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» BRAZIL CARNIVAL
Brazil is renowned for its hedonism, beaches and world famous carnivals. The country's other side is a massive underclass created by unequal distribution of wealth.
This former Portuguese colony consists of 26 states in five distinct regions, plus the capital, Brasilia, which is a federal district. The south-east, home to mega-cities Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro , is the most developed; Bahia in the north-east has an African flavour while the extreme south has European influences. There is abundance of natural attractions include the Amazon river, the flora and fauna of the northern rainforests, Iguazu Falls in the south and the Pantanal wetlands in the south-west. Eco tours are popular, but too often economics wins over. The greatest threats are logging and human encroachment on the Amazon, illegal trade of flora and fauna, and the destruction of natural ecosystems. There are fewer than 330,000 Brazilian Indians, over half of whom live in the jungle. Over 200 animals and 100 plant species are in danger of extinction.