Manaus Brazil is a bustling commercial city located in the Amazon rainforest. It's the capital city of the Amazonas state of Brazil. Located next to two rivers, the Solimoes and the Negro, and only a short distance from the ocean, it's a busy port with ships exporting several products manufactured in the local area.

Manaus, also known as City of the Forest and Heart of the Amazon, was established in 1669. The official name was changed several times through the years, but it hasn't changed since 1856.

It ranks 12th in size of all the cities of Brazil, but ranks as the 2nd largest city in the Northern regions of Brazil. The nearly 2 million residents of Manau are within the city area of about 4 miles total.

Neighboring cities include Novo Airao, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Iranduba, and Careiro. It's roughly 2,000 miles from Brazil's capital city of Brasilia.

Many people may not even realize Manaus exists and that could be because of its isolated location in relation to the rest of Brazil. The best way to get there is to fly or to go by boat given that you cannot reach it by road for several months of the year due to the rainy season.

Friendly, fun-loving, warm-spirited indigenous people make up much of the population of Manaus Brazil. They work hard to produce beautiful products to market to visitors to their city.

You can purchase everything from jewelry to baskets to local herbal medicines from the people of Manaus knowing that it was made right there by local artisans.

Manaus is no different than the rest of the country of Brazil in that they love their soccer or futebol teams! Just in the city of Manaus, they have two large soccer stadiums and eight pro teams.

Unfortunately, flooding is a way of life for these people because they live on the river, but at the same time, the river also provides the means to make a living.

The population of Manaus is much like the rest of Brazil - it has a large population of poor and a smaller population of very wealthy individuals.

The people are very aware that the Amazon forest is slowly being destroyed by deforestation practices and businesses coming into the rainforest. They're grieved by these developments and yet feel helpless to stop it.

Several local industries are thriving and include soap manufacturing, tourism, manufacturing of polyethylene stretch film, electronic equipment manufacturing, brewing, oil refining, Brazil-nuts, building ships, timber, motorcycle manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, styrofoam manufacturing, and chemical production.

The Amazon rainforest is a lush, green beautiful place, but you see very little green in Manaus unless you visit one of the four large parks that have been carved out between the buildings and roads of the city.

Park Sumauma - the smallest of the state parks in the Amazon, located North of the city

Park of Bilhares - one of the best places to visit in the south-central area of the city

Area of the green hill of Alexio - one of Manaus' and the Amazon's largest green areas in an urban environment

Park of Mindu - people flock to this park in center/south Manaus because of its beauty and diversity. You can walk on trails through the jungle, see local animal life, and walking on suspended bridges.

Manaus Brazil is home of several social and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Beginning in February, there is the Amazonas Carnival where samba students put on a parade in the Convention Center.

May boasts two festivals - the Amazonas Opera Festival and the Music Festival in Ponta Negra.

The summer months of June and July bring three festivals to Manaus: Sao Pedro Fluvial Procession, Amazonas Folklore Festival, and Amazonas Jazz Festival.

The Elevation of Amazonas is celebrated in September, the Anniversary of Manaus or Boi Manaus in October, the Amazonas Film Festival in November, and finally on December 31st, a huge New Year's Eve Party on Ponta Negra Beach.

Mercado Adolpho Lisboa - cities' oldest market place

CIGS Zoo

Palacio Rio Negro - the White House of Manaus

Natural Science Museum

Federal University of Amazonas

Teatro Amazonas

Ponta Negro Beach

Trekking the Amazon Manaus

Meeting of the Waters

Amazonas Opera House

Justice Palace

Manaus Botanical Garden

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens

Museum Seringal Vila Paraiso

St. Francis Church

Bar do Armando - night life

The climate is categorized as a tropical rainforest, which means there is a lot of rain for at least half of the year. It's extremely humid, so you should dress accordingly if you plan to visit. Manaus' winter season occurs from June to August, but even then the weather is warm. Average temperatures are between 86 degrees and 97 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

The majority of the people in Manaus practice Catholicism, but the remaining population of residents practice several different religions.

You can find, in addition to Catholicism, Manauenses who subscribe to religions such as Methodist, Islam, Judaism, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Jeohvah's Witnesses, Candomble, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and Assemblies of God.

Much of the land within Manaus, primarily in the area of Igarapes, is illegally occupied because government never really had strict land use and habitation rules on the books. As a result, there are large populations of people living in sub-standard poverty conditions.

Shacks are built over the water, which means they are at risk due to flooding and to waterborne diseases. An estimated 7,000 families reside in these shack communities.

So many people in one area equates to poor or lack of proper sanitation, raw sewage thrown into the water and surrounding land, no fresh running water, no electricity, higher rates of illness, and a lot of crime. Garbage is also tossed wherever it can go since there is no structured garbage collection system.

The only way to deal with these issues is to implement a plan to re-urbanize the entire city of Manaus Brazil. There was a project proposed in 2005, but I'm unable to find additional information as to whether or not it moved forward.

View the original article here

by Carolina
(Western PA (USA))

I lived in Brazil in the late 1960s. At that time, in my early 20s, I traveled by bus to visit Recife, Maceio, Aracajú, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, Brasilia, Rio, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and on to Uruguay and Argentina. I enjoyed almost every city I visited. I lived in Sergipe, in a small interior town without full-time electricity, no running water nor sewage system, no TV nor telephones service, no university nor hospital nor paved roads ---all things that are present today ---so by comparison, those large cities all seemed modern, exotic, and fascinating.

I returned to Brazil in August 2011. These are my impressions of the cities I visited:

Aracajú, has increased immensely in size in the past 40+ years, so most of the city is relatively new. It is clean, has beautiful parks and beaches, and I understand it is one of the least-spoiled and safest coastal/resort cities in Brazil ---which seems to be the best-kept secret in the country. There are many things to do and see, but I spent most of my time visiting friends and former students. As for friendliness and hospitality, Brazilians have no equal. I already knew that, but didn't expect to be treated like royalty during my unforgettable return to Sergipe.

Forty years ago, Salvador was my favorite city & I visited it often, but this time I found Salvador disappointing. By comparison to Aracajú, it seemed grimy and shabby. The streets & beaches were full of litter and nearly every wall covered in graffiti. Traffic was terrible. Everyone warned me to be careful, especially on crowded buses. And worst of all, most of the beautiful old buildings were in horrible states of disrepair. A friend who lives there told me there is money available to repair the old structures, but it has "disappeared" through government graft and corruption. Not everything in Salvador was terrible. I enjoyed the art museum on Rua Sete de Setembro, the Solar de Unhão and enjoyed walking through Pelourinho, especially the Afro-Brazilian Museum. The bay and ocean views are terrific and the Mercado Modelo is a great one-stop place to buy just about anything. Bahian food is unique and wonderful.

Besides trying some of Brazil's regional cuisine, be sure to sample Brazilian ice cream. It comes in dozens, maybe hundreds, of exotic tropical varieties with some cities and shops having their unique flavors. Most places will allow you to try a small taste before buying.

Manaus reminded me a lot of Salvador, with the added problem that the first two days there the temperature was 107 degrees, after which it "cooled" down to about 96. (Be sure to drink lots of bottled water to prevent dehydration.) I enjoyed the Opera House, Bosque de Ciencias, "Meeting of the Waters" boat trip, and a friend took me to view the beautiful sunset on the Rio Negro, but the city itself was, like Salvador, crowded, dirty, and full of graffiti. Another friend describes it as a charming frontier city, but I'm afraid its charms eluded me.

