National symbol of Brazil. History of the adoption of the main symbol
Business card Brazil - the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which stands on the top of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, annually attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to the country. Travelers climb a 700-meter-high mountain to stand at the base of the monument to see in full view Rio, whose population is about 10 million inhabitants, and the surrounding area of the city: beaches, bays and the ocean.
The history of the statue begins in 1921, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Brazil's national independence. It was the anniversary that prompted the city leadership to install the monument. At that time, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil.
Money for the construction of the monument was collected in the form of voluntary donations by announcing a subscription. As a result of the campaign, 2.5 million flights were collected. The church also financially supported the project; The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Don Sebastian Leme, made a huge personal contribution.
The construction of the monument was facilitated by the fact that in the period from 1882 to 1884 the mountain was laid Railway, through which materials were later delivered. By the way, this railway was the first in Brazil.
Construction of the statue lasted about nine years - from 1922 to 1931.
The railway is still in operation and is actively used to transport tourists. Get to observation deck at the foot of the statue it is also possible by car.
The road you will have to travel on passes through national park Tijuca. This is the largest forest area in the world, which is part of the city.
The first version of the statue’s sketch was developed by the artist Carlos Oswald, who proposed depicting Christ with his hands spread out in a blessing gesture.
According to the author's plan, from a distance the sculpture should have resembled a cross. The artist proposed using a ball as the base of the statue, which would symbolize the Earth. The design for the statue in its current form was designed by Carlos Oswald's successor, Heitor da Silva Costa.
The height of the statue is -38 m, including the pedestal - 8 m; arm span - 28 m. Weight of the monument - 1145 tons.
Currently the statue is the most high point in the area due to which she is regularly struck by lightning. Keepers even calculated that Christ was struck by lightning on average four times a year.
A lightning strike does not always pass without leaving a trace. Therefore, the Catholic diocese always keeps a supply of the stone from which the statue is made in order to restore damaged parts.
So in December last year and on the evening of January 16, 2014, during strong storm V right hand The statue was struck by lightning, breaking off the tips of the middle and thumb.
At that time, Brazil did not have the technology to create such an impressive monument. Therefore, all parts were made in France. The material of the statue is reinforced concrete and soapstone.
The statue is currently included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World, where it was included in 2007.
Brazil, like many independent states, has made great efforts to gain the long-awaited freedom, its history is one of bright examples courage, perseverance, perseverance in the pursuit of independence, which is reflected in the state symbols of the country.
Let's start with coat of arms of brazil. If we take a close look at modern coat of arms of Brazil, then let us pay attention to the fact that the time of its creation is November 15, 1889, when the Federal Republic of Brazil was created. Before this time, there were other examples of the coat of arms of Brazil, which reflected the development of historical and political events in the country in certain periods. The very first coat of arms of Brazil appeared during the period when Brazil was a Spanish and Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1816. The declaration of Brazilian independence on September 7, 1822 and the subsequent coronation of the first emperor, Pedro I, led to the creation of a new coat of arms of Brazil, distinctive feature which is the crown as a symbol of the empire. This coat of arms of Brazil remained the state symbol of the country for more than sixty years, some elements of which we can see on the modern coat of arms. Such preserved elements are the branches of the coffee tree and the branches of tobacco, which frame the emblem on both sides, thereby demonstrating the importance that these crops had and have in the past. economic development Brazil. Modern look coat of arms of brazil is a reflection of changes in state life countries.
27 stars around the image of the Southern Cross constellation, symbolizing 26 states and 1 federal district, a five-pointed star mounted on the hilt of a sword, the full official name of the republic located on a fluttering blue ribbon - all these elements clearly show us what a difficult path of development Brazil has gone through, starting with the colonial system and ending with the creation of the Federal Republic.
The second national symbol of Brazil is the flag. Flag of Brazil made in the same color scheme, as the coat of arms. The predominance of green and yellow flowers not by chance. It is believed that in Brazil there is a very for a long time gold was being mined, so the yellow color symbolizes gold, the abundance of green color is explained by the rich flora and fauna. There is another assumption that has a political background. The first Emperor Pedro I, as a sign of protest against Portuguese expansion, refused to wear a headdress with a blue and white cockade (this color scheme is typical for state symbols Portugal) and replaced it with another, yellow-green. Since then, these colors have been the national colors of both the flag of Brazil and its coat of arms. Motto Brazil flag- “Order and progress.” In this motto, Teixera Mendes, one of the authors of the flag, wanted to emphasize the global significance of the revolution, since it was the impetus from which the development of a new state began, in which order and progress are the key to the prosperity of Brazil. The flag of Brazil is a green rectangular canvas, in the center of which you can see a yellow diamond. In the center of the rhombus is an image starry sky, which very schematically shows 27 stars, symbolizing, as on the coat of arms of Brazil, 26 states and 1 federal district. Moreover, the location of these stars corresponds to that star picture, which was November 15, 1889, when Brazil was proclaimed federal republic.
