Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the sixth largest country on Earth. At 3.2 million square miles and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. It's also a country well known for it's rich culture and beautiful landscapes - and today we'll be exploring scenes from some of the country's largest cities and vast interior to showcase Brazil's incredible diversity. From lush jungles, massive metropolises, swampy landscapes, endless farmlands and much more - it's going to be quite the journey.
We'll begin our trip in the capital city of Brasília. Inaugurated as Brazil’s capital in 1960, it is a planned city distinguished by its white, modern architecture - chiefly designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
Brasília as seen from above. The city is known for being laid out in the shape of an airplane - its “fuselage” is the Monumental Axis with its 2 wide avenues flanking a massive park. In the “cockpit” is Praça dos Três Poderes, named for the 3 branches of government surrounding it.
After our quick stay in Brasília, we catch a plane for the country's northeast coast which is where you'll find Brazil's 5th largest city - Fortaleza. It's the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará and is well-known for its nightlife and beautiful beaches.
Further east on Brazil's Atlantic coastline is the country's 4th-largest city - Salvador. The capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, Salvador is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and a tropical coastline.
Along our trek around Brazil's eastern Atlantic shoreline is another one of the country's most unique sights - Vila Velha State Park. These goblet-shaped orange and red sandstone rock formations were formed over the millennia by the forces of wind and water.
Further inland is where we get our first sight at some of Brazil's large scale industrial farmland - which is over the years has slowly encroached upon. Soy production is one of the country's most important economic activities - recently Brazil overtook the United States as the world's largest producer.
We start to head South, and in the heart of the Minas Gerais state is where we'll find our next Brazilian metropolis - Belo Horizonte. Belo Horizonte is Brazil's third largest city and is well known for its orderly grid plan and tree-lined avenues - which is where it gets the name "The Garden City".
Roughly 200 miles south is Brazil's second largest city - and one of Latin America's most iconic cities - Rio de Janeiro. Rio's famous harbour is overlooked by the impressive Sugarloaf Mountain - rising nearly 1,300 feet tall above the water below, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar.
Perhaps Brazil's most famous landmark, the stunning Cristo Redentor statue stands high atop Corcovado Mountain. Designed by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, it was inaugurated in 1931 and is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Rio de Janeiro is also known for the countless slums that line many of it's mountainous hillsides - here we see one of the largest favelas, located at the "Two Brothers" rock formation.
After our stay in Rio, we continue our journey along Brazil's Atlantic shoreline until we reach Santos. This coastal city is known for its 3.3m long beach garden (the longest in the world) and beautiful beaches.
Just north of Santos is where you'll find Brazil's largest city - São Paulo. Brazil’s vibrant financial center, São Paulo is among the world's most populous cities, with numerous cultural institutions and a rich architectural tradition. We venture into the heart of downtown - and the city truly comes to life at nighttime.
The iconic Edifício Copan is one of the city's most famous landmarks. Built by famed architect Oscar Niemayer, this wavy 387 ft tall, 38-story residential building in downtown São Paulo has 1,160 apartments and is one of the largest buildings in Brazil.
The Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo Museum of Art, or MASP) on Paulista Avenue is also well worth a visit. It houses Latin America's finest collection of Western art, including pieces by Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, and other European masters, as well as excellent temporary exhibits.
After our stay in São Paulo, we head west through the southern edge of the Brazilian Highlands and south towards the Argentinian border for our next sight - the impressive Iguazu Falls. This magnificent spectacle is the world's largest waterfall with 275 individual drops, and has awed tourists, locals and indigenous inhabitants for centuries.
Not too far away is another one of the country's most impressive marvels - but this time it's man-made. The massive Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam is one of the largest operational hydroelectric energy producers in the world, with an installed generation capacity of 14GW.
Further west is the Brazilian state of Rondônia - which over the years has been changed forever by one of the unfortunate realities of the rain forest today - logging. The rate has skyrocked over the years and has dramatically changed the look of the landscape and caused irreversible damage to the ecosystem.
Here we see an aerial view of Rondônia over the decades.
Full quality link here.
Much of the logging is done by hand with slash and burn techniques, or with bulldozers as the land is cleared out for large scale cattle farming and logging operations. Although some of the forest has been replanted over the years, it's still not enough. Many local tribes like the Yanomami are finding their lands destroyed beyond repair.
We travel deeper into the jungle - living in the heart of the jungle presents some unique challenges, like coming face to face with a group of Jaguars..
Not all of the Brazil is flat - Mount Roraima along the country's border with Venezuela and Guyana is one of the world's most impressive mountains. This flat topped tepui is found in the Guiana Highlands on the Brazil/Venezuela/Guyana border and comes to life during the rainy season as countless waterfalls cascade off its steep slopes.
We catch a plane out of the area and land in the small town of Cruzeiro do Sul in the far west - which is where we'll begin the final leg of our journey today as we explore a few more of the country's largely unexplored wonders.
Although parts of Brazil are quite remote, the locals still find a way to brave the terrain - small, remote fishing villages can be seen along many of the winding tributaries, like the Rio Demini.
Another view of the many tributaries that cut and snake through the heart of the jungle near Manaus, Brazil.
One final aerial view over Manaus, Brazil will conclude our trip - a location known as the "Meeting of the Waters" where countless rivers branch out into smaller streams, creating a unique, swampy landscape.
Don't forget to comment, like, and follow True Earth if you haven't already! 
-korver
-
31
-
1
-
1
15 Comments
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account