Foz do Iguaçu is a small city, but it is very clean with wide tree-lined streets. There is little traffic, even at rush hour, and the 65-70 degree temperatures were a welcome relief after Manaus. And, of course, for natural beauty one can't beat the falls on both the Brazilian and Argentinean sides. (Take a raincoat to protect you from the over spray.) The Bird Park across from the entrance to the Brazilian falls should not be missed either.

I ended my trip with a few days in Rio. It seemed much the same as it did 40 years ago, albeit much more expensive than I expected. Highlights of my stay were visiting the Contemporary Art Museum in Niteroi, the Botanical Garden near Ipanema, and shopping at the Sunday morning "hippy" fair. The tram to Santa Teresa had wrecked while I was there and museum workers went on strike so I missed a few things I wanted to see. My biggest disappointment was that I had planned to hang glide down to the beach, but the winds were not favorable any time during my stay. For first-time visitors, Corcovado and Pão de Açucar are must-sees, but I had seen both several times when I lived in Brazil and didn't have much time, so I skipped them.

Overall I had a wonderful trip, especially in Aracajú, Foz do Iguaçu, and Rio. But on my next visit, I'll probably skip Salvador and Manaus.

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Recife Brazil offers a myriad of things to do, people to see, and places to visit. Also known as Brazilian Venice, Recife is the capitol city of Brazil's state, Pernambuco, and the 4th largest city in the entire country of Brazil. This amazing city is bursting with culture, music, shopping, theatre, and much more to see and do!

The history of Recife begins in the year 1534, at which time the King of Portugal divided the country of Brazil into several areas of land. Each area of land was referred to as a capitaincy. A man by the name of Duarte Coelho Pereira was awarded the Capitaincy of Pernambuco and was expected to make something productive from the land using his own time and money.

Pereira founded two larger villages called Olinda and Igaracu. Recife was a small port village outside Olinda. Pereira realized quickly that he could make his capitaincy prosper by exporting brazilwood and sugar cane.

Olinda, the capital city of Pernambuco, was invaded by the Dutch military in 1630. Instead of settling in Olinda, they chose to settle in Recife. By 1637, the people of Pernambuco ousted the Dutch, but not before the Dutch had built bridges, created an urban plan for the city of Recife, and had brought many professionals from Holland to do the work they proposed.

As a result, Recife, once only a small port village, became a large bustling city and an important trading hub throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1900s were important years for Recife because several industrial projects were birthed and flourished, helping out the city's economy greatly.

Recife is simply bursting at the seams with cultural outlets! Artists, writers, and musicians call this beautiful city home, so it's no wonder that you can find all types of music, theatre, and carnivals throughout the year. You've heard of the popular celebration, Carnival, yes? The way Recife celebrates this special time of year draws over 1.5 million people!

Between the two cities of Olinda and Recife, you can see a movie at one of the 40 theatres, watch an opera at the opera house, learn the history of the area by visiting one of the 25 museums, enjoy orchestral music at one of the 2 orchestra houses, or enjoy art from around the world when visiting one of the 38 art galleries sprinkled through the two cities.

What keeps the economy of this city growing and going?

Digital Port or Porto Digital - this area of the city consists of over 90 companies, employing around 3,000 people in technology-driven jobs

Services - Recife boasts a large medical facility, several restaurants and hotels, beautiful beaches, cultural attractions, and tourist attractions

Recife has earned the title of one of the largest logistics centers of the country

Hosts many international events throughout the year, which boosts the economy across the board

Main industries: tube manufacturing, brewing, canning, manufacturing of chocolate, electronics for automotives, and textiles

Huge shopping areas

Prime business center for Brazil as a country

Boasts two International ports - Suape Port and Port of Recife

International Airport

Tourism and recreational activities

How is it broken down? The GDP for Recife Brazil, according to 2007 statistics, was around 18.3 billion Reais.

Recife is primarily Catholic, but also has Protestants, Spiritists, and still others who claim no religion at all. Back in 1909, a church was built to honor the Patroness Saint of Recife, otherwise known as Nossa Senhora do Carmo. July 16th of each year, she is honored in her church with a special celebration.

What Is There to Do in Recife Brazil?

Oh, the possibilities are endless! Here are some highlights of what you can find to do in this diverse city.

Beaches - Brasilia Teimosa, Pina, and Boa Viagem

Shopping - Plaza Shopping Casa Forte Shopping Center Tacaruna, Shopping Center Recife, and Shopping Paço da Alfândega

Churches - Madre de Deus, Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio, and Nossa Senhora do Carmo, just to name a few

Justice Palace

Santa Isabel Theatre

Pottery Brennand

Scuba diving - over 100 wrecks are underwater around the coast of Recife, making it the shipwreck capital of Brazil. There are also miles of reef underwater which is great for scuba diving or snorkeling.

Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue - it is the oldest known synagogue in South and North America

Governor's Palace

Culture House - an old jail or detention house was transformed into a shopping area where vendors occupy a jail cell to offer and sell their wares

Museums galore

Restaurants - from fancy to mom and pop shops or beach fare, you will discover a lot of delicious foods, desserts, and drinks

Bars, Dance Clubs, and Nightclubs

Fishing from the reefs

Porto de Galinhas - a small beach resort town not far from Recife

Carnival - experience true Frevo music along with Samba

Recife Brazil is a beautiful, authentic mixture of historic old buildings and new architecture and design. To try and separate the old from the new would cheapen the experience of visiting this city of bridges and waterways.

From the outside, the city looks like it has many dilapidated and dirty buildings, but once you get inside the city, you quickly see how modern some of the city is becoming and you can't deny how the historic sense of the city attracts you.

No matter what city you visit, you should be aware of how to conduct yourself and how to stay safe from opportunists. Recife doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to crime, so do make sure to keep your valuables close to your person as well as out of sight as much as possible. Don't travel alone at night and don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself. It's really no different than traveling in any other city, but it is worth mentioning.

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Two million, three hundred thousand souls reside in the capital of Brazil, which is Brasilia. Located centrally in central-western Brazil, it is closer to most of the regions of the country than the previously chosen capital city of Rio de Janeiro.

Brasilia was established as the official capital of the country on April 22, 1960. The decision to relocate Brazil's capital city further into the interior of the country was a smart one. Before the city was built in this location, the land was desolate and empty.

Building the capital city brought workers from all over and provided jobs and stability and populated the area at the same time.

Talented and visionary architects who wanted to draw not only the people of Brazil to the capital city, but visitors from other countries as well planned the city. One of the architects was Oscar Niemeyer. Another person who helped design the city buildings and layout was urbanist, Lucio Costa.

Buildings designed with both straight lines and rounded corners and shapes adorn the city and make it attractive to the eye as well as being functional.

What government branches or offices can you find in Brasilia?

Federal Government of Brazil - governs from Brasilia

President of Brazil - resides in Palace of Alvorado

Palacio do Planalto - Seat of Executive Power

The Brazilian Constitutional Court otherwise known as the Supreme Federal Court

Brazilian Congress or Parliament - Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

Annex of Supreme Court - administrative staff

Three Powers Square - contains STF, Congress, and The Palace

Government of the Federal District Assembly

What is the weather like in Brazil's capital city? June and July are the coldest winter months with temperatures between 52 degrees and 72 degrees Fahrenheit as an average. The rest of the year the temperatures can get as high as 82 degrees Fahrenheit, which is typically during September. The humidity varies depending on the season The climate of this area of Brazil is a tropical savanna climate. The driest months are the last week or so of March through the last week or so of September and even into the first week of October sometimes. Brasilia sees a lot of rainfall during the month of May.

