Student Teodorescu Maria

Professor Jenifer Mendez

2nd Years English Spanish

31st May 2022

This paper aims at showing how the original melting pot of the Brazilian society, made up of

European settlers, African slaves, and native American peoples, is reflected in the mosaic of

art, culture, and everyday life of the same country. The first part highlights important

historical aspects of its evolution. The second part presents a multicultural content of a few

examples of Brazilian art, literature, music, cuisine, and festivals. The conclusion is to be

found in part three. Finally, part four stands for general facts about Brazil.

1.

During the Age of Discoveries, Spain and Portugal discovered and colonized the Americas,

also known as the New World. It was the Portuguese Empire that discovered Brazil in 1500.

Brazil had been a Portuguese colony between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century until

1822 when the country became independent (Brazilian Empire). It has been a republic since

1889. The coat of arms of Brazil was created shortly after the country became a republic. It

shows the Southern Cross and the ring of 27 stars that represent Brazil’s 26 states and the

Federal District. Around the central emblem there are branches of coffee and tobacco, which

represented the main areas of work at that time. The flag of Brazil has a green background

with a yellow rhombus in the center. A blue circle is placed within the rhombus, with 27

stars. On the white band that runs through the blue circle is written the national moto of

Brazil:” Order and Progress. The flag is referred to as Auriverde, which means “of gold and

green”. Brazil transformed into a melting pot once it became a colony. Brazilians descend

from three ethnic groups: Amerindians, Africans, and Europeans. The country’s national tree,
pau-brasil (valued for producing dye) was a natural resource that gave the colony its name

and played a major role in its economic development. At the beginning, the Portuguese would

help the locals cut the trees but not long afterwards they brought slaves from Africa to help.

Sugarcane plantation and goldmining were the main areas of work.

2.

Brazil celebrated the centenary of its Independence in 1922. In those times, it was

accustomed to mark the event by building a statue or a monument. For instance, France

offered the Statue of Liberty (New York) to the United States for the centenary of its

independence. Likewise, the  Eiffel Tower in Paris was built especially for the Independence

Day of France. Christ the Redeemer was created to commemorate the Independence of

Brazil. The statue was made by the French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the

Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. The Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida created

the face of Christ. The sculpture is 30 meters high and is located on the Corcovado

Mountain, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. This landmark is now a cultural icon of

both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and it was also declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of

the World.

Paulo Coelho is a popular Brazilian novelist who wrote The Alchemist (1984) and By the

River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994).

The famous song “L’appuntamento” which is seldomly played on the radio has another

version played by the Brazilian artist Roberto Carlos and known as Sentado na Beira do

Camino. Both songs were inspired by Honey, I miss you, a song written by the American

songwriter Bobby Russel.

The Brazilian cuisine is characterized by Amerindian, European and African influences.

Feijoada is considered the country’s national dish. Cachaça is Brazil’s liquor, distilled from

sugar cane and it is the main ingredient in the national drink, the Caipirinha.

Rio de Janeiro hosts the world’s largest carnival, annually held in the first week of March.

The 2018 carnival reportedly drew 6 million participants. Carnival stands for a melting pot.

All identities are vanished when all the people are wearing costumes and masks. This feast

also means rebirth and change, just like the significance of the green color on the Brazilian

flag, or the meaning of Progress written on the national moto of Brazil.

3.

As a conclusion, the past defines the present. Brazil, like any other culture cannot be fully

understood without looking at its history and traditions. Now, that certain aspects of its

history were explained, it is easier to understand that Cachaça was not just a mere invention:

it is made from sugar cane and the sugarcane plantations were the source of income for the

colony of Brazil. Likewise, many works of art have a greater impact on people because they

are the result of an international team where artists from different parts of the world work

together towards the same goal. Moreover, multiculturalism gives substance and depth to the

particularities of any culture.

4.

The Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, the fifth

largest country in the world and the only Portuguese speaking country in the Americas.

It has a population of 213 million people; its capital is Brasilia and Sao Paolo is its

largest city.
 The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large

area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical. According to the Köppen

system, Brazil hosts five major climatic subtypes: equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland

tropical, temperate, and subtropical.

Nowadays, Brazil is one of the world's most important food producers, ranking as a

leading exporter of soybeans, coffee, meat, and sugar. 

The salary of a doctor(surgeon) is relatively high in Brazil; the wage of a teacher

(college professor) comes on the fourth place.

Havaianas are a national brand and among the most expensive flip-flops on the

market.

Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The team has won the Fifa World Cup

five times so far.

 Works Cited

“Christ the Redeemer (Statue).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 May 2022,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_(statue). 

“Course Hero.” | Course Hero, https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/boundless-

worldhistory/. 

10 Interesting Facts about Brazil | Best Countries | US News.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2019-08-20/10-interesting-facts-
about-brazil. 

Persiolino. “0381 - L'Appuntamento (Sentado à Beira Do Caminho) - Ornella Vanoni

[1970].” 1001 Covers, 1001 Covers, 28 May 2022,
https://www.1001covers.com/2014/02/0381-lappuntamento-ornella-vanoni-1970.html?m=1. 

Sounds and Colours. “10 Highest Paid Jobs in Brazil.” Sounds and Colours, 3 Aug. 2021,
https://soundsandcolours.com/subjects/travel/10-highest-paid-jobs-in-brazil-61709/. 

“Brazilian Cuisine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2022,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_cuisine. 

“Football in Brazil.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 May 2022,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_in_Brazil. 

“The History of Havaianas.” Portuguese Language Blog | Language and Culture of the

Portuguese-Speaking World, 18 July 2014,
https://blogs.transparent.com/portuguese/the-history-of-havaianas/.