JessicaFogassa

BrazilianCulture
AculturethatIknowmostaboutistheBrazilianculture.Braziliancultureisone
oftheworldsmostvariedanddiverse.Thisisduetoitsbeingameltingpotof
nationalities,asaresultofcenturiesofEuropeandominationaswellasslavery,which
broughthordesofAfricanmigrantsacrossBrazilsborderstoliveinandinfluencethe
localcultureswiththeirancientcustomsandideas(BrazilCulture).
Historiansandscientistshavediscoveredthatcommunitiesofpeoplewereliving
inwhatisnowknownasBrazilaslongas8,000yearsago.Thesefirsttraceablehuman
beingswerenomadicandseminomadicpeoplewhoarebelieved(althoughnotproven)
tohavecomefrompartsofAsiainsearchofabundanthuntinggrounds.
TheywerecalledIndiansbythePortuguese,whenthisEuropeannationeventually
arrived(BrazilHistory).
Atpresent,Brazilhasapopulationofabout190millionpeople.Ofthese,more
thanhalfarewhite(whichincludesPortuguese,Italian,Polishetc...individuals),just
fewerthan40%aremixedblackandwhiteandlessthan10%areblack(BrazilCulture).
Approximately80%ofthepopulationascribestotheRomanCatholicfaith.Thisisdueto
theintensePortugueseoccupationofcenturiesago.TheseEuropeansettlerstaughtthe
indigenoustribesCatholicism,builtchurchesandestablishedtraditionsandcustomsthat
originatedinthischurch(BrazilCulture).
TheofficiallanguageinBrazilisshockingly,notBrazilian,aseveryoneseems
tothink,itisPortuguese.ThisisbecauseofthePortuguesesettlements.WeBrazilians

revolveourlivesaroundourfamilies.Theyreusuallyhuge;mygrandparentshad14
childrenasanexample.Theyreusuallyallverycloseaswell,gettingtogetherfrequently
andsupportingeachotherineveryway.
Brazilianstaketheirappearancesveryseriously.Womenusuallyhavetheirnails
doneaswellastheirhair,andaredressedverynicely.Itisraretoseeanyonearoundin
sweatpantsandhairundone.Theyarealsoveryaffectionate,especiallycomparedto
Americans.Shakinghandsisntcommon,buthugsandcheekkissesdefinitelyare.
Inbusiness,Brazilianstendtodealwithindividuals,notcompanies.Therefore,
youwillneedtoestablishatrustingrelationshipwiththemifyouwishtogaintheir
business.Itisimportantthatyoudonottrytorushthemintomakingdecisionsor
formingrelationships(BrazilCulture).

GhanaCulture
Me:Hey!IwasjustresearchingGhanascultureandfoundoutthatitsprettysimilarto
Brazils.
Talita:Yeah,mymomhastoldmethatbeforewhenIaskedherifBrazilwassimilarto
anyotherculture.
Me:Familystandsovereverything,justlikeinBrazil,whichIthoughtwasinteresting.
Butwhatsmoreinterestingistheirpeople,Thereareover100ethnicgroupslivingin
Ghana.ThelargestareAkan,MoshiDagbani,Ewe,andGa.TheAshantitribeofthe
AkanarethelargesttribeandoneofthefewsocietiesinWestAfricawherelineageis
tracedthroughthemotherandmaternalancestors(Ghana).

Talita:whatabouttheirreligionandlanguage?
Me:Well,therearedifferentsourcesthatgivedifferentfiguresforthenumberof
languagesofGhana.Thisisbecauseofdifferentclassificationsofvarietiesaseither
languagesordialects.AswithmanyexcoloniesinAfrica,theofficiallanguageofGhana
isthecoloniallanguage,English.Ninelanguageshavethestatusofgovernment
sponsoredlanguages:Akan,Dagaare/Wale,Dagbane,Dangme,Ewe,Ga,Gonja,Kasem,
Nzema.However,twodialectsofAkan,TwiandFante,althoughnotgovernment
sponsored,arealsowidelyspokeninGhana(Ghana).
Thereligionisverydiverse.Christian68.8%(Pentecostal/Charismatic24.1%,Protestant
18.6%,Catholic15.1%,other11%),Muslim15.9%,traditional8.5%,other0.7%,none
6.1%(2000census)(Ghana).
Talita:ohwow,thatisextremelydiverse.OnemorethingIwanttoknow,whatisthe
climatelike?
Me:Itstropical!Extremelybytheamazon,verysimilartoBrazil!

WorksCited
1."BRAZIL."BrazilCulture.Web.6Nov.2015.
2."BRAZIL."BrazilHistory.Web.6Nov.2015.
3."GhanaLanguage,Culture,CustomsandEtiquette."Ghana.Web.6Nov.2015.