Brazil

SAFETY: fair
Despite the commitment and commendable work of the local authorities, and despite the progress made in some areas, throughout Brazil it is necessary to remain highly vigilant and behave with caution because of the high crime rate, aggravated by widespread recourse to murder even for trivial reasons. Even in middle-class and upper-middle-class districts, armed robberies, express kidnappings (with demands to withdraw cash from ATMs) and bag-snatching occur frequently, and foreign tourists are also targeted. Criminals also target tourist areas such as beaches, hotels and shopping centres.
The Brazilian authorities are engaged in a policy of clearing and reclaiming the most run-down urban areas of the big cities ("favelas", especially in Rio de Janeiro), areas that must absolutely be avoided. Police operations carried out periodically can degenerate into unrest and violent clashes with criminal gangs

TRANSPORT SYSTEM: good
The country is well connected with the whole world, Italy included. It is fairly easy to get around, both by air thanks to numerous domestic airports and by bus, less so by train (partial and outdated network). Road surfaces are often in poor condition, locals are reckless drivers and petrol stations are scarce; the Amazon region is accessible only by air. You can arrive from the neighbouring countries. Flights to the Fernando de Noronha islands depart from Recife and Natal. The Iguaçu Falls and their national park also extend into Argentina and Paraguay (the various sections are easy to reach).

Main airports: São Paulo (Guarulhos), Rio de Janeiro (Galeão), Recife, Fortaleza, Manaus.
Main ports: Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Sepetiba, Paranaguá, Vitória.

ACCOMMODATION: very good
A very good choice of accommodation of all kinds and price ranges, especially in the large and small towns along the coast, which have long specialised in seaside tourism. The situation is acceptable in the rest of the country.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Federative Republic of Brazil –  Location: South America (north-east).
Borders: the Atlantic Ocean, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia to the north, Peru to the west, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east – Time zone: the country is divided into 4 different time zones (Acre UTC -5; Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, western Para, Rondonia, Roraima UTC -4; Alagoas, Amapa, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Minas Gerais, eastern Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins UTC -3; Fernando de Noronha and Trindade UTC -2); Brazil does not observe daylight saving time – Area: 8,511,000 sq km – Capital: Brasília – Population: 190,000,000 – Religion: 70% Catholic, 15% Protestant, 5% other – Languages: Portuguese (official language), English understood – Measures: metric system.

CURRENCY: Real (ARS). There are no limits on importing or exporting currency, but sums over 10,000 reais must be declared on entry – Credit cards: the most common credit cards and traveller’s cheques are accepted in the big cities and larger businesses; elsewhere, local currency – Exchange: bring euros, easy to exchange.

ELECTRICITY: 110-120 V and 60 Hz – Sockets: flat-pin type, bring an adaptor.

DOCUMENTS: passport with at least 6 months’ validity; for tourist stays a visa of up to 90 days is issued, also on arrival at the airport– Driving: international driving permit with official translation – Car: local third-party motor insurance.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 0055 –Code for calling Italy: 002139 – GSM: partial coverage, concentrated mainly in and around urban areas, almost none in the Amazon region. Standard: GSM 1800/900/850. Numerous local operators – Internet: widely available in the big cities and in top-category hotels – Web domain: .br – Emergency numbers: police 190; ambulance 192; fire brigade 193.

RULES, LAWS AND CONDUCT: legislation on the use or trafficking of narcotics, on prostitution and on offences against minors provides for severe criminal penalties including imprisonment. The age of sexual consent is 18 and there are laws against sexual discrimination; in some states civil unions are also recognised, as are certain rights for unmarried couples. The country is traditionally very open and tolerant, especially in the most famous coastal cities, where the gay scene is well established and substantial (Rio and Salvador).

HEALTH: no preventive vaccinations are required. Hepatitis A and B and typhoid vaccinations are recommended, and for the Amazon regions antimalarial prophylaxis and yellow fever vaccination. Hygiene and sanitation are fairly good (better in the south, worse in the north and north-east), but public hospitals are not comparable with European standards; the big cities have good private facilities, but they are very expensive. AIDS is widespread.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 1 January, New Year’s Day; 6 January, Epiphany; February/March, Carnival; March/April, Easter and Good Friday; 21 April, Tiradentes Day; 1 May, May Day; June, Corpus Christi; 7 September, Independence Day; 12 October, Our Lady of Aparecida; 2 November, All Souls’ Day; 15 November, Proclamation of the Republic; 25 December, Christmas Day.

OPENING HOURS: Post offices: Mon-Fri 9.00-13.00 – Banks: Mon-Fri 10.00-16.00 – Shops: Mon-Sat 9.00-19.00 (variable) – Offices: Mon-Fri 9.00-18.00 – Closing day: Sunday.

CLIMATE: equatorial-tropical, with temperate zones determined by altitude and regional variations. In the Amazon, an equatorial climate, very humid and rainy all year round. In the central regions, a tropical climate with high temperatures, marked differences between the seasons, a humid, rainy summer and a dry winter. On the plateaux of the south-east, a tropical highland climate, humid with frequent summer rainfall. Along the entire coastal strip, an Atlantic tropical and humid tropical climate, with heavy rain more frequent in winter in the north-east and in summer in the south-west. South of the Tropic of Capricorn, a subtropical climate with a wide temperature range and fairly low but evenly distributed rainfall all year round, and two well-defined seasons. In the interior of the north-east, a semi-arid climate with high temperatures and little rain.

Monthly min/max temperatures (in °C)

Rainy days (at least 1 mm of rain)/monthly rainfall in mm

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN ITALY

Embassy of Brazil
Piazza Navona 14 – 00186 Rome – Tel. 06 683981 – Fax 06 6867858 – Web: www.ambasciatadelbrasile.it  – E-mail: info@ambrasile.it  – Tourist office – Tel. 800 186300 – Web: www.turismobrasile.it  – E-mail: info@turismobrasile.it

Consulates General
Corso Europa 12 – 20122 Milan – Tel. 02 7771071
Via Di S. Maria Dell’Anima 32 – 00186 Rome – Tel. 06 6889661

Consulates
Via Roma 386 – 90139 Palermo – Tel. 091 585155
Piazza dei Pitti 5 – 50125 Florence – Tel. 055 222336
Via Dalmazia 159/B – 70121 Bari – Tel. 080 5530750

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN BRAZIL

Italian Embassy
S.E.S. – Avenida das Nações, Quadra 807, Lote 30 – 70420.900 Brasilia D.F. – Tel. 0055 61 34429900 – Fax 34431231 – Web: www.ambbrasilia.esteri.it – E-mail: ambasciata.brasilia@esteri.it

First-class Consulate General
Avenida Paulista 1963 – 01311-300 São Paulo – Tel. 0055 11 35495643 – Fax 0055 11 32537763 – Web: conssanpaolo.esteri.it  – E-mail: segreteria.sanpaolo@esteri.it

Consulates General
Rua Marechal Deodoro 630 – 21° Andar-Centro Comercial Italia – 80010-912 Curitiba PR – Tel. 0055 41 38831750 – Fax 38831773 – Web: conscuritiba.esteri.it  – E-mail: segreteria.curitiba@esteri.it
Rua José de Alencar 313 – 90880-481 Porto Alegre (RS) – Tel. 0055 51 32308200 – Fax 0055 51 32308222 – Web: consportoalegre.esteri.it  – E-mail: urp.portoalegre@esteri.it ; segreteria.portoalegre@esteri.it
Avenida Presidente Antonio Carlos 40 – 20020-010 Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Tel. 0055 21 35341315 – Fax 0055 21 22626348 – Web: consriodejaneiro.esteri.it  – E-mail: segreteria.riodejaneiro@esteri.it

Consulates
Rua Inconfidentes 600 – 30140-120 Belo Horizonte (MG) – Tel. 0055 31 32814211 – Tel. 0055 31 32814224 – Fax 32814408 – Web: consbelohorizonte.esteri.it  – E-mail: segreteria.belohorizonte@esteri.it
Avenida Domingos Ferreira 2222 – 2° Andar, sala 201, Edf. Robert Gran-Boa Viagem – Recife 51010-030 – Tel. 0055 81 34664200 – Fax 34664320 – Web: consrecife.esteri.it   – E-mail: consolato.recife@esteri.it