BRAZIL - Country SNAPSHOT

Brazilians often say they live in a continent rather than a country, and that's an excusable exaggeration. The landmass is bigger than the United States if you exclude Alaska; the journey from Recife in the east to the western border with Peru is longer than that from London to Moscow, and the distance between the northern and southern borders is about the same as that between New York and Los Angeles. Brazil has no mountains to compare with its Andean neighbours, but in every other respect it has all the scenic - and cultural - variety you would expect from so vast a country.

Despite the immense expanses of the interior, roughly two-thirds of Brazil's population live on or near the coast; and well over half live in cities - even in the Amazon. In Rio and São Paulo, Brazil has two of the world's great metropolises, and nine other cities have over a million inhabitants. Yet Brazil still thinks of itself as a frontier country, and certainly the deeper into the interior you go, the thinner the population becomes. Nevertheless, the frontier communities have expanded relentlessly during the last fifty years, usually hand in hand with the planned expansion of the road network into remote regions. 

Other South Americans regard Brazilians as a race apart, and language has a lot to do with it - Brazilians understand Spanish, just about, but Spanish-speakers won't understand Portuguese. More importantly, though, Brazilians look different. They're one of the most ethnically diverse peoples in the world: in the extreme south, German and Italian immigration has left distinctive European features; São Paulo has the world's largest Japanese community outside Japan; there's a large black population concentrated in Rio, Salvador and São Luís; while the Indian influence is most visible in the people of Amazônia and the Northeastern interior. 

Brazil is a land of profound economic contradictions. Rapid postwar industrialization made Brazil one of the world's ten largest economies and put it among the most developed of Third World countries. But this has not improved the lot of the vast majority of Brazilians. The cities are dotted with favelas, shantytowns which crowd around the skyscrapers, and the contrast between rich and poor is one of the most glaring anywhere. There are wide regional differerences , too: Brazilians talk of a "Switzerland" in the Southeast, centred along the Rio-São Paulo axis, and an "India" above it; and although this is a simplification, it's true that the level of economic development tends to fall the further north you go. This throws up facts which are hard to swallow. Brazil is the industrial powerhouse of South America, but cannot feed and educate its people. In a country almost the size of a continent, the extreme inequalities in land distribution have led to land shortages but not to agrarian reform. Brazil has enormous natural resources but their exploitation so far has benefited just a few. The IMF and the greed of First World banks must bear some of the blame for this situation, but institutionalized corruption and the reluctance of the country's large middle class to do anything that might jeopardize its comfortable lifestyle are also part of the problem. 

These difficulties, however, rarely seem to overshadow everyday life in Brazil. It's fair to say that nowhere in the world do people know how to enjoy themselves more - most famously in the annual orgiastic celebrations of Carnaval , but reflected, too, in the lively year-round nightlife that you'll find in any decent-sized town. This national hedonism also manifests itself in Brazil's highly developed beach culture ; the country's superb music and dancing; rich regional cuisines ; and in the most relaxed and tolerant attitude to sexuality - gay and straight - that you'll find anywhere in South America. And if you needed more reason to visit, there's a strength and variety of popular culture , and a genuine friendliness and humour in the people that is tremendously welcoming and infectious.

