Brazil has a large variety of climates due to its immense size, stretching from 5 degrees north of the equator to 30 degrees south. While the Amazon basin near the equator has regular temperatures and rainfall distributed throughout the year, the northeast has a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall between 500mm annually and drought years with torrential rain bringing flash floods. In contrast, the southeast coast including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo near the Tropic of Capricorn has a pleasant sub-tropical to warm temperate climate, which attracts many people to these cities known for their beaches and as homes to skilled soccer players.

1. WEATHER LORE FOR HELGA

3. The variety of climatic characteristics experienced in Brazil really stems from its immense size. One of the largest countries in the world at over 8 million square km, it stretches from approximately 5 degrees north of the equator to around 30 degrees south...

6. This climatic type is intimately linked to the dense tropical rainforest that co-exists with it. Water is cycled between the atmosphere and the trees, some of ` it never reaching the surface of the earth, and only a very small proportion ever travels the length of the Amazon to the ocean.

8. Compare this with the north east corner of Brazil. Still very close to the equator but suffering under a semi-arid climate with rainfall of great variability. Rainfall here can be as low as 500 mm a year, much less in drought years and the rain, when it comes, falls in torrential storms bringing flash floods.

11. Most people live on the south east coast of Brazil, in and around the world famous cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.