Brasilia is an important governmental center, but it's also a bustling and thriving economic center. The industries of Brasilia include: food processing, computer software, construction, finance and banking, legal services, communications, tourism, entertainment, furniture manufacturing, graphics, recycling, pharmaceutical companies, and information technology.

Agriculture is also a notable industry in Brasilia. Local farmers produce crops like soy beans and coffee. Fruits are also grown and harvested in the city of Brasilia including mangoes, strawberries, lemons, guavas, papayas, and oranges.

Beef cattle are raised and slaughtered to produce some of the best beef products available - some of these are exported from the country.

Many of Brasilia's products are exported around the world and include coffee, iron ore, orange juice, car parts, footwear, and products produced from soybeans.

They also import several products such as oil, chemical products, machinery and equipment, automobile parts, cars, and electricity.

The capital of Brazil is no different than the rest of the country in that they love a good festival or celebration. Brasilia is home to several festivals throughout the year and is a popular destination for businessmen visiting the country.

Christmas and New Years Eve are celebrated in huge style in the city of Brasilia.

You can also find no shortage of art, music, movies, and political events in the capital city. While you're enjoying the sights, stop in to one of the many restaurants and sample the excellent cuisine!

Two football teams call Brasilia home: Sociedade Esportiva do Gama and Brasiliense Futebol Clube.

Brasilia is one of the proud host cities for the wildly popular and well attended FIFA World Cup in 2014 where soccer teams will play for the World Cup championship.

Two years later in 2016, Brasilia will be a gracious host to the Summer Olympics football teams to play their tournaments.

Cathedral of Brasilia - seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brasilia, unique design has a ribbed structure in a circular shape

Botanical Garden of Brasilia - 500 acres of flowers, plant life, herbs and more

Cultural Complex of the Republic - home to the National Library and Museum

National Congress

Planalto Palace

Santuario Dom Bosco - one of Brazil's first temples

JK Memorial - memorial to one of founding fathers

TV Towers - the view from the top is unmatched

Parque Nacional de Brasilia - visit two mineral springs with healing waters and walk beautiful trails in this national park

Paranoa Lake Boat Trip - see the city of Brasilia from an entirely new perspective

Catedral Metropolitana - designed by Oscar Niemeyer, boasts some of the most stunning stain glassed windows you'll ever see

Raizama Falls and Itiquira Waterfalls

Sara Kubitschek Park - larger than Central Park in New York, USA with jogging trails, activities for kids, walking trails, and a lot more to see

Brasilia Bay Park - a great water park in the center of the city

The capital of Brazil is a busy and beautiful city to visit. There's plenty to do and see and you can still take time to travel to neighboring cities and beaches and enjoy even more of the amazingly diverse country of Brazil.

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by Carolina
(Western PA (USA))

I lived in Brazil in the late 1960s. At that time, in my early 20s, I traveled by bus to visit Recife, Maceio, Aracajú, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, Brasilia, Rio, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and on to Uruguay and Argentina. I enjoyed almost every city I visited. I lived in Sergipe, in a small interior town without full-time electricity, no running water nor sewage system, no TV nor telephones service, no university nor hospital nor paved roads ---all things that are present today ---so by comparison, those large cities all seemed modern, exotic, and fascinating.

I returned to Brazil in August 2011. These are my impressions of the cities I visited:

Aracajú, has increased immensely in size in the past 40+ years, so most of the city is relatively new. It is clean, has beautiful parks and beaches, and I understand it is one of the least-spoiled and safest coastal/resort cities in Brazil ---which seems to be the best-kept secret in the country. There are many things to do and see, but I spent most of my time visiting friends and former students. As for friendliness and hospitality, Brazilians have no equal. I already knew that, but didn't expect to be treated like royalty during my unforgettable return to Sergipe.

Forty years ago, Salvador was my favorite city & I visited it often, but this time I found Salvador disappointing. By comparison to Aracajú, it seemed grimy and shabby. The streets & beaches were full of litter and nearly every wall covered in graffiti. Traffic was terrible. Everyone warned me to be careful, especially on crowded buses. And worst of all, most of the beautiful old buildings were in horrible states of disrepair. A friend who lives there told me there is money available to repair the old structures, but it has "disappeared" through government graft and corruption. Not everything in Salvador was terrible. I enjoyed the art museum on Rua Sete de Setembro, the Solar de Unhão and enjoyed walking through Pelourinho, especially the Afro-Brazilian Museum. The bay and ocean views are terrific and the Mercado Modelo is a great one-stop place to buy just about anything. Bahian food is unique and wonderful.

Besides trying some of Brazil's regional cuisine, be sure to sample Brazilian ice cream. It comes in dozens, maybe hundreds, of exotic tropical varieties with some cities and shops having their unique flavors. Most places will allow you to try a small taste before buying.

Manaus reminded me a lot of Salvador, with the added problem that the first two days there the temperature was 107 degrees, after which it "cooled" down to about 96. (Be sure to drink lots of bottled water to prevent dehydration.) I enjoyed the Opera House, Bosque de Ciencias, "Meeting of the Waters" boat trip, and a friend took me to view the beautiful sunset on the Rio Negro, but the city itself was, like Salvador, crowded, dirty, and full of graffiti. Another friend describes it as a charming frontier city, but I'm afraid its charms eluded me.

Foz do Iguaçu is a small city, but it is very clean with wide tree-lined streets. There is little traffic, even at rush hour, and the 65-70 degree temperatures were a welcome relief after Manaus. And, of course, for natural beauty one can't beat the falls on both the Brazilian and Argentinean sides. (Take a raincoat to protect you from the over spray.) The Bird Park across from the entrance to the Brazilian falls should not be missed either.

I ended my trip with a few days in Rio. It seemed much the same as it did 40 years ago, albeit much more expensive than I expected. Highlights of my stay were visiting the Contemporary Art Museum in Niteroi, the Botanical Garden near Ipanema, and shopping at the Sunday morning "hippy" fair. The tram to Santa Teresa had wrecked while I was there and museum workers went on strike so I missed a few things I wanted to see. My biggest disappointment was that I had planned to hang glide down to the beach, but the winds were not favorable any time during my stay. For first-time visitors, Corcovado and Pão de Açucar are must-sees, but I had seen both several times when I lived in Brazil and didn't have much time, so I skipped them.

Overall I had a wonderful trip, especially in Aracajú, Foz do Iguaçu, and Rio. But on my next visit, I'll probably skip Salvador and Manaus.

View the original article here

Manaus Brazil is a bustling commercial city located in the Amazon rainforest. It's the capital city of the Amazonas state of Brazil. Located next to two rivers, the Solimoes and the Negro, and only a short distance from the ocean, it's a busy port with ships exporting several products manufactured in the local area.

Manaus, also known as City of the Forest and Heart of the Amazon, was established in 1669. The official name was changed several times through the years, but it hasn't changed since 1856.

It ranks 12th in size of all the cities of Brazil, but ranks as the 2nd largest city in the Northern regions of Brazil. The nearly 2 million residents of Manau are within the city area of about 4 miles total.

Neighboring cities include Novo Airao, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Iranduba, and Careiro. It's roughly 2,000 miles from Brazil's capital city of Brasilia.

Many people may not even realize Manaus exists and that could be because of its isolated location in relation to the rest of Brazil. The best way to get there is to fly or to go by boat given that you cannot reach it by road for several months of the year due to the rainy season.

Friendly, fun-loving, warm-spirited indigenous people make up much of the population of Manaus Brazil. They work hard to produce beautiful products to market to visitors to their city.

