Brazil

Климат

Несмотря на то, что 90% территории страны находятся в тропическом поясе, более 60% населения Бразилии проживает в зоне умеренных температур, формирующихся под воздействием преобладющих высот, дующих со стороны моря ветров и фронтов холодного воздуха. 

В Бразилии представлены пять климатических типов: экваториальный, тропический, полузасушливый, тропический высокогорный, и субтропический. Для городов, расположенных на равнинной местности, таких как Сан-Пауло, Бразилиа и Бело-Оризонте, характерны умеренные температуры среднее значение которых составляет + 19 градусов.

#BANNER#

Города Рио-де-Жанейро, Ресифи и Салвадор, расположенные на побережье, характеризуются жарким климатом, который смягчает тропический ветер. 

Субтропический климат южных городов, таких как Порто-Алегре и Куритиба, сравним с некоторыми регионами США и Европы, где случаются периодические заморозки. Зимой в этом поясе температура может опускаться ниже нуля.

Несмотря на расхожее мнение о том, что в бассейне Амазонки царит невыносимая жара, температура в этом районе не превышает + 32 градусов, а ее среднегодовое значение составляет + 22-26 градусов при незначительных сезонных колебаниях в самые жаркие и самые холодные месяцы года.

Самый жаркий район Бразилии — это северо-восток. В период засухи, длящийся с мая по ноябрь, температура воздуха на северо-востоке повышается до + 38 градусов. По сравнению с Амазонкой этот район Бразилии характеризуется более резкими сезонными колебаниями температур. Вдоль побережья Атлантического океана от Ресифи до Рио-де-Жанейро средняя температура колеблется от + 23 до + 27 градусов. 

На возвышенных территориях в глубине страны температура понижается до + 18-23 градусов. К югу от Рио-де-Жанейро различия между временами года становятся более отчетливыми, а сезонные колебания температур — более ярко выраженными. В этом районе страны среднегодовое значение температур составляет от + 17 до + 19 градусов.

Времена года в Бразилии распределяются следующим образом:

Весна: с 22 сентября по 21 декабря

Лето: с 22 декабря по 21 марта

Осень: с 22 марта по 21 июня

Зима: с 22 июня по 21 сентября

External links

All links retrieved June 23, 2016.

• About Brasilia. www.aboutbrasilia.com.
• Brasília e Região Convention & Visitors Bureau. www.brasiliaconvention.com.br.
• Government website in Portuguese. www.brasilia.df.gov.br.

Capitals of South America

Asunción, Paraguay ·
Bogotá, Colombia ·
Brasília, Brasil ·
Buenos Aires, Argentina ·
Caracas, Venezuela ·
Cayenne, French Guiana ·
Georgetown, Guyana ·
Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ·
La Paz, Bolivia ·
Lima, Peru ·
Montevideo, Uruguay ·
Paramaribo, Suriname ·
Quito, Ecuador ·
Santiago, Chile ·
Sucre, Bolivia ·
Stanley, Falkland Islands

Interesting facts about Brazil

Yes, this is a pretty interesting fact about Brazil, let alone the whole continent.

João Pessoa is the easternmost city in the Americas. The city is the capital of Paraíba state and famous for having abundant green areas.

Will you resist watching the sunset here?

Fun fact about Brazil: the sun rises first in João Pessoa

Brasília is not Brazil’s first capital

First things first. Plenty of readers have asked me if Brazil’s capital is Rio de Janeiro, but it’s not.

Well, to comfort you a little bit, know that the city was once the capital of the country.

In fact, Brazil has had three capitals: Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and the current one, Brasília.

There is a replica of the 14th-century Japanese temple Kinkaku-ji in Brazil

With a massive Japanese community, it doesn’t come as a surprise that São Paulo has a replica of one of Japan’s most significant temples, right?

A little over an hour’s drive from the city center, the town of Itapecerica da Serra is home to a beautiful cinerarium.

This cinerarium is based in the Japanese Kinkaku-ji temple’s replica surrounded by a gorgeous garden. This is a great day trip from SP.

