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Brazilian Culture
The country of Brazil is located on the eastern side of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It is filled with many traditions with a culture full of festivals, unique cuisine, and lots of artwork. Brazil is also a melting pot for many different cultures, including Jewish and Western European immigrants, as well as the Indigenous people from Brazil.

History and colonization of Brazil
Before Portuguese colonists landed in Brazil, there were three main Indigenous groups originally living there. These groups are the Mundurucú, the Tupinambá, and the Yanomami The Tupinambá tribes were most affected by the Portuguese colonization as they lived closest to the portuguese settlements and were ultimately enslaved or forced out of their lands. The first Portuguese colony was established at São Vicente in 1532. Dutch settlers then came to the northeastern part of Brazil in 1625. They invited mercenaries from France and Germany to help maintain their territory and help with the Sugar produce. The Dutch were eventually lost the war over territory in 1654, and Portugal regained the land.

Festivals
Brazil has many big festivals in their major cities, and one of their most popular is the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. This festival, along with all of their others, includes lots of floats, costumes, music, and dances from many different cultures in Brazil to be celebrated. These festivals usually include music and dances from Indigenous people and Afro-Brazilians, including the lundu dance, which includes long arm movements, snapping fingers.

Brazilian cuisine
Brazilian Cuisine has a lot of variety because it's a mix of recipes from Indigenous people, African people, and Europeans.One of the most popular crops in Brazil is Manioc, or cassava, and was also widely used by the Indigenous people before colonization. The alcoholic beverage called Caipirinha became Brazil's official drink in 1997. It's made with Cachaça, lime, sugar, and ice. Cachaça is a popular rum-like liquor that originated from slaves who would secretly drink it at night. Another popular dish in Brazil is Feijoada, which is a black bean stew with many variations.

Art and famous buildings
The Christ the Redeemer statue is located in Rio de Janeiro and is one of the seven wonders of the world. It symbolizes the strength of Christianity in Brazil and was built 1922. The Teatro Amazonas is a large Opera house in the Amazon. It was built during a time where people thought poorly about the Amazon, and this building was made to change that way of thinking. It's design was influenced by European-style buildings, with ceiling tiles from France and large, white columns.