BRAZIL F1 - GENERAL INFORMATION GUIDE

AUTODROMO CARLOS PACE

The first ever Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix race event (1973), was held at this Autodromo Carlos Pace F1 racing circuit, which is situated in the Interlagos suburb of Sao Paolo. At the time, the Interlagos Autodromo Carlos Pace F1 circuit was 7.96 kilometres long and set between two lakes, which has since disappeared. The Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi won the inaugural 1973 Formula One Grand Prix race in a Lotus. In 1978 the race program was moved from the Autodromo Carlos Pace F1 racing circuit to the Jacarepaguá racing circuit near Rio de Janeiro. In 1979 Interlagos managed to get its race program back, but by 1981 however, Rio had retaken the Grand Prix, with the slums of Interlagos being at odds with the glamorous image Formula One racing wanted to portray. After an extensive $15m redevelopment programme during the heyday of Ayrton Senna, a Sao Paulo local, the race finally moved back to the Autodromo Carlos Pace F1 racing circuit in 1990. BRAZIL OVERVIEW Brazil, once a remote Portuguese colony, is a vast and beautiful country, the largest in South America, with many tourist options. Modern cities, sunny beaches, cruises along the Amazon river, colonial towns, and breathtaking waterfalls are among the many prime tourist attractions. Brazil is an urban country, with two out of every three residents living in a city. Everything in Brazil seems larger than life. It has the world's wildest party, its greatest waterfall, its biggest wetlands, its mightiest river and its largest rain forest (and one of the most unique and diverse cultures on the planet). For travelers, Brazil's sheer size and variety can be overwhelming. Brazil's problems - poverty, crime, environmental recklessness -- can seem larger than life, too. Although it is one of the industrial powerhouses of South America, Brazil has trouble feeding all its people, and deforestation of the Amazon basin proceeds at an ominous rate.

CAPITAL OF BRAZIL

Brasilia

THE PEOPLE OF BRAZIL

Population 186 mil - 55% European descent, 38% mulatto, 6% African descent, 1% other.

LANGUAGE OF BRAZIL

The official language is Portuguese, with different regional accents characterising each State. Spanish, English, Italian, French and German are also spoken, particularly in the tourist areas.

RELIGION OF BRAZIL

70% Roman Catholic; also a significant proportion who either belong to various cults or practice Indian animism.

CLIMATE OF BRAZIL

Varies from arid scrubland in the interior to the impassable tropical rainforests of the northerly Amazon jungle and the tropical eastern coastal beaches. The south is more temperate. Rainy seasons occur from January to April in the north, April to July in the northeast and November to March in the Rio/São Paulo area.

BRAZIL TIME

GMT/UTC minus 2 hours for the Fernando de Noronha archipelago; GMT/UTC minus 3 hours in the east, northeast, south and southeast; GMT/UTC minus 4 hours in the west; GMT/UTC minus 5 hours in the far west.

BRAZIL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Passports valid for at least 6 months from date of entry required by all except nationals of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay arriving in Brazil directly from their own countries and holding a national identity card. Visas are required by all except the following: (a) nationals mentioned under passport exemptions above; (b) nationals of EU countries for touristic stays of up to 90 days; (c) nationals of Andorra, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Norway, Peru, Philippines, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Surinam, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Vatican City and Venezuela for touristic stays of up to 90 days; (d) transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country by the same or first connecting flight, provided holding onward documentation and not leaving the airport.

CURRENCY INFO

Brazil's currency unit is the real (plural = reais) and is made up of 100 centavos. The real is issued in denominations of 1 (as both a note and a coin), 2 reais, 5 reais, 10 reais, 20 reais, 50 reais and 100 reais. Centavos are issued in denominations of 1 centavo, 5 centavo, 10 centavo, 25 centavo and 50 centavo. It's best to carry nothing larger than 10 or 20 reais banknotes. This will make it easier to make small purchases as well as easier for small vendors, stores and restaurants to provide you with change.

CREDIT CARDS AND TRAVELLERS’ CHEQUES

Using a credit or debit card can be an ideal way to avoid carrying more cash than you require for just incidental expenses. Most hotels, restaurants and stores in Brazil readily accept Visa and Master Card. American Express cards are not as widely accepted in Brazil as Visa and Master Card, but most hotels as well as many restaurants and stores (especially In the larger cities) do accept American Express cards. Brazilian Banks have literally thousands of ATM machines throughout Brazil and many function 24 hours a day. At most Brazilian ATMs, you can use your credit or debit card to obtain cash.

BRAZIL BANKING HOURS

Normal banking hours in Brazil are from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday and most Brazilian cities have at least one full service branch office of, at least, Banco do Brasil.

WATER

Water is generally safe to be consumed from taps, though boiling prior to consumption or the drinking of bottled water, is advisable.

EATING IN BRAZIL

As a cosmopolitan country, the majority of Brazil's main cities offer tourists a wide variety of international cuisines. As it happens, eating out in Brazil is also a very affordable experience, with superb service. However, most visitors to a country want to delve into the local dishes at least once during their stay, and the following are some the national Brazilian foods you'll see in nearly any restaurants in Brazil: Feijoada - the national dish of Brazil, this Brazilian food will be served to you whether you chose to eat in one of the many Brazil restaurants, or if you are more adventurous and chose to eat on the street. Feijoada is a delicious combination of rice, black beans and pork. Having said that you can get this traditional Brazilian food in any restaurant, the best time to eat this in any restaurants in Brazil is on a Sunday, as this the traditional time to eat this. Caipirinha - caipirinha is the national drink that is normally drank by diners in most Brazil restaurants prior to eating their Feijoada. Caipirinha is a potent, delicious lime and sugarcane drink - very refreshing for the tropics! Caldo - Caldo is a soup dish that restaurants in Brazil normally serve before the main dish – Feijoada.

SHOPPING INFO

Leather items such as shoes, purses, belts and other leather goods, are relatively inexpensive in Brazil and of excellent design and quality. Clothing for men, women and children is usually also inexpensive. There is also numerous jewellery items (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc.) made from semi-precious stones that are inexpensive, unique, beautifully designed and make good souvenirs or presents. Electronics and other similar manufactured items are most often more expensive in Brazil than elsewhere.

BRAZIL SHOPPING HOURS

Stores and offices are normally open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm as well as from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Most shoppings (shopping centers/malls) are open until at least 8:00 pm and many until 10:00 pm. Many farmácias (pharmacies) and drogarias (drug stores) are also open on Sundays and some supermercados (supermarkets) in larger cities are open 24 hours.

 

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