You can purchase everything from jewelry to baskets to local herbal medicines from the people of Manaus knowing that it was made right there by local artisans.

Manaus is no different than the rest of the country of Brazil in that they love their soccer or futebol teams! Just in the city of Manaus, they have two large soccer stadiums and eight pro teams.

Unfortunately, flooding is a way of life for these people because they live on the river, but at the same time, the river also provides the means to make a living.

The population of Manaus is much like the rest of Brazil - it has a large population of poor and a smaller population of very wealthy individuals.

The people are very aware that the Amazon forest is slowly being destroyed by deforestation practices and businesses coming into the rainforest. They're grieved by these developments and yet feel helpless to stop it.

Several local industries are thriving and include soap manufacturing, tourism, manufacturing of polyethylene stretch film, electronic equipment manufacturing, brewing, oil refining, Brazil-nuts, building ships, timber, motorcycle manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, styrofoam manufacturing, and chemical production.

The Amazon rainforest is a lush, green beautiful place, but you see very little green in Manaus unless you visit one of the four large parks that have been carved out between the buildings and roads of the city.

Park Sumauma - the smallest of the state parks in the Amazon, located North of the city

Park of Bilhares - one of the best places to visit in the south-central area of the city

Area of the green hill of Alexio - one of Manaus' and the Amazon's largest green areas in an urban environment

Park of Mindu - people flock to this park in center/south Manaus because of its beauty and diversity. You can walk on trails through the jungle, see local animal life, and walking on suspended bridges.

Manaus Brazil is home of several social and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Beginning in February, there is the Amazonas Carnival where samba students put on a parade in the Convention Center.

May boasts two festivals - the Amazonas Opera Festival and the Music Festival in Ponta Negra.

The summer months of June and July bring three festivals to Manaus: Sao Pedro Fluvial Procession, Amazonas Folklore Festival, and Amazonas Jazz Festival.

The Elevation of Amazonas is celebrated in September, the Anniversary of Manaus or Boi Manaus in October, the Amazonas Film Festival in November, and finally on December 31st, a huge New Year's Eve Party on Ponta Negra Beach.

Mercado Adolpho Lisboa - cities' oldest market place

CIGS Zoo

Palacio Rio Negro - the White House of Manaus

Natural Science Museum

Federal University of Amazonas

Teatro Amazonas

Ponta Negro Beach

Trekking the Amazon Manaus

Meeting of the Waters

Amazonas Opera House

Justice Palace

Manaus Botanical Garden

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens

Museum Seringal Vila Paraiso

St. Francis Church

Bar do Armando - night life

The climate is categorized as a tropical rainforest, which means there is a lot of rain for at least half of the year. It's extremely humid, so you should dress accordingly if you plan to visit. Manaus' winter season occurs from June to August, but even then the weather is warm. Average temperatures are between 86 degrees and 97 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

The majority of the people in Manaus practice Catholicism, but the remaining population of residents practice several different religions.

You can find, in addition to Catholicism, Manauenses who subscribe to religions such as Methodist, Islam, Judaism, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Jeohvah's Witnesses, Candomble, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and Assemblies of God.

Much of the land within Manaus, primarily in the area of Igarapes, is illegally occupied because government never really had strict land use and habitation rules on the books. As a result, there are large populations of people living in sub-standard poverty conditions.

Shacks are built over the water, which means they are at risk due to flooding and to waterborne diseases. An estimated 7,000 families reside in these shack communities.

So many people in one area equates to poor or lack of proper sanitation, raw sewage thrown into the water and surrounding land, no fresh running water, no electricity, higher rates of illness, and a lot of crime. Garbage is also tossed wherever it can go since there is no structured garbage collection system.

The only way to deal with these issues is to implement a plan to re-urbanize the entire city of Manaus Brazil. There was a project proposed in 2005, but I'm unable to find additional information as to whether or not it moved forward.

View the original article here

Cities in Brazil are home to nearly 75% of Brazil's population. It wasn't long ago, perhaps less than 40 years ago, that most Brazilians called the rural areas of Brazil home.

The shift to urban life from rural life has presented several social challenges for the country of Brazil in both the larger and the smaller cities.

The influx of people coming into the cities from the rural areas of Brazil has caused the favelas, or slums, to grow at a rapid rate along with crime and poverty. The cities did not have the housing or jobs to absorb all of the people migrating into the city.

City governments in Brazil have attempted to deal with the favela communities in several ways, including the demolition of the favelas during the 1970s. When this didn't work, the governments finally began to recognize these people as part of the larger community and now provide services for them. Services might include sewage, electricity, and paved roads. Schools and health clinics have also been established.

There are increased numbers of homes in the cities, but still the poorer people do not have the means to purchase them, so it's very difficult for those coming into the city from the country to find a decent home.

This vibrant city is known for music, theatre, museums, car racing, sports, and incredibly varied ethnic cuisine. It's also home to 20+ landmarks important to the history of Brazil. Sao Paulo is Brazil's premiere business center. Nearly every industry of Brazil is represented in Sao Paulo, one of the busiest cities in Brazil.

Rio is perhaps best known for its amazing beaches, such as Copacabana, Leblon, and Ipanema, but Rio has so much more to offer. This city is also famous for stunningly beautiful scenery and carnivals.

Salvador has been dubbed Brazil's capital of happiness. This city is a mix of rich historical heritage and modern life.

This is one of the most unique cities in Brazil as it is actually not really a city at all! Brasilia is an administrative district of the Federal District of Brazil.

Brasilia is one of the few planned communities that exist in the world. It was built in just four years and appears from the sky in the shape of an airplane!

All branches of the Brazilian government are located here, as well as many major companies and industries.

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? We have created a special area where you can share and even upload some photos!

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? Do you have any fun stories about your experiences there? Please share!

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I lived in Brazil in the late 1960s. At that time, in my early 20s, I traveled by bus to visit Recife, Maceio, Aracajú, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Ouro ...

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Cities in Brazil are home to nearly 75% of Brazil's population. It wasn't long ago, perhaps less than 40 years ago, that most Brazilians called the rural areas of Brazil home.

The shift to urban life from rural life has presented several social challenges for the country of Brazil in both the larger and the smaller cities.

The influx of people coming into the cities from the rural areas of Brazil has caused the favelas, or slums, to grow at a rapid rate along with crime and poverty. The cities did not have the housing or jobs to absorb all of the people migrating into the city.

City governments in Brazil have attempted to deal with the favela communities in several ways, including the demolition of the favelas during the 1970s. When this didn't work, the governments finally began to recognize these people as part of the larger community and now provide services for them. Services might include sewage, electricity, and paved roads. Schools and health clinics have also been established.

There are increased numbers of homes in the cities, but still the poorer people do not have the means to purchase them, so it's very difficult for those coming into the city from the country to find a decent home.

This vibrant city is known for music, theatre, museums, car racing, sports, and incredibly varied ethnic cuisine. It's also home to 20+ landmarks important to the history of Brazil. Sao Paulo is Brazil's premiere business center. Nearly every industry of Brazil is represented in Sao Paulo, one of the busiest cities in Brazil.

Rio is perhaps best known for its amazing beaches, such as Copacabana, Leblon, and Ipanema, but Rio has so much more to offer. This city is also famous for stunningly beautiful scenery and carnivals.

Salvador has been dubbed Brazil's capital of happiness. This city is a mix of rich historical heritage and modern life.

This is one of the most unique cities in Brazil as it is actually not really a city at all! Brasilia is an administrative district of the Federal District of Brazil.

