Brazil is home to one of the most vivacious cultures you will ever have the opportunity to discover. From the Afro-Brazilian artisans in the Northeast to the 'beach-at-lunch hour' city life in the South, Brazil is a country full of contrasts. Brazil's geography is as diverse as its population with the swamplands of the Pantanal, the rainforests of the Amazon and the imposing mountains and beaches of Rio somewhere in the middle. Brazil seems miles away from its South American neighbors, not only because of its Portuguese-speaking inhabitants (the country was a Portuguese colony until 1822 when it achieved independence), but also for its European customs and personality. Today Brazil is South America's strongest economy with its strength in natural resources that is apparent throughout the landscape.