In Kyoto, this temple is covered in gold leaf; hence, the name Kinkaku-ji, which means Golden Pavilion in English.

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Social data

Economy

Headquarters of the Central Bank of Brazil

Brasília’s economy is dominated by the services, which account for 91 percent of the local GDP. These include government, with the public sector accounting for around 40 percent of the city jobs; communications, including Brasil Telecom’s headquarters, as well as public and private television stations; banking and finance; entertainment; information technology; and legal services.

Industries in the city include construction, food processing, furniture making, recycling, pharmaceuticals, printing, and publishing.

The main agricultural products produced in Brasília are coffee, guava, orange, lemon, papaya, soy beans and mango.Brasília’s farms have over 110,000 cows and it exports wood products worldwide.

The city’s Gross Domestic Product is estimated at $27.628 billion. The participation in the Brazilian GDP is 1.8 percent. Brasília has the largest per capita income of any city in Brazil.

Infrastructure

The consumption of commercial energy at Brazil’s capital was 924 gwh, the industrial reached 337 gwh, and the residential reached 1,241 gwh. The total energy consumption was 3,319 gwh.

The railways system is not developed, with only 22.4 miles operating. However, a fast-track train connecting Brasília to Goiânia is under construction. The train will travel at an average of 115 miles per hour. Furthermore, the city has a small subway (25.5 miles) covering one «wing» of the city plan of the Distrito Federal. Railways connect the city with Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Automobiles and buses are the main forms of urban transportation because of the priority afforded expressways in the city’s design and the large distances between inner-city neighborhoods. The total extension of Brasília’s paved roads is 84 miles, with 44 percent of all its roads paved. As of 2006, there were approximately 1 million vehicles in the city, for a population of about 2.3 million. Highways link Brasília with the rest of the nation.

There is regular national and international air service out of Brasília International Airport (BSB) which serves the metropolitan area. There is a television tower (735 feet high) located in the heart of the city.

Population growth

Despite its lauded planning, Brasília is far from immune from the problems of «urban sprawl.»

The 1960 census counted almost 140,000 residents in the new Federal District; by 1970 this figure had grown to more than 537,000. In 2000 the population of the Brazilian Federal District stood at more than two million, more than three times the original plan. Brasília’s inhabitants include a significant foreign population as well as large numbers of Brazilian migrants.

Brasília is considered to have one of the highest growth rates in Brazil, increasing its size by an average of 2.82 percent each year. The Human Development Index in the city is 0.844 (developed nation level), and the illiteracy rate is around 4.35 percent.

Local government

Until 1990, the Brazilian president appointed the governor of the Federal District, who was confirmed by the Senate. In that year, under the 1988 constitution, Joaquim Domingos Roriz was chosen in the first election for district governor. Reporting to the governor are numerous secretaries responsible for public works, welfare, education, law enforcement, and other concerns. The Senate acts as the legislative branch of local government. In 1986, the voters in the district elected their first congressional representatives to the national assembly, and since that time elections have been conducted the same as in any of Brazil’s states.

Climate

Brasília’s weather is semi-arid, with seasons being defined according to the degree of humidity of the air: one season is dry and colder, while the other one is humid and hot. The average temperature is 69° F. In October, the hottest month of the year, the highest temperatures stand at 85° F, while in July, which is the coldest month, the lowest temperatures stand at 55° F.

Общая информация о Бразилии

Официальное название: Федеративная Республика Бразилия

Столица: Бразилиа

Площадь территории: 8 547,4 тыс. кв. км

Общее население: 201,1 млн. чел.

Административное деление: Государство разделено на 23 штата, один столичный округ и 3 федеральных территории.

Форма правления: Республика, с федеративным государственным устройством.

Глава государства: Президент, избираемый на 5 лет.

Состав населения: Этнические группы: белые — 53.9 %(португальцы — 20 %; итальянцы — 14 %; испанцы — 8 %; немцы — 6,6 %; арабы — 5,3 %); мулаты — 38,5 %; чёрные — 6,2 %; азиаты — 0,5 % ( японцы и пр.); индейцы — 0,43 % (тупи-гуарани, же, араваки, карибы, пано и др.).

Так же есть самбо (афро-индейцы) и пардо (коричневые) — их количество точно не известно.

Государственный язык: португальский. Также используются испанский, немецкий, итальянский, японский , украинский , английский и индейские языки.

Религия: 73,6% — католики, 15,4% — протестанты, 1,3% — спиритуалисты, 0,3% — банту/вуду, 7,4% — атеисты, 2% — другие.

Интернет-домен: .br

Напряжение в электросети: ~127 В/220 В, 60 Гц

Телефонный код страны: +55

Штрих-код страны: 789-790

Brazilian statistics

Brazil has about 180 spoken languages

Yes, at least 180 languages. Although Portuguese is the official one, the other languages are spoken mostly by about 160,000 indigenous people.

However, according to the linguist Aryon Rodrigues from the National University of Brasilia (UnB), these languages are treated with extinction since fewer than 10,000 people currently speak them.

Brazil receives half the number of tourists Berlin does

While Brazil is a large country, there is still a lot to do in terms of increasing awareness about the country and attracting international tourists.

To put it into perspective, Brazil received 6.6 million tourists in 2018, while Berlin received 13.5 million in the same period.

Yes, a capital in Europe receives more tourists than a country with continental proportions.

It’s undeniable that criminality is an issue that the government isn’t very interested in solving. However, when taking necessary precautions and staying in the tourist routes, it’s improbable something will happen to visitors.

Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan

In 1908, the first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil, and since then, it has developed into the most significant ethnic Japanese population outside of their home country.

This is a pretty cool fact about Brazil, considering both cultures are very different from each other.

Nowadays, about 1.5 million Brazilian Japanese live in Brazil.

São Paulo has the highest GDP in the southern hemisphere

Brazil is a country of extremes, and this fact about Brazil only proves my point.

While millions of people in Brazil fight against extreme poverty, São Paulo is among the most important financial and industrial centers in the world and has the highest GDP in the southern hemisphere, let alone Latin America.

Many countries on other continents, including in Europe, have smaller economies than this huge South American city.

São Paulo dictates the pulse of the Brazilian economy as it accounts for over 30% of the country’s GDP.

The city’s GDP was about $530 billion in , while the GDP of Mexico City was about $490 billion in the same period.

Краткая история

Федеративная Республика Бразилия, история которой началась в начале XVI столетии, – это страна, которая многое испытала на своем веку. В 1500 году мореплаватель Кабрал из Португалии открывает европейцам новые земли, на которых обитали индейские племена, а через 30 лет начинается колонизация страны. Сюда прибывают первые переселенцы и основывают ряд феодальных владений (капитании). Вскоре на тростниковых плантациях колонистов появляются рабы из Африки.

В XIX веке принц Жуан из Португалии, спасавшийся от войск Наполеона, провозглашает государство королевством. Через несколько лет его сын, объявивший Бразилию независимой, получает титул императора и отменяет рабство в стране. После свержения его власти, с 1889 года и по настоящее время Бразилия является федеративной республикой. Бывшие провинции, называемые штатами, получили автономию и собственные законодательные органы.

До середины 80-х годов прошлого века года страна находилась под властью авторитарных президентов, и только 30 лет назад начался период демократизации. Принципы государственного устройства действуют и поныне, а в конституцию вносятся новые поправки.

Brazil is massive

Brazil is the fifth most significant and most populated country in the world. In relative terms, Europe is slightly larger than Brazil, making it the largest country in South America.

Brazil is not only enormous, but it also boasts about two-thirds of the Amazon Rainforest. Although this is a fact about Brazil to be proud of, the government is doing little to nothing to preserve it.

Amazon, on the other hand, is the largest rainforest, and the place still has the world’s largest river in volume.

While Amazon is a unique place on earth, the world’s largest swamp is also in Brazil. The Pantanal is an “up and coming” tourist destination in the last five years.

Culture

Brazilian Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro.