1500	PORTUGUESE ADMIRAL PEDRO ALVARES CABRAL, FIRST EUROPEANS TO REACH BRAZIL, INITIATING PORTUGUESE COLONIZATION.
1502	RIO DE JANEIRO WAS DISCOVERED ON JANUARY 1, 1502 BY PORTUGUESE NAVIGATORS WHO MISTOOK THE ENTRANCE OF GUANABARA BAY FOR THE MOUTH OF A RIVER. SUGAR LOAF WAS SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME.
1531-1549	CAPTAINCIES, UNDER PORTUGUESE MONARCHY.
1534	ANA PIMENTEL TAKES ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF SAO VICENTE PROVINCE.
1535	CITY OF RECIFE WAS ESTABLISHED.
1548	PORTUGUESE JEWS ARE BANISHED TO BRAZIL
1549	THE JESUIT ORDER WAS INTRODUCED TO BRAZIL. IT ESTABLISHED THE FIRST SCHOOLS AND MAINTAINED THEM UNTIL 1759.
1549-1720	GOVERNORS GENERAL UNDER PORTUGUESE MONARCHY.
1554	CITY OF SAO PAUL WAS ESTABLISHED.
1565	RIO DE JANEIRO WAS ESTABLISHED.
1720-1808	VICE-REIS, UNDER PORTUGUESE DIRECT RULE.
1727	COFFEE WAS INTRODUCED TO BRAZIL.
1730	DIAMONDS WERE FOUND IN BRAZIL.
1752	BRAZILIAN TERESA MARGARIDA DA SILVA ORTA IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO PUBLISH A BOOK IN PORTUGUESE. THE BOOK TITLED, PROVERBS ON VIRTUE AND BEAUTY, WAS PUBLISHED IN PORTUGUAL.
1759	THE JESUITS WERE EXPELLED FROM BRAZIL. THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO RETURN UNTIL 1842.
1763	THE CAPITAL WAS MOVED FROM BAHIA TO RIO.
1808-1822	1808-PORTUGUESE KING FLEEING NAPOLEON'S ARMY, TRANSFER SEAT OF GOVERNMENT FROM LISBON TO COLONY OF BRAZIL. PERIOD OF PORTUGUESE MONARCHY DIRECT RULE.
1808	AFONSO  DE SOUZA ARRIVES IN RIO FOR A MAPPING EXPEDITION, AND SUGAR LOFT SERVES AS THE REFERENCE POINT FOR ALL NAVIGATORS. IN MARCH 1808, HAVING FLED BEFORE THE ADVANCE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE'S FORCES DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR, DOM JOAO VI OF PORTUGAL ARRIVED IN RIO, BRINGING WITH HIM SOME 1500 NOBLES OF THE PORTUGUESE ROYAL COURT
1815	AFTER NAPOLEON'S DEFEAT IN 1815 , DOM JOAI VI DECLARES BRAZIL A KINGDOM, EQUAL TO PORTUGAL.  THE UNITED KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL WAS ESTABLISHED AND RIO AS ITS CAPITAL.
1818	LAND GRANTS WERE MADE TO SWISS AND GERMAN SETTLERS.
1822	BRAZIL DECLARED INDEPENDENCE AND ESTABLISHED A MONARCHY, WHICH LASTED UNTIL 1889.
1824	BRAZIL ADOPTED A CONSTITUTION THAT PROVIDED A FEDERAL REPUBLIC.
1833	HERCULES FLORENCE INVENTS THE PHOTOGRAPH.
1840	THE CARNIVAL BALL ESTABLISHED.
1844	ANTHROPOLOGIST KFP VAN MARTIUS NOTED THAT APPRENTICE HEALERS OF THE COERUNA AND BORORO TRIBES INHERITED THEIR POWERS SEXUALLY FROM AN OLDER HEALER.
1850	DUTCH OFFICIAL BECOME GENERAL CONSULATE.
1855	THE FIRST BIG CARNIVAL CLUBS WERE BORN: THE BIG SOCIETIES (GRANDES SOCIEDADES).
1865	THE CARNIVAL MARCH (OLD POPULAR PARTY WAS CREATED ON FEBRUARY 28. CARNIVAL ORIGINATED FROM THIS PARTY.
1880	THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRATION OF GERMANS, JAPANESE, AND EASTERN EUROPE.
1888	SLAVERY OF BLACK AFRICANS ABOLISHED.
1890	CHURCH AND STATE WERE SEPARATED.
1875-1960	OVER 5 MILLION EUROPEANS IMMIGRATED TO BRAZIL.
1879	ELECTRICITY IS UTILIZED FOR THE FIRST TIME ILLUMINATING THE CENTRAL STATION RAIL WAY.
1882	MARIA AUGUSTA GENEROSO ESTRELLA GRADUATES FROM NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN, BECOMING BRAZIL'S FIRST FEMALE PHYSICIAN.
1891	THE FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC WAS PROMULGATED IN RIO DE JANEIRO.
1902	LANDELL DE MOURA IS RECOGNIZED AS THE INVENTOR OF THE WIRELESS TELEPHONE IN A STORY PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK HERALD.
1904	WHILE IN NEW YORK, LANDELL OBTAINS THE PATENT FOR THE WAVE TRANSMITTER (RADIOPHONE), THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE. HE CONCEIVES OF TRANSMISSION BY MEANS OF LIGHT, THUS FORESEEING THE PRINCIPLE OF FIBER OPTICS.
1905	LANDELL DISCOVERS THE HUMAN RADIOACTIVE AURA AND PHOTOGRAPHS IT.
1906	FIRST EXHIBITION OF VIDEO ART IN BRAZIL, ORGANIZED BY WALTER ZANINI AND PRESENTED AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF SAN PAULO.
1907	THE CORSO WAS BORN, A PARADE OF AUTOMOBILES WHICH IS BECAME ONE OF THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF RIO'S CARNIVAL DURING THE  FIRST DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
1908-09	AUGUSTO FERREIRA RAMOS STARTED SUGAR LOAF CABLE CARS PROJECT
1911	AUGUSTO FERREIRA RAMOS FOUNDED COMPANHIAAEREO PAO DE ACUCAR (SUGAR LOAF CABLE CAR COMPANY), AN ASSOCIATION WHICH MAINTAINS AND ADMINISTRATES THE COMPANY UP UNTIL TODAY.
1912	THE FIST CABLE CAR LINE FROM RED BEACH TO URCA HILL WAS COMPLETED (OCTOBER 27TH).
1913	THE SECOND CABLE TO SUGAR LOAF'S TOP WAS COMPLETED ON JANUARY 18.
1914-1918	WORLD WAR I
1923	COPACABANA PALACE HOTEL WAS INAUGURATED.
1925-1934	TIME OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE IN BRAZIL.
1941-1945	WORLD WAR II-JAPAN SURRENDERS IN 1945.
1960	CAPITAL MOVED FROM RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL TO BRASILIA.
1964	THE FIRST SEWAGE SYSTEM WAS ESTABLISHED, A TELEGRAPH LINK WAS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN RIO AND LONDON, AND A TUNNEL WAS EXCAVATED WHICH OPENED THE WAY TO COPACABANA.
1964	MILITARY COUP; CENSORSHIP IMPOSED, POLITICAL OPPOSITION QUELLED.
1967	PRESENT DAY CONSTITUTION OF BRAZIL ADOPTED.
1980-1991	BRAZIL'S ECONOMIC CRISIS.
1984	THE SAMBODROMO OPENED IN RIO DE JANEIRO.
1985	CIVILIAN RULE RESTORED, JOSE SARNEY ASSUMES PRESIDENCY.
1985	JANUARY 1985-"ROCK IN RIO"  OPENED FOR A CROWD OF 1.38 MILLION PEOPLE-THE LARGEST ROCK EVENT OF ALL TIMES. THE EQUVALENT TO 5 WOODSTOCKS.
1989	BRAZIL ANNOUNCES LARGE SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN FOR AMAZON BASIN TO CONTROL DESTRUCTION OF THE ECOSYSTEM.
2000	500 YEARS CELEBRATION.

