ORIENTATION PROJECT

BRASIL

Natalia Ferro Lopes 2009/2010

History

History Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the North fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on Northeast the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). It is Central bordered on the north by Venezuela, West Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; Southeast on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous South archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha.

Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822. Initially independent as the Brazilian Empire, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified. Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States (North, Northeast, Center West, Southeast and South) and the 5,564 Municipalities. Brazil is the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates and the ninth largest by purchasing power parity. Economic reforms have given the country new international projection. Its current currency is the Real.

It is a founding member of the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and Indian of the Amazônia extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.

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Regions

Northeast: The Northeast region is inhabited by about 30% of Brazil's population. It is culturally diverse, with roots set in the Portuguese colonial period and in Amerindian and Afro-Brazilian elements. It is also the poorest region of Brazil, and suffers from long periods of drought. The largest cities are Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza with beautiful scenery of the most beautiful and famous beaches.

Brazil is divided into five states. Learn a little about each one:

North: The North region covers 45.27% of the land area of Brazil, but has the lowest number of inhabitants. With the exception of Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone, and Belém, the biggest metropolitan area of the region, it is fairly unindustrialized and undeveloped. It accommodates most of the Amazon rainforest and many indigenous tribes. Amazonas Rive.

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Regions

Southeast: The Southeast region is by far the richest in terms of total economic output, and also the most densely populated region. It has a larger population than any South American country except Brazil itself, and hosts one of the largest megalopolises of the world, extending between the country's two largest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The region is very diverse, including the major business center of São Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais and its capital Belo Horizonte, the third- largest metropolitan area in Brazil, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the coast of Espírito Santo.

Central: The Central-West region has low demographic density when compared to the other regions, being only more densely populated than the North region. Part of its territory is covered by the world's largest wetland area, the Pantanal as well as a small part of the Amazon Rainforest in the northwest. However, most of the region is covered by the Cerrado, the world's largest savanna. The Central-West region contributes significantly towards the nation's agricultural output. Brasília.

South: The South region is the wealthiest by GDP per capita and has the highest standard of living among the country's regions. It is also the coldest region of Brazil, with occasional frost and snow in some of the higher-altitude areas. It has been settled mainly by European immigrants, mostly of Italian, German and Portuguese ancestry, being clearly influenced by these cultures.

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Flag

The green square symbolizes the forests.

The yellow triangle represents the gold, natural resources our country possesses.

The white stripe represents peace.

The stars who are in the circle representing the constellations and the Brazilian states with a total of 27 stars.

The blue circle expressing the sky of Rio de Janeiro, with the constellation of the Southern Cross at 8h30 of the day November 15, 1889 and sea by its huge coastline.

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The blue circle expressing the sky of Rio de Janeiro, with the constellation of the Southern Cross at 8h30 of the day November 15, 1889 and sea by its huge coastline.

Culture

The festival of Carnival, with its spectacular street parades and vibrant music, has become one of the most potent images of Brazil; an annual celebration held forty days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. The joy of brazilian is contagious regardless of their origin. It calls on everyone to move their feet, let their arms loose, let their eyes shine and fully participate in this feast. Be it in Samba schools, on Avenida Marques de Sapucaí, or in the street blocks, the order is one: fun.

The June feasts began as small celebrations in countryside towns, which celebrated Saint Peter, Saint Anthony and Saint John, greatly devoted to by Brazilian. Over the years, however, they began to grow until they became mega events, gathering millions of visitors in June and July.

June Feasts

Carnival

The party happens on Maranhão – one of the most traditional merriments of Brazil, Bumba-Meu-Boi is a vehicle staging a combination of theater, dance, music and circus. It is a very popular feast in São Luís, capital of the State of Maranhão, also taking place in June.

Bumba-meu-boi of Maranhão

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Tradition

It is said that here in Brazil, every city has a church, a square and a soccer field. The sport is a national passion and is played on all corners of the country by all age groups. It does not matter the place – grass, sand, mud, asphalt - , all one needs is a ball to score a goal. The country’s main competition is the Brazilian Cup, from April to December, with games on almost all weekends. Other state cups, national and South American tournaments take place at the same time. To follow the games of the National Team, mainly during the World Cup, also ptovides be a show on its own. Fans fill bars, friends’ homes, staying in front of the TV to watch the matches. In case of victory, the streets become small for so much commemoration. There are countless options for those who wish to learn a little about the soccer art of a five-time world champion. Many clubs offer schools for kids and interchange programs for foreign players.

Soccer

Tradition Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage. Like rum, it is made from sugarcane. Cachaça is made from sugarcane alcohol, obtained from the fermentation of sugarcane juice which is afterwards distilled. The caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil, and is enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and many households throughout the country. Once almost unknown outside Brazil, the drink has become more popular and more widely available in recent years, in large part due to the rising availability of first-rate brands of cachaça outside Brazil.

Caipirinha

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Tipical Foods

The slaves in the colonial Brazil created the "Feijoada". They started cooking the pork meats that Farmland owners discarded such as ear, tails, feet in a big pot with black beans. This dish became traditional all over the country. Since then, the dish was incremented with pork sirloin and sausages that transformed the menu in a famous entrée that everybody who visit Brazil have to taste.

FeijoadaIngredients:

1 lb of varied pork sausages (prefer smoked sausages)1 lb of pork tenderloinsome slices of bacon1 can of black beans (15.5Oz)2 tbs vegetable oilsalt, garlic, chopped onions and bay leaves (bay leaves give a special taste to feijoada)

Feijoada is made with black beans and pork meats.You can use a can of beans already cooked or learn how to cook dried beans.

Add black beans to a medium-sized pot with 2 tbs oil, salt, garlic, chopped onions and about 6 bay leaves.

Cook for about 15 minutes in med heat and set aside. In a separated panfry, cook cubes of pork tenderloin and slices of bacon with salt, garlic. Add all the sausages sliced and stir medium-heat until dry all the water.

Add the cooked meat to the pan with the black beans and your feijoada is ready! Cook your feijoada more 10 minutes to meat soak in the black beans. You can add some pepper sauce to your feijoada at this point. Hint: to make the feijoada creamy, liquefy 1/2 cup of black beans in the blender and add to the feijoada.

Prepare:

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Tipical Foods

Brigadeiro

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk1 tablespoon margarine3 tablespoon cocoa powder

Cook over medium-low heat, stir vigorously the sweetened condensed milk, margarine and cocoa powder.Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to show the pan bottom during stirring.Pour the mixture in a greased dish and let it cool to room temperature. Take small amounts of the mixture with a teaspoon and make 1 ½ inch balls.Roll the balls over chocolate granules to decorate.

Prepare:

Bolinho de Chuva1 cup all purpose flour1/2 cup corn starch2 tsp baking powder1/2 cup milk2 eggs4 tbs granulated sugarPinch of saltOil to deep fry or shortening.Sugar with cinnamon to sprinkle over.

Prepare:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

In a large bowl, mix in the eggs, sugar and pinch of salt. While mixing with a wood spoon add the flour, corn starch, baking powder and milk until you get a batter similar to cake batter. Preheat the fryer to 350 degrees F, using two table spoons, take a spoon of batter and scrape off the batter into the fryer using the second spoon. Fry about six doughnuts each time until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, flipping just once for overall browning. (The doughnut will flip by itself). Remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar with cinnamon and serve.

Churrascoone entire piece of picanharock saltgarlic paste

Ingredients:Prepare:Cut the picanha into 2 inch-thick beefs. Leave the fat layer on it (just remove after grilling). Rub the rock salt on the meat alone or with garlic paste. Arrange the meat in skewers or directly over the grillCook the meat to your preference. 9

About Me

My name is Natália Carolina Ferro Lopes. I am 23 years old and my birthday is on September 24th. I live in Presidente Prudente – São Paulo (southeast of Brazil), has a population of 207.125 people and the total area is 563.62 km².

My city is considered the sixth best city in the state of Sao Paulo to live and to invest. It has an infrastructure that can house investments of any size. With a strong presence in the tourism business-oriented and cattle ranching/framing, the city is know as a center of the quarter-mile horse and the bigger center of Nelore cattle.

We also have all four seasons but the city is extremely hot. Our winter is very short, and we almost don´t have to use warn clothes, just for a few days.

My family and I love the lifestyle of Presidente Prudente. My parents have lived here all his life. My mother is a secretary and my father is an insurance broken, my brother has been studying for 3 years. He is going to become a publisher and I finished the university last year (2008), I am a journalist.

Night view of Presidente Prudente

Panoramic city

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My Host Family

They are Physician

David and Catherine

Zane (4 years)

Teagan (2 years)

Bryce (3 months)

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California

California is one of the 50 states of the United States of America, located in the states of the Pacific. It is the state's most populous country, with 33 871 648 inhabitants. It is also the third largest state in the United States, behind only Alaska and Texas. California is the largest industrial center in the United States. It is also the national leader in the production of agricultural products. Of the 20 largest cities in the United States, four are located in California: Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego and San Francisco. Its capital, Sacramento, is also a great city. The Southern California region is densely populated, with two (Los Angeles and San Diego) of the four largest cities are located there. Already in the north are located the cities of San Francisco and San Jose, in addition to the state capital, Sacramento.

Morgan Hill is a city located in the southern part of Santa Clara County, California, USA. Founded on November 10, 1906, the city was named after Hiram Morgan Hill, a San Franciscan who built a country retreat home there in 1884. Originally a community of ranchers, farmers and orchardists, the city has evolved into a bedroom community for the high-tech industries in Silicon Valley. the city has a population of 35.000. The silhouette of El Toro, a distinctive hill overshadowing the town to the west, has been incorporated into the city's seal and official logo.With its tree-lined streets, picturesque vineyards, and scenic backdrop of rolling hills, residents enjoy a peaceful setting and relaxed style of living. Morgan Hill's location in the southern Santa Clara Valley offers plenty of recreational opportunities. There are four lakes within five to eight miles that are ideal for fishing, and boating;

Henry Coe State Park a few miles to the East for camping, picnicking or hiking; and 3000 acres of mountain picnicking and activities a short drive away at Mount Madonna Park.

Projection of the city center:

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Activities

With the baby - BryceStimulate baby's vision using colorful toys.

Repeat short phrases to play with the baby.

Do a lot of love.

Put music calm.

Girl 2 years - Teagan

Children 4 years - Zane

Draw and Coloring.

Go to parks, museums, libraries and small.

Songs that involves body movements and Play sound games.

Know other kids and play games .

Play doll

Ride a bike, gardening and go to parks, museums, libraries, small and playdates.

Play with lego, cards, adventures games.

Make a picnic.

Play soccer and the other sports.

Teach them about my country and other cultures.

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