Brazil: An Ongoing Dream

Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray
Of love and hope settles on the earth.
As in your beautiful sky, smiling and serene
The image of the Southern Cross shines.
A giant by nature, you are beautiful,
And your future will match this grandeur.
Strong, an intrepid colossus.

(Free translation from the Brazilian national anthem).

Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest country in terms of both size and population, with a size larger than continental USA and India, and a population of 22 crores. It has the biggest economy in Latin America, and the night largest in the world, putting it ahead of Russia, and with Italy. It is the world’s number one producer of sugar, oranges and coffee, and it is one of the top ten makers of automobiles and airplanes.

Brazil boasts of at least 25 million people of Italian heritage, 12 million of German descent, and more than 14 million of Lebanese origins. Brazil has more people of African origin than any country besides Nigeria! There are more ethnic Japanese in Sao Paulo than in any other city outside Japan. And, the whole nation speaks an indigenous version of Portuguese.

Brazil is the number one beef exporter of the world, and the planet’s most populous Roman Catholic country…….

And all of this abundance sits on a gorgeous and varied landscape of white beaches, emerald forests, and fertile plains. Brazil possesses a quarter of world’s arable land. The country is practically self-sufficient in oil and has yielded large quantities of gold.

However, disturbed politics and society and irresponsible economics of many a ruler of Brazil over the last 150 years show what Stefan Zweig rightly said, “Brazil is the land of the future, and it always will be.”

June 14, 2006