BRAZIL - Maceió, AL (Alagoas) and the Northeastern Regions

Known as the 'Golden Coast', this region contains the states of Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão. It covers nearly 1,600,000 sq km (600,000 sq miles) and has a population of 36 million. The area is distinctive for its historical and folkloric traditions, as well as for its many beautiful beaches. Location: located on the northeastern coast of Brazil. Maceió boasts 230 kilometers of exotic coconut lined beaches, tide pools and natural lakes. The hotels are mostly suated in front of Jatiúca beach. 30 kilometers away from Maceio is the airport. On the northeastern coast of Brazil, about two hours flying time from Rio, Maceió is still being discovered by foreign visitors! The town is not large and the beaches near the center are not polluted. But as you heard north and-or south, there are great beaches and resort hotels springing up that meet international standards. One such resort just to the north of Maceio is Jatiuca. You can walk to the north beach strand dotted with beachside cafes which really bustle at night.

Small lagoons, nice beaches, beachside restaurants you will find in Maceió. A couple of days of unwinding and taking in the colorful beachside nightlife can please most travelers looking for a still developing, less sophisticated and reasonably priced beach resort still not over-run by Americans and Europeans. And if you want to "beach it" some and still have interesting things to do, there are several colonial towns that actually still retain their colonial flavor and are being restored to colonial splendor possible within a day' strip. Maceió has beaches reputed to be some of the finest in the country. Maceió is a capital of Alagoas state (second smallest of Brazil's states), situated in northeastern Brazil on the northern bank of the São Francisco River. Formerly called Macayo, the city dates from 1815, when a small settlement there was made a villa. In 1839 it became capital of Alagoas (then a provincia) and was given city status.

