Brazil has a population of 175 million people and a land mass about the size of the continental US. It is the 5th largest country and is about half the entire continant of South America in both size and population. There are several distinct regions including the jungle in the north, the desert north-east, the plains of the central-west, and the industrialized south.
Though rich in resources, Brazil has struggled economically, inflation having reached 2000% during the '80's, and
illiteracy is high. There has been political stability for more than 30 years.
Established as a penal / commercial colony of Portugal, Portuguese (similar to both Spanish and Italian) is spoken
and 85-90% are at least nominally Roman Catholic. The charismatic movement has had great growth, and the Mormons,
Jehovah's Witnesses, New age movement, and Spiritism are also very common.