Brasilia is one of the few planned communities that exist in the world. It was built in just four years and appears from the sky in the shape of an airplane!

All branches of the Brazilian government are located here, as well as many major companies and industries.

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? We have created a special area where you can share and even upload some photos!

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? Do you have any fun stories about your experiences there? Please share!

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Vitoria Brazil is on a small island within the boundaries of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. It's an interesting location given that right in Vitoria, there are rivers that connect directly to the sea, making this island a lovely place to visit and relax.

Some of the first Portuguese colonists to settle in Brazil settled in Vitoria in the year 1535. The small island wasn't very well known until a bit later when the tribal people within the country of Brazil began launching attacks against the new colonists, at which time Vitoria suddenly seemed very attractive.

More people moved into the area due to the abundance of sugar cane and gold mining potential in addition to trying to escape the attacks. Agriculture was the primary industry of the island during the first several years, but slowly became more modernized between the year 1535 and 1889.

The year 1894 in Vitoria was marked mostly by the exportation of coffee, which at that time had a very high price tag and was desired by many other countries because of its taste and quality. Vitoria's location close to the sea was a key reason exports became very important to this small island.

The modernization of Vitoria included a railroad system, hospital, cemetery, park, state museum, state library, a public archive, and several schools.

Population - 318,000 as of 2008 in the Greater metropolitan area of Vitoria

Ethnic groups living in Vitoria - black, Pardo, Amerindian, White, and Asian

14th largest metro area in the country of Brazil

Ranked number 9 as one of the best cities to work in the country

Quality of life in Vitoria ranked very high

One of the 3 island capitals within Brazil

Can fly to any of the major cities of Brazil in 60 minutes, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte

Boasts some of the best schools and health facilities

Home to 14 colleges and universities

Vitoria has its own airport - Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport

Connected to the country of Brazil by six bridges built across the sea

Religion - highest percentage of Vitoria residents are Catholic, but there are also some Protestant and some Spiritists

Three major ports that service upwards of 2,000 ships each year

Why would you want to visit Vitoria? It's a tropical savanna climate, which means as long as you don't mind a bit of humidity and enjoy temperatures between 75 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit, you'd love relaxing on their beaches and seeing the beautiful scenery of the island.

The island is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and has several types of topography including beaches, marshland, and mangroves. You'll see large granite rocks rising up around various areas of the island.

You may not want to visit Vitoria between October and January unless you truly enjoy a lot of rainy days, as these are the rainiest months of all for that area of the country.

Vitoria Bay - beaches, water sports, ports, deep-sea fishing, volleyball, and more

Parque da Fonte Grande - gorgeous native birds and wildlife of the rainforest, a huge mountain with an amazing view

Beaches - miles of beaches offer relaxation, swimming, beach volleyball, futebol or soccer, and scuba diving

Restaurants - excellent food including freshly caught fish and seafood. Vitoria is also known for delicious beef dishes.

Praca dos Namorados - a park located on the beach that offers a quiet place to site, take a nap, or take a jog

Port of Vitoria - great central spot for taking trips to beautiful places like Guarapari, Domingoes, or Vila Velha, to name a few

The Fort Is Joao

Convento da Penha - Franciscan convent

Catedral Metropolitana

Night clubs - Sao Firmino, Casa, bars in Praia de Costa

There are a few online forums that discuss the island of Vitoria Brazil. These are a good resource if you want to find out details about the area that might not otherwise be publicized on any website. So, what do some of the people say about this sleepy little island town?

Most say it's a wonderful place to visit, especially if you want to relax and do pretty much nothing other than rest, eat, travel to see the local scenery and attractions, and enjoy the nightlife.

Come Come in the neighborhood of Jardim Cambori was mentioned as a great place for local food, which is typically some sort of barbecued meat or a buffet. Lunch costs roughly $7 to $8 if you are really hungry.

One of the most affordable hotels is one by the name of Pousada Lord Camburi. You can find it in Serra, on the outskirts of Jardim Camburi. Another hotel that was mentioned was the Hotel Senac in the Praia do Canto area.

It's helpful to note that although you can usually find hostels in many parts of Brazil, there aren't any in Vitoria Brazil.

There are some areas of the island that should be avoided at night due to crime - the one location mentioned was Serra.

According to some of the people who visited Vitoria, there are several cities within a short distance of Vitoria that are worth visiting if you have the means and the time.

Domingos Martins - primarily inhabited by German families, with a European vibe

Dunas de Itauna - a sweet little town, beautiful beach, and home for Projeto Tamar, a program that has been put into place to protect turtles

Garoto Chocolate Factory

Vitoria Brazil has a lot to offer to everyone, whether you want to party or relax or just take in the sights. It has a sleepy island mentality on one side, but an active and fun nightlife on the other, so it appeals to the young and the old, couples and singles alike.

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Recife Brazil offers a myriad of things to do, people to see, and places to visit. Also known as Brazilian Venice, Recife is the capitol city of Brazil's state, Pernambuco, and the 4th largest city in the entire country of Brazil. This amazing city is bursting with culture, music, shopping, theatre, and much more to see and do!

The history of Recife begins in the year 1534, at which time the King of Portugal divided the country of Brazil into several areas of land. Each area of land was referred to as a capitaincy. A man by the name of Duarte Coelho Pereira was awarded the Capitaincy of Pernambuco and was expected to make something productive from the land using his own time and money.

Pereira founded two larger villages called Olinda and Igaracu. Recife was a small port village outside Olinda. Pereira realized quickly that he could make his capitaincy prosper by exporting brazilwood and sugar cane.

Olinda, the capital city of Pernambuco, was invaded by the Dutch military in 1630. Instead of settling in Olinda, they chose to settle in Recife. By 1637, the people of Pernambuco ousted the Dutch, but not before the Dutch had built bridges, created an urban plan for the city of Recife, and had brought many professionals from Holland to do the work they proposed.

As a result, Recife, once only a small port village, became a large bustling city and an important trading hub throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1900s were important years for Recife because several industrial projects were birthed and flourished, helping out the city's economy greatly.

Recife is simply bursting at the seams with cultural outlets! Artists, writers, and musicians call this beautiful city home, so it's no wonder that you can find all types of music, theatre, and carnivals throughout the year. You've heard of the popular celebration, Carnival, yes? The way Recife celebrates this special time of year draws over 1.5 million people!

Between the two cities of Olinda and Recife, you can see a movie at one of the 40 theatres, watch an opera at the opera house, learn the history of the area by visiting one of the 25 museums, enjoy orchestral music at one of the 2 orchestra houses, or enjoy art from around the world when visiting one of the 38 art galleries sprinkled through the two cities.

What keeps the economy of this city growing and going?

Digital Port or Porto Digital - this area of the city consists of over 90 companies, employing around 3,000 people in technology-driven jobs

Services - Recife boasts a large medical facility, several restaurants and hotels, beautiful beaches, cultural attractions, and tourist attractions

Recife has earned the title of one of the largest logistics centers of the country

Hosts many international events throughout the year, which boosts the economy across the board

Main industries: tube manufacturing, brewing, canning, manufacturing of chocolate, electronics for automotives, and textiles

Huge shopping areas

Prime business center for Brazil as a country

Boasts two International ports - Suape Port and Port of Recife

International Airport

Tourism and recreational activities

How is it broken down? The GDP for Recife Brazil, according to 2007 statistics, was around 18.3 billion Reais.

Recife is primarily Catholic, but also has Protestants, Spiritists, and still others who claim no religion at all. Back in 1909, a church was built to honor the Patroness Saint of Recife, otherwise known as Nossa Senhora do Carmo. July 16th of each year, she is honored in her church with a special celebration.

What Is There to Do in Recife Brazil?

Oh, the possibilities are endless! Here are some highlights of what you can find to do in this diverse city.

Beaches - Brasilia Teimosa, Pina, and Boa Viagem

Shopping - Plaza Shopping Casa Forte Shopping Center Tacaruna, Shopping Center Recife, and Shopping Pa?o da Alf?ndega

Churches - Madre de Deus, Convento Franciscano de Santo Ant?nio, and Nossa Senhora do Carmo, just to name a few

Justice Palace

Santa Isabel Theatre

Pottery Brennand

Scuba diving - over 100 wrecks are underwater around the coast of Recife, making it the shipwreck capital of Brazil. There are also miles of reef underwater which is great for scuba diving or snorkeling.

Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue - it is the oldest known synagogue in South and North America

Governor's Palace

Culture House - an old jail or detention house was transformed into a shopping area where vendors occupy a jail cell to offer and sell their wares

Museums galore

Restaurants - from fancy to mom and pop shops or beach fare, you will discover a lot of delicious foods, desserts, and drinks

Bars, Dance Clubs, and Nightclubs

Fishing from the reefs

Porto de Galinhas - a small beach resort town not far from Recife

Carnival - experience true Frevo music along with Samba

Recife Brazil is a beautiful, authentic mixture of historic old buildings and new architecture and design. To try and separate the old from the new would cheapen the experience of visiting this city of bridges and waterways.

From the outside, the city looks like it has many dilapidated and dirty buildings, but once you get inside the city, you quickly see how modern some of the city is becoming and you can't deny how the historic sense of the city attracts you.

No matter what city you visit, you should be aware of how to conduct yourself and how to stay safe from opportunists. Recife doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to crime, so do make sure to keep your valuables close to your person as well as out of sight as much as possible. Don't travel alone at night and don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself. It's really no different than traveling in any other city, but it is worth mentioning.

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Manaus Brazil is a bustling commercial city located in the Amazon rainforest. It's the capital city of the Amazonas state of Brazil. Located next to two rivers, the Solimoes and the Negro, and only a short distance from the ocean, it's a busy port with ships exporting several products manufactured in the local area.

Manaus, also known as City of the Forest and Heart of the Amazon, was established in 1669. The official name was changed several times through the years, but it hasn't changed since 1856.

It ranks 12th in size of all the cities of Brazil, but ranks as the 2nd largest city in the Northern regions of Brazil. The nearly 2 million residents of Manau are within the city area of about 4 miles total.

Neighboring cities include Novo Airao, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Iranduba, and Careiro. It's roughly 2,000 miles from Brazil's capital city of Brasilia.

Many people may not even realize Manaus exists and that could be because of its isolated location in relation to the rest of Brazil. The best way to get there is to fly or to go by boat given that you cannot reach it by road for several months of the year due to the rainy season.

Friendly, fun-loving, warm-spirited indigenous people make up much of the population of Manaus Brazil. They work hard to produce beautiful products to market to visitors to their city.

You can purchase everything from jewelry to baskets to local herbal medicines from the people of Manaus knowing that it was made right there by local artisans.

Manaus is no different than the rest of the country of Brazil in that they love their soccer or futebol teams! Just in the city of Manaus, they have two large soccer stadiums and eight pro teams.

Unfortunately, flooding is a way of life for these people because they live on the river, but at the same time, the river also provides the means to make a living.

The population of Manaus is much like the rest of Brazil - it has a large population of poor and a smaller population of very wealthy individuals.

The people are very aware that the Amazon forest is slowly being destroyed by deforestation practices and businesses coming into the rainforest. They're grieved by these developments and yet feel helpless to stop it.

Several local industries are thriving and include soap manufacturing, tourism, manufacturing of polyethylene stretch film, electronic equipment manufacturing, brewing, oil refining, Brazil-nuts, building ships, timber, motorcycle manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, styrofoam manufacturing, and chemical production.

The Amazon rainforest is a lush, green beautiful place, but you see very little green in Manaus unless you visit one of the four large parks that have been carved out between the buildings and roads of the city.

Park Sumauma - the smallest of the state parks in the Amazon, located North of the city

Park of Bilhares - one of the best places to visit in the south-central area of the city

Area of the green hill of Alexio - one of Manaus' and the Amazon's largest green areas in an urban environment

Park of Mindu - people flock to this park in center/south Manaus because of its beauty and diversity. You can walk on trails through the jungle, see local animal life, and walking on suspended bridges.

Manaus Brazil is home of several social and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Beginning in February, there is the Amazonas Carnival where samba students put on a parade in the Convention Center.

May boasts two festivals - the Amazonas Opera Festival and the Music Festival in Ponta Negra.

The summer months of June and July bring three festivals to Manaus: Sao Pedro Fluvial Procession, Amazonas Folklore Festival, and Amazonas Jazz Festival.

The Elevation of Amazonas is celebrated in September, the Anniversary of Manaus or Boi Manaus in October, the Amazonas Film Festival in November, and finally on December 31st, a huge New Year's Eve Party on Ponta Negra Beach.

Mercado Adolpho Lisboa - cities' oldest market place

CIGS Zoo

Palacio Rio Negro - the White House of Manaus

Natural Science Museum

Federal University of Amazonas

Teatro Amazonas

Ponta Negro Beach

Trekking the Amazon Manaus

Meeting of the Waters

Amazonas Opera House

Justice Palace

Manaus Botanical Garden

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens

Museum Seringal Vila Paraiso

St. Francis Church

Bar do Armando - night life

The climate is categorized as a tropical rainforest, which means there is a lot of rain for at least half of the year. It's extremely humid, so you should dress accordingly if you plan to visit. Manaus' winter season occurs from June to August, but even then the weather is warm. Average temperatures are between 86 degrees and 97 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

The majority of the people in Manaus practice Catholicism, but the remaining population of residents practice several different religions.

You can find, in addition to Catholicism, Manauenses who subscribe to religions such as Methodist, Islam, Judaism, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Jeohvah's Witnesses, Candomble, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and Assemblies of God.

Much of the land within Manaus, primarily in the area of Igarapes, is illegally occupied because government never really had strict land use and habitation rules on the books. As a result, there are large populations of people living in sub-standard poverty conditions.

Shacks are built over the water, which means they are at risk due to flooding and to waterborne diseases. An estimated 7,000 families reside in these shack communities.

So many people in one area equates to poor or lack of proper sanitation, raw sewage thrown into the water and surrounding land, no fresh running water, no electricity, higher rates of illness, and a lot of crime. Garbage is also tossed wherever it can go since there is no structured garbage collection system.

The only way to deal with these issues is to implement a plan to re-urbanize the entire city of Manaus Brazil. There was a project proposed in 2005, but I'm unable to find additional information as to whether or not it moved forward.

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Two million, three hundred thousand souls reside in the capital of Brazil, which is Brasilia. Located centrally in central-western Brazil, it is closer to most of the regions of the country than the previously chosen capital city of Rio de Janeiro.

Brasilia was established as the official capital of the country on April 22, 1960. The decision to relocate Brazil's capital city further into the interior of the country was a smart one. Before the city was built in this location, the land was desolate and empty.

Building the capital city brought workers from all over and provided jobs and stability and populated the area at the same time.

Talented and visionary architects who wanted to draw not only the people of Brazil to the capital city, but visitors from other countries as well planned the city. One of the architects was Oscar Niemeyer. Another person who helped design the city buildings and layout was urbanist, Lucio Costa.

