Brazil

Occupying almost half of South America, Brazil is the continent's largest country. Almost all of the area is in the southern hemisphere, and much of it is tropical, with long tracts of forest teeming with exotic wildlife and vegetation. Brazil's 7,400-kilometer coastline along the Atlantic Ocean is lined with golden sand beaches and its hinterland is rich in minerals. Gold from the mines of Brazil still adorns churches in Portugal, the colonial power that once ruled the country's culture until 1822. Brazil is both an exciting cultural destination and a tropical paradise for tourists, with activities to suit every taste, from jungle exploration and idyllic beach holidays to the pulsating rhythms of Rio Carnival and world-class art museums.