Creation of the third state symbol - modern National Anthem of Brazil- dates back to 1922. The anthem consists of two parts. The first part enthusiastically describes the struggle for Brazilian independence. Freedom, which has been a long journey, finally shines like the sun on blue sky countries. Having gained freedom, Brazil can become the prosperous state that many generations of Brazilians have dreamed of. A symbol of prosperity, as well as a symbol of love and hope, is the image of the Southern Cross, which illuminates the path to new heights and victories. A lot of appeals to the Motherland, as to a mother, can be found in the text of the anthem. Such syntactic means give expressiveness anthem of Brazil solemnity, pretentious character, as well as Once again demonstrate great love, respect and devotion to one’s homeland. The second part of the anthem talks about the countless riches that Brazil owns, about the enormous potential that this country has beautiful country. The people are ready at any moment last bit of strength defend the independence of her beloved homeland if she “raises, in the name of justice, the mighty mace,” because this will be a struggle for freedom and peace.
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Brazilian culture
The culture of Brazil is carnival, football, fiery rhythms and the interweaving of ethnic groups, traditions and beliefs. If you ask a modern Brazilian what he can highlight in Brazilian culture, then everyone will name exactly what he likes.
Major cities in Brazil
Brazil is the largest and most populous country Latin America, therefore there are many large cities in Brazil with a population of more than a million inhabitants. Each of them is worthy special attention. Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador are cities in Brazil that personify Brazilian culture.
Fauna of Brazil great and varied. The large territory of the country with different climatic conditions allows many representatives of flora and fauna to exist comfortably. Impenetrable tropical forests, mountainous areas, tall grass savannas - in each natural area you can find your inhabitants.
In the vastness of Brazil, there are 77 species of primates, more than 300 species of fish, the country ranks 2nd in the world in terms of the number of amphibian species (814 species), and 3rd in the number of birds.
Surprisingly, even today, among the impassable thickets of the Amazon Hylea, naturalists find new, unstudied species of animals and plants. Many animals of Brazil are in danger of extinction, others, on the contrary, are actively reproducing and increasing their population.
Margay
The cat family in Brazil is more than widely represented. Straw and wild ones, as well as margay, live here.
This big cat is the closest relative of the ocelot, differing from it in its smaller size and lifestyle. The ocelot prefers to hunt on the ground, while the margay, which has longer legs, prefers to hunt in trees.
The body length of the margay reaches 1.2 m, and 4/7 is exorbitant a long tail. Because of this feature, it is also called the long-tailed cat. The weight of this cute, at the same time dangerous creature is about 4-5 kg.
The unique structure of the hind limbs allows the margay to easily jump from tree to tree, as well as climb down the trunk, like.
In addition to small rodents and lizards, the long-tailed cat sometimes preys on some species of monkeys. The dexterous and fast hunter is not inferior to them in the ability to quickly jump along the branches, performing complex acrobatic sketches.
The especially valuable fur of this animal has brought it to the brink of extinction. In Brazil, many people keep them as pets, which gives hope that the gene pool of this big-eyed cat will be preserved.
In the photo there is an animal margay
Wild animals of Brazil are also represented by several types. And, of course, in Brazil there are many, many wild monkeys: marmosets, guaribas - they all live in this huge green ocean of the jungle.
Monkey marmoset
Saymiri
Squirrel monkeys, as they are also called, belong to the prehensile-tailed family. Like most primates, they live in groups of several dozen individuals, mainly near fresh water.
Saimiri spend the entire day playing on tree branches in the middle tier of the forest, going down to the ground only in search of food or drink. At night they sleep on the tops of palm trees, even afraid to move. When it gets cold, they wrap their tail around their neck like a scarf and hug their fellow tribesmen to keep warm.