BRAZIL - The city Penedo at the river São Francisco, AL & SE (Alagoas & Sergipe)

It has many baroque churches and colonial buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries in Penedo (at boundary to Alagoas AL and Sergipe SE). The small and amazing town Penedo is a bit more as 100 kilometers far away from Maceió and the centre of the town is on a hill near to the big river Rio São Francisco.

The river with a length of 3.000 kilometers is the 3rd biggest in Brazil and is filled with many histories and myths about it. The town is always busy during the weekend days.

BRAZIL - Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará, RN & CE (Rio Grando do Norte & Ceará)

The village Tibaú do Sol, near Mossoró is directly to the boundary to the Federal States Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. Particularly attractively are here the unaffected beaches and dunes. Here it seems that the ecologists and fishermen have been united, in order to prevent the international touritic development of this region. Into the clear line of the horizon of sea, dunes and skies coconut palms rise up, and the population of village lives also without electrical light or cars in satisfaction. Sea turtles creep to the oviposition on the beach. If one drives toward the south into the barren interior, it improbably that the shrub countryside can protect humans getting along during the regular periods of drougth.

An example: still almost a third of the six million inhabitant of Ceará eke out here a miserable existence and can survive only by irrigation systems.

BRAZIL - Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Rio de Janeiro)

Jammed into the world's most beautiful setting - between ocean and escarpment - are 8 million Cariocas, as Rio's inhabitants are called. Rio has its problems, and they are enormous: a third of the people live in the favelas (shanty towns) that blanket many of the hillsides; the poor have no schools, no doctors, no jobs; drug abuse and violence are endemic; police corruption and brutality are commonplace. Rio's reputation as a violent city has caused a sharp reduction in tourism in the last several years, and there is even a special police unit which patrols areas frequented by gringos in an effort to keep them safe - recent reports suggest they have been pretty successful. Rio is divided into a Zona Norte (northern zone) and a Zona Sul (southern zone) by the Serra da Carioca, steep mountains that are part of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. The view from the top of Corcovado, the 750m (2460ft) mountain peak with the statue of Christ the Redeemer at its summit, offers the best way to become geographically familiar with the city. Favelas crowd against the hillsides on both sides of town. The beach, a ritual and a way of life for the Cariocas, is Rio's common denominator. Copacabana is probably one of the world's most famous beach (I do not know why, perhaps for all these fucking sex-tourists), and runs for 4.5km (3mi) in front of one of the most densely populated residential areas on the planet. From the scalloped beach you can see the granite slabs that surround the entrance to the bay. Ipanema is Rio's richest and most chic beach. Other beaches within and near the city include Pepino, Barra da Tijuca, Flamengo and Arpoador.

Personnal conclusions: The city is too crowdy, itself the city is too noisy and polluted and over-run with foreign tourists. It has definately other and more interesting places in Brazil.

Download MS Powerpoint® Slideshow [PPS-file]: Rio de Janeiro Antigo em 1900 - download Zip-file, size 1.4 MB

BRAZIL - Salvador, Bahia, BA (Bahia)

Founded in 1549, Salvador was Brazil's most important city for 300 years, and the Portuguese Empire's second city, after Lisbon. As the center of the sugar trade, it was famous for gold-filled churches and beautiful mansions, and for its many wild festivals and general sensuality and decadence. The Pelourinho, with its boldly painted houses separated by thin cobbled streets serves as a testament to Brazil's dramatic history. Other highlights include 34 colonial churches; the Museu Afro-Brasileira, which is dedicated to Black culture; and the Elevador Lacerda, an Art Deco structure with clanking electric elevators which truck up and down a set of 85m (279ft) cement shafts in less than 15 seconds and carry over 60,000 passengers daily between the port and the hilly historic section of the city.

Warning: Do not travel into a Favela unless escorted by a Travel Agency.

Rio de Janeiro, like most third world cities, is experiencing a dramatic increase in population. This increase has come mostly in the form of the rural poor migrating to the cities. Because of the high land values and the enormous demand for space, these poor are forced into squatter settlements known as favelas. Named after the location of the first such settlement, the hill Morro da Favela, these settlements usually occur in two areas of Rio: one, along the steep hillsides or, two, along the outer fringes of urban expansion. The most famous favelas are those build along the hillsides. 

