What if Brazilian states were nations?

The Economist magazine asks this question in this week’s edition and reveals that:

São Paulo’s Gross Domestic Product and GDP per capita could be compared to Poland’s; while its population is similar (numerically) to Argentina’s

Rio’s GDP can be compared …

7 memorable historic TV series

Brazilian TV, namely Rede Globo network, produced some high-quality historic series. These ones definitely deserve a visit:
1 – Casa das Sete Mulheres – Probably the best historic series ever produced in the country. Its about …

Porto Alegre in old postcards

Only 73,000 people lived in Porto Alegre, the capital of the Southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, in 1900. Today, its population is around 1.4 million – but the latest Census informs that now …

Brazil essentials: 18 Unesco World Heritage sites you must visit

This is the ultimate list of must-see Brazilian sites, the 18 historic towns and natural wonders that were included by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. It …

Gaúchos and their horses

The image of a gaúcho – the cattle rancher, or his employee, wrangling in the vast fields of the state of Rio Grande do Sul – is invariably associated to two things. First, the mate …

Xote, Brazilian version of a Scottish/German dance

Normally, when a Brazilian refers to xote, he is talking about a dance fairly common in the Northeast region, similar to forró. Curiously, the word comes from the German schottische, meaning Scottish, or Scottish polka, …