A wide variety of elements influenced Brazilian culture. Its major early influence derived from Portuguese culture. Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Roman-Germanic legal system, and colonial architectural styles. Other aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of European and Asian immigrants, native South American people (such as the Tupi), and African slaves. Thus, Brazil is a multicultural and multiethnic society. Italian, German, and other European immigrants came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the Southeast and South of Brazil. Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil’s language and cuisine, and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced Brazil’s music, dance, cuisine, religion, and language.

In the 1950s, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell de Aquino, and João Gilberto popularized the Bossa Nova style in music. Later Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, and Nara Leão had an important role in shaping Música Popular Brasileira (literally translated as «Brazilian Popular Music,» often abbreviated to MPB). In the late 1960s, tropicalismo was popularized by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.

Brazilian Carnival is an annual celebration held 40 days before Easter that marks the beginning of Lent. Brazilian Carnival has distinct regional characteristics. Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festivals).

Religion

Christ the Redeemer, on Corcovado mountain.

The predominant religion in Brazil is Roman Catholicism and the country has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world. Adherents of Protestantism are rising in number. Until 1970, the majority of Brazilian Protestants were members of traditional denominations, mostly Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Baptists. Since then, membership in Pentecostal and Neo-pentecostal churches has increased significantly. Islam was first practiced by African slaves. Today, the Muslim population in Brazil is made up mostly of Arab immigrants. A recent trend has been an increase in conversions to Islam among non-Arab citizens. The largest population of Buddhists in Latin America lives in Brazil, mostly because the country has the largest Japanese population outside Japan.

The latest census cites the following figures: 74 percent of the population is Roman Catholic (about 139 million); 15.4 percent is Protestant (about 28 million), including Jehovah’s Witnesses; 7.4 percent considers itself agnostics or atheists or without a religion (about 12 million); 1.3 percent follows Spiritism (about 2.2 million); 0.3 percent follows African traditional religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda; and 1.7 percent are members of other religions. Some of these are Buddhists (215,000), Jews, Muslims, or a mixture of different religions.

Sports

The Brazilian athletes at the 2007 Pan American Games

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team (Seleção) has been victorious in the World Cup tournament a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. It is ranked the best in the world by FIFA.

Basketball, volleyball, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large audiences. Tennis, handball, swimming, and gymnastics have found a growing number of enthusiasts in recent decades. In auto racing, Brazilian drivers have won the Formula 1 world championship eight times.

Closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Some sport variations have their origins in Brazil. Beach soccer and footvolley emerged in the country as variations of soccer. In martial arts, Brazilians have developed Capoeira, Vale tudo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Brazil has hosted several high-profile international sporting events, like the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and recently has hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brazil also hosted the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, where the Brazil football team won the gold medal.

Brazil has undertaken the organization of large-scale sporting events: It is organizing a bid to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup event. São Paulo organized the IV Pan American Games in 1963, and Rio de Janeiro hosted the XV Pan American Games in 2007. Brazil is also trying for the fourth time to host the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Полезная информация для туристов

Традиционные покупки — интересные и занимательные сувениры: индейские сосуды, негритянские амулеты или изделия из красного дерева пау-бразил. Лучшее место для покупки сувениров — ярмарка «Хиппи», проходящая в воскресенье. Рио имеет также крупные торговые центры — Рио Сул и Барра Шоппинг. Серьезные покупки, которые стоит делать в Бразилии, — натуральные драгоценные камни: бриллианты, изумруды, топазы. 

Бразилия входит в десятку наиболее криминальных стран мира. Не рекомендуется носить дорогостоящих ювелирных украшений, крупные суммы денег, оставлять на пляже без присмотра одежду, фотоаппараты и кошельки, принимать приглашения от малознакомых людей. Не посещайте районы факел (трущоб) даже в дневное время. Никогда не оставляйте документы, деньги и ювелирные украшения в номере отеля (отели не несут ответственность за пропажу вещей из номера). В курортных предместьях Рио, в Манаусе, у водопадов Игуасу безопасно. 

