• Brazil is the largest country in South America with an area of 8,514,215 sq km. This is about 16 times the size of France.
• Brazil has a population of over 175 million people. Only the U.S.A, China, India, and Indonesia have more people. Two and a half times more people live in Brazil than live in the UK. But Brazil is 35 times bigger than the UK. Which country is more crowded?
• The Amazon is the world’s second longest river at 6,448 m - only the Nile in Africa is longer. However, the Amazon carries more water than any other river in the world.
• Brazil’s natural resources include bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydro-power and timber.
• The German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt traveled throughout South America – if you look on an atlas, the cold sea current that flows up the west coast of South America is named in his honour.
• The highest point in Brazil is Pico da Neblina at 3,014 m.

Pico da Neblina, the highest point in Brazil
Photograph copyright: Rowan Castle

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