Roughly the size of the continental United States, there is a lot more of Brazil's geography that meets the eye.

 

The Amazon rainforest covers about half the country, but there is plenty of room left over for savanna(平坦的大草原), wetlands, and some of the most amazing coastlines you'll ever see. No wonder that's where the majority of Brazilians live, in cities that are both historic and modern.

 

The country's largest and wealthiest city, Sao Paulo. The commercial hub of Brazil, Sao Paulo also competes for the title of cultural centre with its northern neighbor, Rio de Janeiro.

 

But you can't really blame them for the rivalry. Rio's got to be one of the most exciting cities in the world. For a breathtaking view of it, take the cog railway up to the top of Corcovado Mountain, where the 130-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city. From there, you can see all across Rio, Guanabara Bay and over there the city's famous beaches. At spots like Ipanema and Copacabana, the beaches become the city's great equalizer.

 

Here you’ll find rich and poor, old and young, locals and visitors all coming to enjoy the sun and the sand.

 

But like anywhere you go in the city, crime can sometimes be a problem. So make sure you don't attract unwanted attention from thieves. Keep your valuables and your passport back at the hotel. And as tempting as those moonlit walks on the beach maybe, stick to the beaches in the day.

 

In the evening, Rio's busy nightlife awakens to the sounds of samba. The musical style is Rio original, and you'll be sure to hear it throughout the city, especially at carnival.

 

For four days before the start of Lent, citizens across Brazil host carnival festivals. But Rio's is the most famous and the largest. Its 6 million residents, known as Cariocans, combined with over half a million tourists to transform Rio into a city live street party.

 

It collimates with the samba parade, where samba schools compete with elaborate floats and in costumes. The festivities go on until dawn and the crowds finally go home before beginning the plan for next year's carnival.

 

Moving inland from the coast, the city sounds melt away. This is ranch country. Brazilian cowboys, called Pantaneiros, lead their herds across the vast savannas.

 

But with the coming of the seasonal floods, an area of the size of France becomes the world's largest wetlands, called the Pantanal. It's a safari spotter's paradise with alligators, jaguars(美洲虎) and macaws(金刚鹦鹉).

 

It would rank as Brazil's richest landscape if it wasn't overshadowed by its larger neighbor to the north--the Amazon.

 

Nearly 1/5 of the world's free flowing fresh water runs through its river basin. Its bottom is so deep, large sea vessels can journey upriver for over 1,000 miles. It is, without exaggeration, referred to as the ocean river.

 

Many places along its banks make excellent jumping-off points for jungle treks. The rainforest's crowed canopy hums and buzzes with life if you are quick enough to spot it. It's estimated that one in ten mammal species on the planet live in the Amazon.

 

Many native tribes still live in the forest. Some allow guests to experience their way of life. Here time slows down to the rise and fall of the river, in a place found nowhere else on earth.

 

When planning a trip to the Amazon, the best times to come are during the dry season, which varies north and south of the equator. In most other places, the tourist high season is during Brazil’s summer between December and February.

 

Many people speak some degree of English, but if you wanna meet the locals, don't forget to pack that Portuguese phrase book.

 

If you are on a schedule, the best and safest way to check out sights around the cities is by taxi. And the best way to get around the country is by plane. With more time on your hands, you can hit the road or take a trip down the river. But no matter how much time you've got, a trip to Brazil will make the most of it.