Brazil is the largest country in South America, and the fifth-largest country in the world. Bordered by all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador, Brazil is famous for its scenery, most notably its lush forests, which include the incredible Amazon, the world’s largest jungle located in the north of the country. In addition to this, Brazil is famous for its dry grass lands (the so-called pampas), barren hills, pine forests, large swamps, huge plateaus, as well as the flat lands located near the shore. North Brazil is dominated by the Amazon river and the surrounding jungles. The Amazon is not a single river but, rather, a web of hundreds of smaller rivers. Thousands of species of fish live in the river, including piranhas and dolphins. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. According to recent studies, Brazil has a population of around 210 million.
Rio de Janeiro, whose full name is Cidade de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, is a city and pier located on the Atlantic Ocean, in the southeast section of the tropical zone of South America, a city famous for being one of the most beautiful and interesting urban cities in the world. Even though the city is still the most notable icon of Brazil in the eyes of many, its architecture, people and way of life make it unique among other Brazilian cities. Rio de Janeiro got its name thanks to Portuguese sailors who, on 1st January 1502 wrongly interpreted their maps, thinking that there was an entrance to a river at the spot. This is why the city was named Rio de Janeiro (with Rio meaning river in Portuguese, and Janeiro being used to remember the day when the aforementioned sailors reached it).
