A Land of Contrasts

A Land of Contrasts

In this gigantic territory, larger than the continental United States, contrasts are overwhelming. Brazil is a fabulously rich land, but it's full of inequalities. You're as apt to see five-star hotels and resorts as you are shantytowns. Shopping malls, McDonald's restaurants, and international banks stand side by side with street vendors peddling homemade foods and herbal medicines. Brazil's GNP is nearly US$795 billion (more than half that of Latin America as a whole), yet it also has a relatively high infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 babies born, 34 don't make it to their first birthday) and one of the world's worst distributions of wealth. The nation has more than 100 million acres of arable land; unequaled reserves of iron, bauxite, manganese, and other minerals; and mammoth hydroelectric power plants. Yet reckless mining and agricultural procedures -- particularly in the Amazon -- -have poisoned rivers, created deserts, and dislodged entire Indian tribes. Further, the racial democracy for which Brazil is often praised is more evident in the bustling downtown markets than in the plush salons of suburban socialites.

If you examine Brazil's demographics, you'll find other stark contrasts. You can drive through vast regions in the central cerrados (savannas), the southern pampas, or the northeastern sertão (arid interior) without seeing a soul and then, paradoxically, spend hours stuck in traffic in a major city. The bloated urban areas harbor nearly 80% of the population. They're like cauldrons that contain a stew of many races seasoned by regional customs and accents. Although Brazil is considered a Latin country -- and the Portuguese language does, indeed, help to unify it -- any type of person fits the Brazilian "mold." The country's racial composition reflects the historical contact among native peoples, Portuguese colonizers, African slaves, and immigrants from Germany, Italy, Japan, and even the United States.

In diversity, religion runs a close second to ethnicity. Although the almanac will tell you that Brazil is 70% Catholic, the people's spiritual lives are much more eclectic. Some estimates put the number of spiritualists -- many of whom are followers of the 19th-century Belgian medium Alan Kardec -- at 40 million. Candomblé, Macumba, Umbanda, and other cults inspired by African religions and deities abound. And, recently, Pentecostal sects have opened one church after another, performing exorcisms and miraculous "cures" in front of packed auditoriums. Most of these churches and cults welcome visitors of any creed or culture. Brazilians, it seems, are anything but sectarian.

Brazil is truly a land of contrasts, and any visit here is likely to be a sensuous adventure. A variety of cultures, beliefs, and topographies makes this warm nation a showcase of diversity. An array of nature's bounty -- from passion fruit and papaya to giant river fish and coastal crabs -- has inspired chefs from all over the world to come and try their hands at Brazilian restaurants (adding lightness and zest to the country's already exquisite cuisine). All over the land, spas with bubbling mineral water and soothing hot springs offer the best of both nature and technology. Whether you travel to the Amazon rain forest, the mountain towns of Minas Gerais, the urban jungle of São Paulo, or the immense central plateau surrounding Brasília, you'll plunge into an exotic mix of colors, rhythms, and pastimes.

-José Fonseca