Rio de Janeiro
Information on Brazil
History
Brazil had been inhabited for at least 10,000 years before being discovered by the Europeans in 1500. The tribes were semi‐nomadi, inhabiting caves and lowlands in the Amazonas region. One of the most well‐known cultures was that of the Marajoara (named after the river island Marajó), who were known for their beautiful pottery. The Portuguese named the country after the prized brazilwood ‐ a tree used for making red dye which, due to overexploitation, is now endangered. In the early 1500’s, Brazil became a Portuguese colony. The first capital was Salvador da Bahia, but in 1763 it was transferred to Rio de Janeiro. Portugal governed Brazil until 1825, when it became an independent country, with Dom Pedro as the first Emperor of Brazil. Slavery was abolished in 1888 by Dom Pedro II, and after a military coup d’etat in 1889, Brazil became a republic in 1891. At first, Brazil’s economy base was from brazilwood, but later it moved to rubber, gold and sugar. In the late 1800’s, coffee replaced sugar as the country’s main export, and this industry thrived until the Second World War. In 1960 the capital was moved to more centrally located Brasilia, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. After several military dictatorships the government returned to a democracy in 1985, giving even the illiterate the right to vote. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from the Worker’s Party PT, has been president since 2003. During his time in office, he has established social programs like Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) and worked on a land reform. Many supporters, however, blame him of neglecting their being in favor of a liberal economy policy. In 2004, for the first time in Brazil’s history, the military was able to send 1470 soldiers to help UN Peacekeepers in Haiti.
Brazil
Land and Population
Brazil is the third largest country in the Americas, has the second largest population on the continent and fifth largest worldwide. It lies in the middle of South America, and with 8.5 million km2 takes up 47% of the continent. Brazil has a population of 82.5 million, and an annual growth rate of 1.3%. There is a large ethnic diversity, differing widely by region. While the population is predominately European with large African and small Asian and Amerindian minorities, the ethnic groups have, over the years, intermixed with one another.
The country is made up of 26 individual states, and around 90% of the population is concentrated in the eastern and southern coastal states. The population density in these areas ranges from 20 to over 300 people/km2. The rest of Brazil has the most land area, but a population density of only 5 ‐ 20 people/km2.
Language
Brazil is the only Portuguese‐speaking country in the Americas. The Brazilian Portuguese has its own character, varying slightly in pronunciation and spelling from its European counterpart. This form of Portuguese is the national language and spoken by around 97% of the population. The native Amerindian languages are only spoken by about 0.1% of the population.
Sitting dog rock in the Sierra near Nova Friburgo
Climate
Most of Brazil’s climate is tropical with little seasonal temperature change, however equatorial, semiarid, highland tropical and temperate climates are found as well. The precipitation varies depending on region, from the humid Amazon basin which receives constant rainfall to the semiarid interior Northeast, which receives rain only two to three months out of the year. The subtropical south’s temperate climate has a more varying temperature change, and the higher altitudes occasionally receive snow there during the winter. It can also cool down to around freezing during the winter (in Brazil May through September) in the mountains of our project area, the Serra de Órgãos, and most of the houses are not insulated or heated.
Nova Friburgo
The city Nova Friburgo was founded in 1820 from about 100 Swiss families. They chose the land based on its similarities with the Swiss climate and landscape. In the 1900’s, thanks to the city’s high‐altitude cooler summer temperatures, Nova Friburgo became a common vacation spot for the people of Rio de Janeiro. Through this tourism industry and the local commerce, the city experienced an economic revival. Because of this, many people from the other regions have settled in the areas surrounding the city, particularly in the mountains, in hopes of finding work there.
Campo de Coelho
Campo de Coelho
One of these locations is Campo de Coelho. This village lies about 16 km away from Nova Friburgo in the mountains. Humedica Brazil with its children’s project is located around 5 km outside of the village, on the road to Teresopolis. The Children’s Centre cares for about 200 children a day. They receive two meals and help with schoolwork, as well as lots of activity opportunities such as choir, theatre, sports, religious education, computer and English lessons.
The population in and surrounding Campo de Coelho are mostly farmers and stonecutters – paving stones are made out of the large granite blocks cut away from the nearby mountains. Most of the families live scattered about, often so far away from the main road that it can take up to two hours for the children to walk to the school bus. The people live in the simplest of conditions ‐ usually without electricity, running water and proper sanitary conditions. They are very poor and generally don’t earn enough to be able to supply their families with basic food and care. The cost of living in Brazil is high ‐ food costs about 2/3 of that in Germany, and the average monthly minimum wage is about €150. Many people are, however, transient or day workers, and a lot of families only have one parent or caretaker. And because many of the jobs in the area are frequently paid for with goods, the normal incomes are even lower. It’s due to all these reasons that we decided to support the families in the area surrounding our Children’s Centre through sponsorships. These sponsorships will give the parents the opportunity to permanently better their living conditions, ensure that the children receive regular meals and support community projects which will enhance the quality of life for all of the villagers in the area.
