Major Nations in a Global World: Brazil

Brasília are those built around the Plaza of the Three Powers and the Hall of Government. In that area, the offices of the Brazilian National Congress are housed in two twin skyscrapers flanked by the semispheres of the House of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. With a population of nearly 21 million people, São Paulo is Brazil’s larg- est city. Founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1554, São Paulo became a thriving metropolis because of the coffee trade. Today, more than 20,000 industrial factories of various sizes are located in São Paulo, which is also the country’s financial center and the center of the textile industry. Many people consider Rio de Janeiro one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With its azure harbor and steep mountain cliffs, the city is home to stun- ning beaches, modern apartment buildings, and wide, tree-lined boulevards. SURF'S UP From the Copacabana to Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro’s Atlantic coast beaches are framed by mountains and Rio’s beautiful skyline. At eleven miles (17.7 km), the Barra da Tijuca is the longest of Rio’s beaches. Surfers, body boarders, windsurfers, and others flock to Barra da Tijuca to ride the wild waves that slam into the white sand. One of Rio’s smallest beaches is Praia Vermelha, located in a protected cove. Visitors can take a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, which looms 1,300 feet (396 m) over the beach.

An aerial view of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro's longest beach.