Чаевые в дорогих ресторанах и барах составляют 10 % от счета (если в него не входит плата за обслуживание); в дешевых закусочных — 1—2 реала; в кафе на пляже не приняты; носильщику в отеле или аэропорту дают 1 реал; таксисту округляют счет в большую сторону.

Fun facts about Brazil laws

The flag should always be up-to-date

As said before, the starry night on the Brazilian flag depicts the night on November 15, 1889, the Proclamation of the Republic, and these stars aren’t random.

Each one of them represents a Brazilian state as well as the country’s capital in a specific constellation.

And another Brazil fun fact is that the law imposes the flag should always be up-to-date. That means if a Brazilian state is created or abolished, the stars on the flag should reflect that.

No one can get arrested on the days before an election

Well, almost no one. But this rather absurd Brazilian law that imposes authorities may not arrest or detain any voter starting five days before elections up to 48 hours after the election closing.

The only exceptions to that, so the only cases when a voter can get arrested is when the person is caught in committing a crime or if the person committed one of the following crimes instead:

• Torture
• Drug dealing
• Racism
• Heinous crimes
• Any offense against the state

It’s bizarre, I know. But the reason for this law is that the government wants to avoid unfair arrests caused by opposing parties that might try to frame other people and influence the election results.

Committing an environmental crime on Sundays and holidays is an aggravating factor

It’s common and right to punish crimes against the environment. But the weird fact about Brazil is that committing this kind of crime on Sundays, holidays, or during the night is an aggravating factor.

That’s because inspectors don’t work during those hours and days, and the government wants to discourage people from committing crimes during the period the inspectors don’t work, increasing the chance of getting infractors.

Background

The city was built to bring the capital, previously Rio de Janeiro, to Brazil’s midwest and closer to the other regions. This was done using a large workforce coming from throughout the country. Brasília is known internationally for having applied the principles established in the Athens Charter (1933). The charter laid out a 95-point program for planning and construction of rational cities, addressing topics such as high-rise residential blocks, strict zoning, the separation of residential areas and transportation arteries and the preservation of historic districts and buildings. The key underlying concept was the creation of independent zones for the four ‘functions’: living, working, recreation, and circulation.

History

From 1763 to 1960, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. During much of this time resources tended to be centered in Brazil’s southeast region near the capital.

The idea of placing Brazil’s capital in the interior dates back to the first republican constitution of 1891, which roughly defined where the federal district should be placed. The site itself was not specifically defined until 1922. The location would promote the development of Brazil’s central region and better integrate the entire territory of Brazil.

Then-President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira ordered the construction of Brasília. Lúcio Costa was named the main urban planner after winning a contest to gain the privilege of designing the city. Oscar Niemeyer was the chief architect of most public buildings and Roberto Burle Marx was the landscape designer. Brasília was built in 41 months, from 1956 to 1960 when it was officially inaugurated.

According to a legend, Italian saint Don Bosco had a prophetic dream in 1883 in which he described a futuristic city that roughly fitted Brasília’s location. Today, in Brasília, there are many references to this educator who founded the Salesian order. One of the main cathedrals in the city bears his name.

Administrative divisions

Politically, Brazil is a federation of twenty-six states and one federal district.

The national territory was divided in 1969, into five main regions: North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast, and South.

The North covers 45.27 percent of the surface of Brazil and has the lowest number of inhabitants. With the exception of Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone, and Belém, the biggest metropolitan area of the region, it is fairly unindustrialized and undeveloped. It accommodates most of the rainforest vegetation of the world and many indigenous tribes.

The Northeast, inhabited by about 30 percent of Brazil’s population, is culturally diverse, with roots set in the Portuguese colonial period and in Amerindian and Afro-Brazilian elements. It is also the poorest region of Brazil and suffers from long periods of dry climate. The largest cities are Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza.

The Central-West region has low demographic density when compared to the other regions, mostly because part of its territory is covered by the world’s largest marshlands area, the Pantanal, as well as a small part of the Amazon rainforest in the northwest. Much of the region is covered by Cerrado, the largest savanna in the world. The Central-West region contributes significantly toward agriculture. The largest cities of this region are: Brasília (the capital), Goiânia, Campo Grande, Cuiabá, Anápolis, Dourados, Rondonópolis, and Corumbá.