Saimiri are excellent tree climbers; they move easily and gracefully among the treetops, thanks to their low weight, not exceeding 1.1 kg, tenacious fingers and tail.
A female saimiri with a baby on her back can make jumps of more than 5 m. Squirrel monkeys are no different large sizes: the length of an adult individual rarely reaches 35 cm, while the tail is about 40 cm.
Surprisingly, these cute monkeys hold the record for brain mass. Its specific gravity in relation to the total body weight is twice that of humans. However, they cannot be called smart - their brains are completely devoid of convolutions.
The diet of squirrel monkeys is dominated by all kinds of insects, a variety of fruits and nuts. Saimiri destroy bird nests and feast on eggs; they can catch a frog or a small bird.
In the photo there is a Saimiri monkey
Toco toucan
Pictured is a tiger heron
Anaconda
If we talk about the very best, we cannot fail to mention the great snake of the Amazon forests -. This huge reptile belongs to the strangler boas. The average weight of a snake is 60 kg, length is 7-8 m. This is the largest snake currently living on our planet.
The anaconda is distributed throughout the Amazon basin. Water – required condition life of a snake: in it it hunts and spends most time. She comes out onto land occasionally to bask in the sun.
The anaconda is unpretentious when it comes to food - whatever it catches, it swallows. Frequent victims of this dangerous animal of Brazil waterfowl, agoutis, peccaries, caimans, etc. Cannibalism is the norm for anacondas.
Anaconda snake
Caiman
One of the most dangerous animals in Brazil Caimans are rightfully considered. Several species of these dangerous predators can be found in the waterways of the country. Black (metallic) is the largest - it grows up to 5 m in length.
The average individual weighs more than 300 kg. Currently, these reptiles are on the verge of extinction - in their years they were mercilessly exterminated because of the valuable skin that was used in haberdashery.
Pictured is a caiman crocodile
Fishes of Brazil
Undersea world Brazil is not inferior in beauty and diversity to its terrestrial counterparts. The waters of the Amazon are home to a colossal number of fish species.
The largest one lives here freshwater fish in the world - pirarucu (giant), reaching a length of 4.5 m. In the Amazon itself and its tributaries there are more than 20 species of piranha, including the red one, which is considered the most ferocious.
Arapaima fish
The amazing flying fish wedge belly amazes not only with its appearance, but also with its ability to jump out of the water, escaping from predators, at a distance of more than 1.2 m.
This water flyer - characteristic representative local ichthyofauna. Many aquarium fish come from Brazil. Suffice it to mention, and well-known ones.
In the photo wedge-bellied fish
Looking through photos of animals in Brazil, you involuntarily associate them with the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, they are so colorful and different. At the same time, they manage to live side by side, creating an entire biosystem, without destroying everything around them. A person can only learn from his own little brothers.
Brazil is a country known throughout the world for its coffee, carnivals and rich nature. Usually no one goes deep into politics and history. However, it is they who are reflected in the national symbols of the country, namely the flag and coat of arms of Brazil.
Largest country on the continent
Brazil is located in the eastern part of South America. It is now a free state, a federal republic headed by a president. But the road to this was long. Since the 16th century, the Portuguese arrived here, opening the territory of Brazil to Europe and making it their colony.
The country received independent status only in 1822, first becoming a monarchy. Still her national language is Portuguese. It is the only country on the continent where Spanish is not spoken.
Brazil borders almost all South American countries (except Ecuador and Chile). Among them, it is the largest in terms of size and population, and also has the most developed economy. It is a member of the G20, the WTO, the UN, BRICS and Mercosur.
Coat of arms of Brazil: description
One of the modern national symbols was adopted almost a century and a half ago. It was approved in 1889, when the state transformed from a monarchy into the Republic of the United States of Brazil.
Since then, the coat of arms of Brazil has not changed. His shield is colored blue and has a round shape. In the center, five stars are arranged in the form of the Southern Cross, a constellation observed from the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. It is surrounded by a ring of gold, which, in turn, is framed by a ring of silver stars. There are exactly 27 of them, which means 26 Brazilian states and one Federal District.
The shield of the coat of arms of Brazil itself is located inside a large five-pointed star, bordered by a red and gold outline. One half of each beam yellow color, the other is green. The star is on a silver sword with a blue hilt and a gold star on a red square on it. Flowering branches of coffee (left) and tobacco (right) radiate from the sword. They symbolize the main crops grown in the country. Behind the wreaths are golden rays extending from the star.