The houses are usually made first from wattle-and-daub, a mixture of sand and clay, and eventually to the use of wood, brick and sheet metal. One can tell the length of time that each family has lived in the favela by the type of material their house is made of and its location. Usually the first settle near the bottom of the hills and as time goes by the hill fills upward. Since their is no rent to pay, the money saved is used to purchase stronger materials such as brick and cinder blocks. These are then used to modify and solidify the structure. Houses are only upgraded if the site is safe from landslides and demolition by the city.

The first recorded favela was in the early 1920's, made up of about 839 of these houses, even though squatter settlements have existed in Rio since the late 1800's. The first of these favelas were located on the hillside because of no rent and their central location to the city, utilities and work. Today, there are over 500 favela communities existing within the city of Rio and comprise about a third of the total population. Five-hundred thousand to 1 million are estimated to live on the hillsides. While the city of Rio is growing at 2.7% a year, the favelas are growing at a rate of 7.5% a year. This massive and uncontrolled urbanization has extended Rio¹s utilities and infrastructure passed their limit. The favelas are the ones that suffer. Rio is not the only city with these types of squatter settlements, but it was one of the first. What makes the favelas so unique for Rio is their location on the steep hillsides. Here the extremely poor live on the hillside with the scenic views while the rich live along the bottom where conditions are less than favorable. Not only is the direct opposite of city development around the world, but it creates a dramatic contrast between the rich and the poor by putting the two directly next to one another. 

There is one of the advantages to living in in the favela. The rich provide many of the jobs, in way of services, that help sustain the livelihood of the faveladors. Many of the rich rely on the cheap labor and service jobs that the faveladors supply, but this does not quell the criticism and negative image that they evoke.

How the People Of Rio View the Favelas

The image that most people have of the faveladors revolves around their rural origins, supposed lack of urban experience and that they are only leaching off the infrastructure of Rio. Many consider the favelas the source of Rio's urban problems, citing them for crime, violence, promiscuity, family breakdown and the creation of a culture of poverty. The prevailing view is that the favelas are just a transfer of poverty form the country to the city and are responsible for the negative effects of over-urbanization.

This over-urbanization are seen by some as a positive aspect, creating a perfect atmosphere for new industrial development. Because of the cheap, surplus labor that exists in the favelas, industries could find an easy market for locating and making money. Still others view the favela as just another part of the framework of Rio. It is a natural occurrence of the city and is compared to a weed growing in a garden, there will always be weeds. Despite these views, little is being done to modernize the favelas or even deal with the shortage of utilities.

Shortage Of Utilities

Though there is much variation from favela to favela, the shortage of utilities is constant. Some favelas have better access to different utilities due to their location. Regardless of this, all are below standard access. Clean water is a must and first and foremost in need. Water is usually accessed by tapping into a water main that runs near the favela. This is always at the bottom of the hill and creates an incredibly difficult journey for those who live near the top. Several journeys a day are sometimes needed to gain enough for a household. Only about 50% of the faveladors have access to an in-house toilet facility. From these facilities, sewerage runs through open ditches and eventually ends up at street level, creating an incredible health hazard. 

Electricity is scarce and very hard to access. The electric company connects outlets through only a few houses with meters, in the favela, and extension chords are run from these trunks to supply electricity to others. Each household is charged a fee per outlet, per month. This fee is usually much higher than what it would cost if it were metered directly. The demand is much higher than is being supplied and because of this, over tapped lines do not fulfill the need. When electricity is needed most, the evenings, there is hardly enough to run simple machines need to bring in extra income (sewing machines, power tools, irons, etc..). 

Garbage is either incinerated on the hill or brought down to the street where the city is supposed to haul it away. If incineration occurs, this can easily ignite many of the wooden houses and cause people become sick due to the smoke. 

The Favela Community

Each favela has its own community complete with grocery markets, clothing stores, pharmacies, repair shops and other types of small businesses. This varies depending on the location of the favela and by the size of its population. These shops are created to serve the needs of the faveladors. Often times, for groceries, the prices are higher in the favelas than elsewhere in the city. This is usually counteracted by selling merchandise in much smaller, affordable quantities and extending credit to customers. There are also community based organizations which people can join to help put pressure on the city government to extend facilities. most often these are created out of fear that the city will remove the residents from their homes. There is a constant fear that most faveladors live under, but not all. Since a couple types of favelas exist, each has their own bonuses and drawbacks to locating where they do.

