Brazil is the largest of the South American countries, and one of the most diverse. The population, which numbers over 181 million is a mixture of several races and ethnic groups that, combined, help to make the country one of a varied and interesting culture.

From the beginning, the earliest Portuguese settlers married women who were native to the country creating a new race known as “mestizos”. Later, settlers intermarried with African slaves and their descendants were known as “mulattoes.” Intermarriage became so prevalent in fact, that today, there are few if any, pure examples of the Indian population that once lived there, and nearly everyone is a combination of European, African, and native ancestry.

All of this has provided an interesting combination of cultures and traditions that have been incorporated into the Brazilian culture, cuisine, customs, and even language. Portugese spoken in Brazil is slightly different from that spoken in Portugal, but virtually everyone in the country speaks it. Some native languages have been replaced to further the unity of the national language, however, Indian languages that remain are Tupi, Arawak, Carib, and Ge. Some of these languages, spoken in more of the remote areas of the country, are rare and unique to the country.

For the Brazilian, family is everything, and no one in Brazil is afraid to admit to nepotism. In fact, doing business with, or associating with those that one knows and trusts is considered an unspoken and practical rule. Families are very close, and while not as large as they once were, are still the foundation of the social structure throughout the country. They are the base from which most individuals fall back on throughout their lives.

Even though most Brazilians are a combination of different races and ethnic backgrounds, there is still a tendency to discriminate according to the person’s social and economic status. Success in one’s chosen lifestyle is critical. Middle and upper classes rarely interact with the lower classes, and there is a wide margin between the haves and have nots. Women, while gaining ground in wage equality and discrimination are still, by and large, paid less than men.

This wide cultural diversity is as huge as the country itself. It has produced a variety of foods and festivities, customs and traditions, that have melted together to produce one large country with a very diverse and complex heritage and culture derived from many ethnic backgrounds.