Brazil, located in South America, is the fifth largest populated country in the world. Its population has climbed to over 160 million people. Although the percent increase in population has declined in recent years, it is still at almost two percent. Brazil is known for having a very diverse population as far as race is concerned. A little over half of Brazil's people are Caucasian. This 55% Caucasian population consists of Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, and Polish. Thirty-eight percent of the people are a mix of Caucasian and African. Another 6% are African (www.teachnet-lab.org). The life expectancy for natives of Brazil is considerably lower than that of the U.S. The life expectancy for the people in Brazil is just 61.82 years old, nearly ten years lower than the U.S. Because of this relatively low life expectancy, the population pyramid is skewed toward the younger generation. Nearly 62% of Brazil's population is below the age of 29 (www.fmpsd.ab.ca). Only five percent of the population is over the age of 65.
Unlike the other countries in South and Central America, Spanish is not the primary language that is spoken. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. Portuguese is however similar to Spanish with some of the same accents and dialects. Other languages spoken by Brazilians are Spanish, English, and French.
The main religion practiced in Brazil is Roman Catholic. About 70% of Brazilians claim to practice the Roman Catholic religion. The other 30% is made up of many religions such as Protestant, Methodist, and Baptist. There are also about 1.5 million Brazilians who are known as Spiritists (www.fmpsd.ab.ca). These Spiritists believe in reincarnation. Many Brazilians also practice a religion known as Candomble. Candomble is a religion which was brought over by slaves from Nigeria. Candomble is considered to be very similar to Catholicism with many of the same beliefs.