Under the entire composition there are blue ribbons. On the top, the name of the state is represented in gold letters. Portuguese, on the bottom ribbon is written the founding date of the republic: “November 15, 1889.”
Previous coats of arms
Brazil was under Portuguese control for a long time, and the first official symbols appeared precisely during colonial times. At least, no earlier coats of arms of the territory are known.
For three centuries, from 1500 to 1816, the emblem-symbol of colonial Brazil was green Tree on a white background. A black cross peeked out from above. The tree on the coat of arms was not chosen by chance, because from the very beginning of the conquest of the country, valuable species wood, it could also mean coffee, which was one of the main export products.
In 1822, Brazil gained independence and became an empire. Her coat of arms is painted in green color. The golden sphere of the Earth appears in the center, depicted as a grid of meridians and parallels. A gold ribbon crossed it diagonally from left to right, and behind the sphere there was a red cross, on top of which there was a white one.
The central composition inside the shield was framed by a blue ring with white stars and white outlines on both sides. The shield itself was bordered by coffee and tobacco flowering branches, tied with a red ribbon. Above the coat of arms was a golden imperial crown, decorated precious stones and pearls.
Flag of Brazil
Like the coat of arms, the modern flag was adopted back in 1889. This is a green rectangular cloth. In the center of the flag is a large yellow diamond, inside of which is a blue earth sphere. Green and yellow - national colors Brazil. They symbolize the country's nature and mineral resources. These are also the colors of the Braganza and Habsburg dynasties, from which the country's first emperor and his wife came.
The ball is crossed by a curved white ribbon, reminiscent of the equator. In green letters it says in Portuguese: Ordem e Progresso, which translates as “Order and Progress” and comes from the creed of Auguste Comte.
Below the ribbon are 27 silver stars in five different sizes. They symbolize the states and district of Brazil. Their arrangement is stylized to resemble the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor, Virgo, Hydra, Carina, Scorpio, Ocanthus, the Southern Cross and the Southern Triangle. According to the idea, this is how they look from the city of Rio De Janeiro. However, they are greatly distorted, and to see them this way, you need to rise very high, beyond the sky.
Is it possible to remember a country that celebrates just as brightly and cheerfully important events How's Brazil? In which they also know how to enjoy life, love songs and dances, and in which every day can become like a holiday? Hardly! And it is traditions distinctive features and interesting corners will become the object of our attention today.
Amazing corners of Brazil: flowers of a sunny country
Did you know about the existence of a small town called Olambra in the state of Sao Paulo? This is a real little Holland! Founded by Dutch emigrants, it became the floristic center of Latin America. It is in Olambre that Expoflora takes place annually - the largest in South America floral exhibition. Simultaneously with the exhibition, the flower festival begins: all its participants are showered with flowers, and not a single guest is able to resist the catchy dances!
Flower of Brazil: beautiful lelia
The national flower of Brazil is the lelia. This is a variety that grows on rocks and trees. Beautiful and unusual, it perfectly reflects the essence of the country itself - bright and original. You can get acquainted with bouquets of other flowers delivered to Brazil.
Traditions of Brazil: wedding ceremony
As you might guess, a Brazilian wedding is one of the most vibrant and colorful celebrations: music sounds loud, delicious treats delight the eye, and fiery dances do not allow you to sit still, and even traditional a wedding dance- this is a fun pagoda!
Boutonnieres for men wedding ceremony serves as a miniature of the country's flag, national flags The wedding car is also decorated - instead of the usual ribbons and flowers, and the bride is allowed to be late - appearing in church before the groom is considered a bad omen.
The wedding ceremony itself is not much different from the European one, but the choice of witnesses is original - it is carried out immediately upon the bride’s arrival at the temple, without prior arrangements!
The placement of guests at tables at a wedding banquet is also very interesting: they are seated depending on what city they came from. Thus, fellow countrymen become neighbors.
It is customary to give gifts not only to newlyweds, but also to their parents. Well, what kind of celebration would it be without wedding bouquets? Flowers in Brazil pink shades will symbolize health; yellow - welfare; red - love.
Brazil itself is like an armful bright colors. A country of amazing contrasts, beautiful like a legend, fairy tale. She will spin everyone who opens their heart to her in a whirlwind of dance, blossom their life and forever remain in their memories with the warmth of summer, the aroma of exotic flowers and the breathtaking beauty of nature.
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