Buildings designed with both straight lines and rounded corners and shapes adorn the city and make it attractive to the eye as well as being functional.

What government branches or offices can you find in Brasilia?

Federal Government of Brazil - governs from Brasilia

President of Brazil - resides in Palace of Alvorado

Palacio do Planalto - Seat of Executive Power

The Brazilian Constitutional Court otherwise known as the Supreme Federal Court

Brazilian Congress or Parliament - Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

Annex of Supreme Court - administrative staff

Three Powers Square - contains STF, Congress, and The Palace

Government of the Federal District Assembly

What is the weather like in Brazil's capital city? June and July are the coldest winter months with temperatures between 52 degrees and 72 degrees Fahrenheit as an average. The rest of the year the temperatures can get as high as 82 degrees Fahrenheit, which is typically during September. The humidity varies depending on the season The climate of this area of Brazil is a tropical savanna climate. The driest months are the last week or so of March through the last week or so of September and even into the first week of October sometimes. Brasilia sees a lot of rainfall during the month of May.

Brasilia is an important governmental center, but it's also a bustling and thriving economic center. The industries of Brasilia include: food processing, computer software, construction, finance and banking, legal services, communications, tourism, entertainment, furniture manufacturing, graphics, recycling, pharmaceutical companies, and information technology.

Agriculture is also a notable industry in Brasilia. Local farmers produce crops like soy beans and coffee. Fruits are also grown and harvested in the city of Brasilia including mangoes, strawberries, lemons, guavas, papayas, and oranges.

Beef cattle are raised and slaughtered to produce some of the best beef products available - some of these are exported from the country.

Many of Brasilia's products are exported around the world and include coffee, iron ore, orange juice, car parts, footwear, and products produced from soybeans.

They also import several products such as oil, chemical products, machinery and equipment, automobile parts, cars, and electricity.

The capital of Brazil is no different than the rest of the country in that they love a good festival or celebration. Brasilia is home to several festivals throughout the year and is a popular destination for businessmen visiting the country.

Christmas and New Years Eve are celebrated in huge style in the city of Brasilia.

You can also find no shortage of art, music, movies, and political events in the capital city. While you're enjoying the sights, stop in to one of the many restaurants and sample the excellent cuisine!

Two football teams call Brasilia home: Sociedade Esportiva do Gama and Brasiliense Futebol Clube.

Brasilia is one of the proud host cities for the wildly popular and well attended FIFA World Cup in 2014 where soccer teams will play for the World Cup championship.

Two years later in 2016, Brasilia will be a gracious host to the Summer Olympics football teams to play their tournaments.

Cathedral of Brasilia - seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brasilia, unique design has a ribbed structure in a circular shape

Botanical Garden of Brasilia - 500 acres of flowers, plant life, herbs and more

Cultural Complex of the Republic - home to the National Library and Museum

National Congress

Planalto Palace

Santuario Dom Bosco - one of Brazil's first temples

JK Memorial - memorial to one of founding fathers

TV Towers - the view from the top is unmatched

Parque Nacional de Brasilia - visit two mineral springs with healing waters and walk beautiful trails in this national park

Paranoa Lake Boat Trip - see the city of Brasilia from an entirely new perspective

Catedral Metropolitana - designed by Oscar Niemeyer, boasts some of the most stunning stain glassed windows you'll ever see

Raizama Falls and Itiquira Waterfalls

Sara Kubitschek Park - larger than Central Park in New York, USA with jogging trails, activities for kids, walking trails, and a lot more to see

Brasilia Bay Park - a great water park in the center of the city

The capital of Brazil is a busy and beautiful city to visit. There's plenty to do and see and you can still take time to travel to neighboring cities and beaches and enjoy even more of the amazingly diverse country of Brazil.

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Vitoria Brazil is on a small island within the boundaries of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. It's an interesting location given that right in Vitoria, there are rivers that connect directly to the sea, making this island a lovely place to visit and relax.

Some of the first Portuguese colonists to settle in Brazil settled in Vitoria in the year 1535. The small island wasn't very well known until a bit later when the tribal people within the country of Brazil began launching attacks against the new colonists, at which time Vitoria suddenly seemed very attractive.

More people moved into the area due to the abundance of sugar cane and gold mining potential in addition to trying to escape the attacks. Agriculture was the primary industry of the island during the first several years, but slowly became more modernized between the year 1535 and 1889.

The year 1894 in Vitoria was marked mostly by the exportation of coffee, which at that time had a very high price tag and was desired by many other countries because of its taste and quality. Vitoria's location close to the sea was a key reason exports became very important to this small island.

The modernization of Vitoria included a railroad system, hospital, cemetery, park, state museum, state library, a public archive, and several schools.

Population - 318,000 as of 2008 in the Greater metropolitan area of Vitoria

Ethnic groups living in Vitoria - black, Pardo, Amerindian, White, and Asian

14th largest metro area in the country of Brazil

Ranked number 9 as one of the best cities to work in the country

Quality of life in Vitoria ranked very high

One of the 3 island capitals within Brazil

Can fly to any of the major cities of Brazil in 60 minutes, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte

Boasts some of the best schools and health facilities

Home to 14 colleges and universities

Vitoria has its own airport - Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport

Connected to the country of Brazil by six bridges built across the sea

Religion - highest percentage of Vitoria residents are Catholic, but there are also some Protestant and some Spiritists

Three major ports that service upwards of 2,000 ships each year

Why would you want to visit Vitoria? It's a tropical savanna climate, which means as long as you don't mind a bit of humidity and enjoy temperatures between 75 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit, you'd love relaxing on their beaches and seeing the beautiful scenery of the island.

The island is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and has several types of topography including beaches, marshland, and mangroves. You'll see large granite rocks rising up around various areas of the island.

You may not want to visit Vitoria between October and January unless you truly enjoy a lot of rainy days, as these are the rainiest months of all for that area of the country.

Vitoria Bay - beaches, water sports, ports, deep-sea fishing, volleyball, and more

Parque da Fonte Grande - gorgeous native birds and wildlife of the rainforest, a huge mountain with an amazing view

Beaches - miles of beaches offer relaxation, swimming, beach volleyball, futebol or soccer, and scuba diving

Restaurants - excellent food including freshly caught fish and seafood. Vitoria is also known for delicious beef dishes.

Praca dos Namorados - a park located on the beach that offers a quiet place to site, take a nap, or take a jog

Port of Vitoria - great central spot for taking trips to beautiful places like Guarapari, Domingoes, or Vila Velha, to name a few

The Fort Is Joao

Convento da Penha - Franciscan convent

Catedral Metropolitana

Night clubs - Sao Firmino, Casa, bars in Praia de Costa

There are a few online forums that discuss the island of Vitoria Brazil. These are a good resource if you want to find out details about the area that might not otherwise be publicized on any website. So, what do some of the people say about this sleepy little island town?

Most say it's a wonderful place to visit, especially if you want to relax and do pretty much nothing other than rest, eat, travel to see the local scenery and attractions, and enjoy the nightlife.

Come Come in the neighborhood of Jardim Cambori was mentioned as a great place for local food, which is typically some sort of barbecued meat or a buffet. Lunch costs roughly $7 to $8 if you are really hungry.

One of the most affordable hotels is one by the name of Pousada Lord Camburi. You can find it in Serra, on the outskirts of Jardim Camburi. Another hotel that was mentioned was the Hotel Senac in the Praia do Canto area.

It's helpful to note that although you can usually find hostels in many parts of Brazil, there aren't any in Vitoria Brazil.

