Brazil is a huge country encompassing nearly half of South America and bordering the major nations. Brazil also has a high degree of urbanization as two out of every three Brazilians live in a city. Brazil can be visited throughout the year but special care has to be taken during summer (December-February) and the heavy rains in winter (June-August). The country's most famous festival is 'Carnival', which is celebrated in the month of February.

Brazil is also a sports paradise for the tourists. One can easily enjoy hang-gliding in Rio, wind-surfing, sailing, fishing, rock climbing, hiking and soccer. The tourist places in Brazil include:

Rio de Janeiro
One of the most densely populated places in the world offers you dance, drink, beach, sport and sun. Large number of museums housing artifacts of the 20th-century Brazilian art to the information on Brazil's indigenous people; exotic parks and gardens; and magnificent mountain sceneries are the major tourist attractions.

Brasília
The capital city of Brazil and the city of architecture is a World Heritage Site. The world's most pre-planned city was designed for industrial and technical progress, automobiles and air conditioners and not other things. The popular Parque Nacional de Brasília ecological reserve on the north with natural swimming pools is a good place to save yourself from the scorching heat of the sun.

Foz do Iguaçu (Iguaçu Falls)
The Rio Iguaçu fall is created in the coastal mountains of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Snakes west for 600km (372mi) before it widens in a magnificent jungle stage, plunging and crashing at its border with Argentina and Paraguay. The falls have a width of 3km (2mi) and a height of 80m (262ft) with inexplicable beauty. The best time to visit these falls is August-November.

Salvador da Bahia
Bahia can be called as the mini-Africa of Brazil. Its capital, Salvador da Bahia (abbreviated to Salvador), is a fascinating city with historic and cultural buildings. This city founded in 1549 is Brazil's most ancient city, which is almost 300 years old. A major trade center for sugar famous for gold-filled churches, beautiful mansions and the slave trade; it is now known for its Grand Carnival in Salvador that attracts tourists from all over the world. Salvador's other important highlights include 34 colonial churches; the Museu Afro-Brasileira, which is dedicated to black culture; and the Elevador Lacerda, an Art Deco structure.

São Paulo
The largest city in South America inhabited by the Italian and Japanese immigrants. The city has the honour of having the most educated and cultured middle class population of Brazil. The exciting nightlife here makes Sao Paulo one of the most dynamic places in Brazil. The major tourist attractions include the baroque Teatro Municipal, Niemeyer's Edifício Copan, the Museu de Arte de Sáo Paulo (MASP) and the 16th-century Patío do Colégio.

The Amazon
Rivers and forests covering almost half of Brazil and extending into neighbouring countries. The forest is cris-crossed by the major tributaries of the Amazon. There are an estimated 15,000 species of Amazon creatures including birds, fish and mammals. Forest birds include toucans, parrots, macaws, hummingbirds and gaviào (birds of prey), and insect life is well represented, with over 1800 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of mosquito. The virtually extinct species here include jaguars, tapirs, peccaries, spider monkeys, sloths, armadillos, caimans, alligators, river dolphins, boa constrictorsand anacondas.

The Pantanal
The Pantanal is the close cousin of Amazon as it is the nest best tourist spot for viewing wildlife. This vast area of wetlands about half the size of France extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. It is a bird watcher's paradise too. At Pantanal you can see giant river otters, anacondas, iguanas, jaguars, cougars, crocodiles, deer and anteaters.

Airports in Brazil
Air travel is fundamentally important in a big size country such as Brazil. A journey from its northernmost city to that of its south is the equivalent of traveling from London to Teheran. The main airports in Brazil are:
The Galeão International Airport, in Rio, and
The Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo.