Sophia Dragao is our club's Rotary Youth Exchange student this year. She is from Brazil. Our club invited her to talk about her experience and wish her well when she heads home in June.

1. BRAZIL
Sophia Silva Dragao
REVISÃO-00 DEZ-2010

2. EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00

3. About Brazil
• Located in South America;
• Is bordered with almost all the countries in the
continent, except Equator and Chile;
• The 5th largest country in the world (47% of South
America);
• 27 states;
• Federative Republic;
• Capital: Brasilia;
• Language: Portuguese;
• Economy based on agriculture and livestock (1st
export of beef and chicken).

4. • Because of the large territory, Brazil hosts 4 different
climates (Equatorial, Semi-Arid, Highland Tropical,
and Subtropical);
• Has the largest river in the world by volume of water
(Amazon River);
• Greatest biodiversity (Amazon rainforest);
• 17% of the plants in the world are found in Brazil.

5. Foz do Iguacu:
•City that hosts one of the
largest waterfalls in the world
(Iguacu Falls);
Pantanal:
•Tropical wetlands located in
the western of the country;
•Large population of plants and
•plentiful lagoons;
Fernando de Noronha:
•Volcanic archipelago off the
Brazilian’s northeast coast;
•Clear waters and beautiful
beaches.

6. Sao Paulo:
•The biggest city in Brazil,
with 12.04 million people;
•Brazil’s financial center;
Rio de Janeiro:
•Huge seaside in Brazil;
•Famous because of the
Christ statue;
Brasilia:
•Brazilian Capital;
•Designed by the famous architect
Oscar Niemeyer.

7. Brazilian Food
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00
• Brazilian food is known because of the use of herbs and
spices;
• Our food is very related to slavery in the 1800s; the result
is a very diverse food culture.

8. About our culture
• Most famous sport is soccer, usually watched
every Sunday, when all the families get together to
have a big lunch;
• Carnival is an annual celebration in our country
which occurs before the season of Lent.

9. EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00
Brazil was the host country of the World Cup in 2014
and of the Olympics in 2016.

10. About my city
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00
• Called Sao Joao da Boa Vista;
• Has around 100,000 people;
• Located in the state of Sao Paulo;
• The annual temperature average is of 20
• About 40 minutes from the mountains.
°C (68°F);

11. Where I live…
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00

12. My School
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00
• Called Anglo Sao Joao;
• About 500 students;
• Around 150 students in my class;
• High schools in Brazil last only 3
years.

13. My family
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00

14. My exchange year

15. Places I have visited
Washington D.C.
New York City Atlanta
The Biltmore House
Florida
Appalachian
State

16. American Experiences

17. Why Exchange?
People usually ask me why did I leave my home,
my life, and my family to come to a different country,
speak a different language, and live with people that I
do not know. And the answer is because I am looking
for new experiences. All of us, exchange students, go
to foreign countries to learn more about their culture,
meeting new people, understanding their thoughts
and customs, thinking globally. Being an exchange
student helped me see that it is not all about my
country and the way we live, but about others’ and
their perspectives. I am grateful for the many
opportunities that have made me grow in knowledge
and confidence.

18. Host Families
I got to spend the best year of my life with the greatest
people I could have asked for. The most fun moments were
with them. They opened doors for me, and made me feel
safe and happy when everything seemed so hard.

19. Rotary
This was the best year of my life. My dream
became true because of this organization. Thank you!

20. OBRIGADA!
EXPRO BRASIL - PALESTRA SOBRE O BRASIL - REVISÃO-00
Thank You!