There are some areas of the island that should be avoided at night due to crime - the one location mentioned was Serra.

According to some of the people who visited Vitoria, there are several cities within a short distance of Vitoria that are worth visiting if you have the means and the time.

Domingos Martins - primarily inhabited by German families, with a European vibe

Dunas de Itauna - a sweet little town, beautiful beach, and home for Projeto Tamar, a program that has been put into place to protect turtles

Garoto Chocolate Factory

Vitoria Brazil has a lot to offer to everyone, whether you want to party or relax or just take in the sights. It has a sleepy island mentality on one side, but an active and fun nightlife on the other, so it appeals to the young and the old, couples and singles alike.

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Cities in Brazil are home to nearly 75% of Brazil's population. It wasn't long ago, perhaps less than 40 years ago, that most Brazilians called the rural areas of Brazil home.

The shift to urban life from rural life has presented several social challenges for the country of Brazil in both the larger and the smaller cities.

The influx of people coming into the cities from the rural areas of Brazil has caused the favelas, or slums, to grow at a rapid rate along with crime and poverty. The cities did not have the housing or jobs to absorb all of the people migrating into the city.

City governments in Brazil have attempted to deal with the favela communities in several ways, including the demolition of the favelas during the 1970s. When this didn't work, the governments finally began to recognize these people as part of the larger community and now provide services for them. Services might include sewage, electricity, and paved roads. Schools and health clinics have also been established.

There are increased numbers of homes in the cities, but still the poorer people do not have the means to purchase them, so it's very difficult for those coming into the city from the country to find a decent home.

This vibrant city is known for music, theatre, museums, car racing, sports, and incredibly varied ethnic cuisine. It's also home to 20+ landmarks important to the history of Brazil. Sao Paulo is Brazil's premiere business center. Nearly every industry of Brazil is represented in Sao Paulo, one of the busiest cities in Brazil.

Rio is perhaps best known for its amazing beaches, such as Copacabana, Leblon, and Ipanema, but Rio has so much more to offer. This city is also famous for stunningly beautiful scenery and carnivals.

Salvador has been dubbed Brazil's capital of happiness. This city is a mix of rich historical heritage and modern life.

This is one of the most unique cities in Brazil as it is actually not really a city at all! Brasilia is an administrative district of the Federal District of Brazil.

Brasilia is one of the few planned communities that exist in the world. It was built in just four years and appears from the sky in the shape of an airplane!

All branches of the Brazilian government are located here, as well as many major companies and industries.

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? We have created a special area where you can share and even upload some photos!

What are your favorite cities in Brazil? Do you have any fun stories about your experiences there? Please share!

View the original article here

Manaus Brazil is a bustling commercial city located in the Amazon rainforest. It's the capital city of the Amazonas state of Brazil. Located next to two rivers, the Solimoes and the Negro, and only a short distance from the ocean, it's a busy port with ships exporting several products manufactured in the local area.

Manaus, also known as City of the Forest and Heart of the Amazon, was established in 1669. The official name was changed several times through the years, but it hasn't changed since 1856.

It ranks 12th in size of all the cities of Brazil, but ranks as the 2nd largest city in the Northern regions of Brazil. The nearly 2 million residents of Manau are within the city area of about 4 miles total.

Neighboring cities include Novo Airao, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Iranduba, and Careiro. It's roughly 2,000 miles from Brazil's capital city of Brasilia.

Many people may not even realize Manaus exists and that could be because of its isolated location in relation to the rest of Brazil. The best way to get there is to fly or to go by boat given that you cannot reach it by road for several months of the year due to the rainy season.

Friendly, fun-loving, warm-spirited indigenous people make up much of the population of Manaus Brazil. They work hard to produce beautiful products to market to visitors to their city.

You can purchase everything from jewelry to baskets to local herbal medicines from the people of Manaus knowing that it was made right there by local artisans.

Manaus is no different than the rest of the country of Brazil in that they love their soccer or futebol teams! Just in the city of Manaus, they have two large soccer stadiums and eight pro teams.

Unfortunately, flooding is a way of life for these people because they live on the river, but at the same time, the river also provides the means to make a living.

The population of Manaus is much like the rest of Brazil - it has a large population of poor and a smaller population of very wealthy individuals.

The people are very aware that the Amazon forest is slowly being destroyed by deforestation practices and businesses coming into the rainforest. They're grieved by these developments and yet feel helpless to stop it.

Several local industries are thriving and include soap manufacturing, tourism, manufacturing of polyethylene stretch film, electronic equipment manufacturing, brewing, oil refining, Brazil-nuts, building ships, timber, motorcycle manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, styrofoam manufacturing, and chemical production.

The Amazon rainforest is a lush, green beautiful place, but you see very little green in Manaus unless you visit one of the four large parks that have been carved out between the buildings and roads of the city.

Park Sumauma - the smallest of the state parks in the Amazon, located North of the city

Park of Bilhares - one of the best places to visit in the south-central area of the city

Area of the green hill of Alexio - one of Manaus' and the Amazon's largest green areas in an urban environment

Park of Mindu - people flock to this park in center/south Manaus because of its beauty and diversity. You can walk on trails through the jungle, see local animal life, and walking on suspended bridges.

Manaus Brazil is home of several social and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Beginning in February, there is the Amazonas Carnival where samba students put on a parade in the Convention Center.

May boasts two festivals - the Amazonas Opera Festival and the Music Festival in Ponta Negra.

The summer months of June and July bring three festivals to Manaus: Sao Pedro Fluvial Procession, Amazonas Folklore Festival, and Amazonas Jazz Festival.

The Elevation of Amazonas is celebrated in September, the Anniversary of Manaus or Boi Manaus in October, the Amazonas Film Festival in November, and finally on December 31st, a huge New Year's Eve Party on Ponta Negra Beach.

Mercado Adolpho Lisboa - cities' oldest market place

CIGS Zoo

Palacio Rio Negro - the White House of Manaus

Natural Science Museum

Federal University of Amazonas

Teatro Amazonas

Ponta Negro Beach

Trekking the Amazon Manaus

Meeting of the Waters

Amazonas Opera House

Justice Palace

Manaus Botanical Garden

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens

Museum Seringal Vila Paraiso

St. Francis Church

Bar do Armando - night life

The climate is categorized as a tropical rainforest, which means there is a lot of rain for at least half of the year. It's extremely humid, so you should dress accordingly if you plan to visit. Manaus' winter season occurs from June to August, but even then the weather is warm. Average temperatures are between 86 degrees and 97 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

The majority of the people in Manaus practice Catholicism, but the remaining population of residents practice several different religions.

You can find, in addition to Catholicism, Manauenses who subscribe to religions such as Methodist, Islam, Judaism, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Jeohvah's Witnesses, Candomble, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and Assemblies of God.

Much of the land within Manaus, primarily in the area of Igarapes, is illegally occupied because government never really had strict land use and habitation rules on the books. As a result, there are large populations of people living in sub-standard poverty conditions.

Shacks are built over the water, which means they are at risk due to flooding and to waterborne diseases. An estimated 7,000 families reside in these shack communities.

So many people in one area equates to poor or lack of proper sanitation, raw sewage thrown into the water and surrounding land, no fresh running water, no electricity, higher rates of illness, and a lot of crime. Garbage is also tossed wherever it can go since there is no structured garbage collection system.

The only way to deal with these issues is to implement a plan to re-urbanize the entire city of Manaus Brazil. There was a project proposed in 2005, but I'm unable to find additional information as to whether or not it moved forward.

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