: Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Those states are nationally known for the high concentration of German and Italian immigrants, who keep and preserve the traditions of their countries of origin until today. However, as it happens across Brazil, a mixture of cultures has created a true melting pot.

In Santa Catarina, the beauty of the beaches in Florianópolis encourages tourists to visit and stay longer. Gustavo Kuerten, a world famous tennis champion, was born in Santa Catarina.

Rio Grande do Sul has a people who are very proud of their state. The gaucho was always present in the most important decisions of the country, from politics (with Getúlio Vargas, the president of Brazil during the II World War) to soccer (with the Grêmio and Internacional teams). The people of Rio Grande do Sul are easily recognized by their accent and charming hospitality.

The Southeastern Region

Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais are part of the richest and most developed region of the country. The most important business transactions, the most intense cultural life and the largest populations are in the Southeastern Region.

Since the song Garota de Ipanema (Girl From Ipanema) was composed and became world famous, Rio de Janeiro has become Brazil's most renowned landmark. The art of bossa nova and Carnaval that enchants everyone also comes from the city that will host IGF Brazil 2007.

Minas Gerais has been the land of gold, diamonds and many different kinds of precious minerals which were extracted from the soil of this state during the colonial period. During that period one of the most important sculptors, Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the Aleijadinho (The Handicapped) arose in Minas Gerais. Many of his art pieces can be seen in the streets of Ouro Preto. Observing the sky in Minas Gerais, Alberto Santos Dumont invented the airplane 14-Bis, and became the first man to take off with an aeronautic engine.

The state of São Paulo has more than 40 million inhabitants and it continues growing. Whether through agricultural, industrial or service activities, this state functions as the engine of the Brazilian economy. São Paulo is home of the 'Bandeirantes' explorers who left the State in a quest to explore the inner land of Brazil. The São Paulo State is also home of the Italian and Japanese immigrants, who work on its' fertile soils until today.