The Southeast region is the richest and most densely populated. It has more inhabitants than any other South American country and hosts one of the largest megalopolises of the world. The main cities are the country’s two largest: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The region is very diverse, including the major business center of São Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais and its capital Belo Horizonte, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the coast of Espírito Santo.

The South is the wealthiest by GDP per capita and has the highest standard of living in the country. It is also the coldest region of Brazil, with occasional occurrences of frost and snow in some of the higher altitude areas. It has been settled by European immigrants, mainly of Italian, German, Portuguese, and Slavic ancestry, and has clearly been influenced by these cultures. The largest cities in this region are Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Londrina, Caxias do Sul, and Joinville.

Points of interest

Brasilia hosts a varied assortment of art works from great artists like Bruno Giorgi, Alfredo Ceschiatti, Athos Bulcão, Marienne Peretti, Volpi, Di Cavalcanti, Victor Brecheret, and Burle Marx, whose works have been integrated into the city’s architecture, making it a unique landscape.

A scene for political events, music performances, and movie festivals, Brasília is a cosmopolitan city, with around 90 embassies, a wide range of restaurants, and complete infrastructure ready to host any kind of event. The city is a growing business and tourism destination that is a rising segment of the local economy, including dozens of hotels spread around the national capital.

Cultural Complex of the Republic

National Museum, Brasília, D.F. 2007

The Cultural Complex of the Republic («Complexo Cultural da República» in Portuguese) is a cultural center located along the Monumental Axis in Brasília. It consists of the National Library of Brasília and the National Museum of the Republic.

The National Library of Brasília (Biblioteca Nacional de Brasília in Portuguese) occupies an area of 16,744 square yards, consisting of reading and study rooms, an auditorium and a collection of over 300,000 items.

The National Museum of the Republic (Museu Nacional da República in Portuguese) consists of a 17,341 square-yard exhibit area, two 780-seat auditoriums and a laboratory. The space is mainly used to display temporary art exhibits.

Paranoá Lake

Paranoá Lake is a giant artificial lake built in order to increase the amount of water available to the region. It holds the second largest marina in Brazil and is home to the capital’s wakeboard and windsurf practitioners.

Juscelino Kubitschek bridge

Bridge Juscelino Kubitschek (Ponte JK), over Lake Paranoa, Brasília, D.F. 2006

The Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, also known as the «President JK Bridge» or the «JK Bridge,» crosses Lake Paranoá. It is named for Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, the former president of Brazil. It was designed by architect Alexandre Chan and structural engineer Mário Vila Verde.

The bridge consists of three, 200-foot-tall asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally. It is three-quarters of a mile long and was completed in 2002 at a cost of $56.8 million. It has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to bicyclists and skaters.

Cathedral of Brasília

The Cathedral of Brasília is an aesthetic expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. On May 31, 1970, the glass-roofed cathedral was finished with only the 230-foot diameter of the circular area visible. This concrete-framed structure is a result of 16 identical assembled concrete columns, having hyperbolic sections and weighing 90 tons, representing two hands moving upwards to heaven.

Cultural events

Traditional parties take place throughout the year. In June, there are large festivals celebrating Catholic saints, such as Saint Anthony and Saint Peter. Throughout the year there are local, national, and international events spread through the city. Christmas is widely celebrated and New Year’s Eve usually hosts major events.

The Brasília Cultural Foundation sponsors many national meetings in the arts and letters, and several foreign information centers are available. The National Theater features dramatic, symphonic, and operatic works. Historical institutions include the Museum of Brasília, with a historical record of Brasília’s creation; the Federal Reserve Museum; and the Image and Sound Museum of the Institute of History and Geography.

Brasília is home to two major soccer teams: Brasiliense Futebol Clube and Sociedade Esportiva do Gama. The main football stadiums are the Estádio Mané Garrincha and the Serejão.