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|
Country Name |
Federal Republic of Brazil |
|
Continent |
South America |
|
Surface area |
8,514,876.6 km² |
|
Capital |
Brasilia |
|
Population |
204,000,000 |
|
Language |
Portuguese |
|
Currency |
Real (BRL) |
|
Time zone |
-4hrs compared to Italy |
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Area code for Italy |
0039 followed by the relevant Brazilian operator code: 21, 15, 41, 17, 14 |
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Area code from Italy |
0055 followed by the relevant local Brazilian area code without the zero |
Yellow fever vaccination is not required. However, vaccination is recommended for all people over 9 months of age travelling to the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal (including the capital Brasília), Espirito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo and Tocantins, as well as to certain regions of Bahia and Iguazú Falls.
Hepatitis A is usually transmitted by contaminated food and water, or close physical contact with an infected person, whereas Hepatitis B is transmitted by exposure to infected body fluids and blood.
Infection typically occurs through contact with the saliva of an infected animal, usually caused by bites, scratches or licks near open wounds or mucous membranes (e.g. mouth, nose, eyes). The most common vectors are dogs and bats, but cases of infection in other domestic animals have also been reported.
Caused by toxins released by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, the risk of tetanus infection is present throughout the country.
Bacterial in origin, typhoid fever is transmitted through contaminated food and drink, especially in regions with inadequate sanitary conditions.
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease of bacterial origin. Vaccination is recommended for all travellers at risk of developing severe symptoms or coming into contact with infected individuals. It is also recommended for all travellers under the age of 16, who plan to stay in the country for more than 3 months.
Malaria is transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitos and is a risk in forested areas below 900 metres in the Amazon region (Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, northern Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and in western Tocantins). As a vaccine is still not available, you must take careful precautions to avoid mosquito bites and in some cases it may be necessary to take antimalarial medication, after thorough evaluation by a qualified doctor.
These diseases are spread by the bites of infected mosquitos and there are currently no vaccines. Consequently, it is important to adopt careful behavioural and preventive measures.
The following vaccinations are strongly recommended as these diseases can be contracted anywhere in the world. Experts advise that you protect yourself and other travellers by making sure you are up-to-date with all of the recommended vaccinations. This will allow you to travel safely, while minimising the risk of exposure to infection.
The fifth largest state in the world, Brazil extends over the equatorial and southern belt of the planet; this means the seasons are the opposite to our own. The country overlooks the Atlantic Ocean for more than 7,500 km, while its land borders meet with those of French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
With the exception of smaller areas occupied by the Guiana Plateau (bordering Venezuela) or the Paraguay Plain, the Amazon lowlands in the north and the Brazil Plateau in the south extend across almost the entire territory.
The Amazon lowlands are crossed by the Amazon River and its many tributaries (there are more than 10,000 of them), which form a complicated hydrographic network with a multitude of branches, channels and marshes. Frequent flooding has led to the formation of the Vàrzea forests, the seasonal floodplain forests typical of the area. This has caused a major issue for human settlement, which is also hindered by the dense vegetation of the rain forest. On the coast, the plain becomes compact and is home to many marshes.
Brazil's plateau covers more than 3 million square kilometres. Standing at 2,000 meters above sea level, it almost never seems to have the appearance of a mountain range, except on the eastern rim that almost adjoins the coast. Whereas, the central-west slope is called Mato Grosso. From here, moving towards south and west, the altitude gradually decreases all the way down to a swampy, uninhabited plain traversed by the Paraguay River.
In general, the country's climate is warm and humid, although there are considerable climatic differences between regions due to the enormous distance from the sea in some areas, and the pronounced altitudinal difference between the Amazon and the central-south highlands.
The Amazon has a typically equatorial, warm-humid climate with abundant rainfall throughout the year and slight temperature fluctuations. Whereas, in the highlands the climate is subtropical and humid, with seasonal rainfall and winter drought.