The Different Favelas

Favelas located in the South Zone have the best chance of finding work. This is due to the infrastructure of the wealthy and their need for people to complete odd jobs. Many times these jobs can lead into positions of housekeeper, nanny or groundskeeper for the wealthy residents. This then leads to another bonus of living in the this type of favela, schooling. 

In Rio, schooling is divided by address of residency. Because of this, faveladors are not allowed to attend these schools. If a parent has a connection or job with one of the wealthy residents, they can claim that as their home address and allow their children to attend that school. This is not so for residents that are located in a favela in an industrial zone or a suburbs. Neither of these places would have access to such a public service. Because the Brazilian industrial economy is so depressed, factory jobs are very hard to come by. This hurts the chances of a favelador finding steady work living in this area. The poor in the suburbs have it even worse. There is no access to jobs in the area they live so they are forced on long bus rides into the city everyday to find work. This puts a further financial drain on the residents of the suburbs who already have so little. 

Community coalitions are in constant battles to force the government to give money for a community school. It is nearly an impossible task to get funding of any type for these areas. The government does not feel it is a worthwhile investment to put money into these poor communities. It would rather avoid the whole situation and force these people to figure out other ways to school their children. Despite this, there is an advantage to living further from the city.

Because the land in Rio is so valuable, developers are constantly looking for new land to exploit. This would be mainly in the south and central zones where the higher land values exist. Since the favelas and suburbs exist mainly away from this development, there is very little worry that they will be removed. More investment is be made in these homes and the local infrastructure. These squatter settlements are also located north of the city where the land becomes flatter and much less susceptible to mud slides and erosion. 

This in not the case of the favelas closer to the city. Mud slides have been known to wipe out entire favela communities and is very hard to control. The hillsides are very steep and erosion is uncontrolled. Since these favelas are located on marginal land, in a prime location, they live in constant fear that developers will come in and remove their homes to make way for new development. Very little housing for the poor is created by the state. The housing that is created is often located away from their work. There was an attempt to replace some favelas on the same site with three-story apartment buildings that would still allow the faveladors to work where they have been. This was only a limited experiment and was never considered to replace all favelas.

The Favelas Compared to the City

Unlike inner city poor, the favelas are considered a separate issue. There does exist an inner city poor to in Rio. They are not considered slums and are made up mostly of Jewish, Spanish and Portuguese families who have live there for quite some time. Because of the high land value rates, there is a very high turnover rate of the poorer areas. There isn't the mass exodus away from the city and the poor moving in, like in the United States, but rather a constant clearing and rebuilding process that keeps new poor from finding existing housing to move into. The migrants who live in the favelas are looked down upon. Part of this is due to the fact that the majority of these migrants are black or mulatto. Over 70% of the faveladors are mulatto or black. This compares to less than a third of the rest of the city. Even though a very large portion of the population lives in the favelas, the government will often times not admit to their existence. There have been maps made recently, by the city, that show vacant land where thousands of faveladors live. It becomes easier to marginalize and forget, than to admit and deal with the situation.

Despite efforts to clear and stop the in migration, people have just kept coming to Rio. As cleared rain forest land becomes unfarmable, farmers give up and move to the city. Despite being marginalized and blamed for all kinds of Rio's social problems, the faveladors have created a society based on cooperation to survive and have found a niche in the overpopulated city. Recently, the populations in the Favelas has leveled off. Much of this is due to the lack of available land and the clearing of favela settlements. Despite this, the migration to the city still continues. In many ways, Rio does not wish to acknowledge the existence of the favelas would rather passively ignores them instead. By doing this the problem only gets worse and the faveladors are still subject to marginalization.

PASSPORT AND VISA APPLICATION

Furthermore, in order to get into many countries on the stay abroad you will require a visa of some type, even if you are just visiting. This is usually an insert, stamp or sticker which is placed in your passport and the duration of its validity varies from place to place. If you do intend to work or study in the country to which you are traveling, however, you should organize your visa even further in advance as this can take longer to process.

As well as your passport you should ensure that you have at least one other form of identification with you. This may be a driver’s license, birth certificate or any other form of ID which is acceptable worldwide. As with passports, bring at least two copies of all forms of identification in case of loss or theft.

Help to Passport and Visa Application Forms. How to find the right one(s)?

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