What are the biggest contributions to human history that Brazil has made?
I don't know much about Brazil.

Their president plays the Bass Guitar.

Best looking girls in the world, best football teams over the years

Best looking girls in the world, best football teams over the years

Just what I wanted to say. :D

(okay, maybe not fully #1 at the former, but definitely in top 3)

FredLC.

/thread

FredLC.

/thread

You Forgot Downtown's Mom

And Pele

A wonder for Civ IV.

They have a pretty sizable military hardware industry.

I think that for a country of our size and resources we contributed very little to the advancement of mankind.

But anyway, you might want to read about:

Santos Dumont (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_Dumont), aviation pioneer, designed the first practical dirigible balloons, and made the first fligt in Europe with an airplane, which some people (most brazilians) consider to be the first first to take off, fly, and land without the use of catapults, high winds, launch rails, or other external assistance. Is also widely credited with the invention of the wrist watch, though in reality he only popularised it.

César Lattes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Lattes), co-discoverer of the pion (pi meson) and one of the great physicists of the 20th Century.

Carlos Chagas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Chagas), great biologist, discovered quite some diseases, including most notably Chagas disease.

On literature, you should definately check out Machado de Assis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machado_de_assis), the most important brazilian writer and one of the best of the 19th Century, and also Guimarães Rosa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimar%C3%A3es_Rosa), perhaps the most original writer (and he is a great favourite among brazilian writers and linguists in general).

On architecture, you ought to know Oscar Niemeyer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Niemeyer) and his huge influence worldwide.

And in sports there are obvious examples like properly played football and properly done jiu-jitsu.

Brazil has produced more sugar than anywhere else in the world.

As luiz sort of alludes to, they essentially created what eventually became modern MMA. UFC 1 was more or less the Gracie brothers trying to prove to everyone else that 'My Kung Fu is greater than yours!'....and it was. Until people learned how to defend against it, than it became one element amongst many and athleticism, training, and well-roundedness became key.

I think that for a country of our size and resources we contributed very little to the advancement of mankind.


The size is only a 20th century thing, and most of those resources were inaccessible until technology improved - give Brazil time and I'm sure it'll do many great things.

As I recall, they are the closest industrialized nation to being fully energy independent. In this day and age that's quite impressive, to say nothing of being advantageous.

The bikini wax!

Beat that.

Finest footballing nation of all time, and the bikini.

That's way better than 90% of countries to be fair.

Best looking girls in the world, best football teams over the years

The best football teams, samba, and the Carnival of Rio. And a huge rubber and hardwood lumbering industry.

Rubber used to be very important.
Piranha.

Didn't Brazil invent and popularize the modern thong and G-string?

If so that puts it somewhere between the USA landing on the moon and Greece stopping the Persians.

Finest footballing nation of all time, and the bikini.

That's way better than 90% of countries to be fair.

The bikini is an AMERICAN invention, thank you.

The bikini is an AMERICAN invention, thank you.

Actually, the modern bikini was invented by two french guys. However, women wore stuff similar to that for centuries. The name is of american inspiration however (the hydrogen bombs tested in the Bikini islands).

And indeed the really tiny bikins were first popularized in Brazil (they are called "fio-dental" here, which means dental floss).

What are the biggest contributions to human history that Brazil has made?
I don't know much about Brazil.

You don't know much about brazil except that the Christ the Redemer statue is in rio & carnival?

The greatness of Brazilian's contributions can be measured by very variable standards.

For example, during the great navegations, it was the center of Portugal's economy - to the point when the Royal Family of Portugal moved here, and elevated Brazil from colony to United kingdom (pressed by fear of invasion from Napoleon), they were merely implementing a long standing plan of part of the court. A great many of the wealthy that financed the industrial revolution came from the gold of Minas Gerais - which sailed from Brazil to Portugal and from there straight to Londom through the wonders of the concept of "favorable commercial ballance".

Of course, that is not a realization of brazilians, which seens to be the point of this thread. Quite frankly, I doubt Brazil has stand in places of honor except for a few exceptional individuals (as luiz pointed out - I would add a few more obscure names, at least Rui Barbosa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rui_Barbosa) and Monteiro lobato (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monteiro_Lobato)), but we haven't been a REAL country (there is, one indepented country not outrun by a military dictatorship) for much time yet.

Still, I think that the recognition of our excelence in sports is matched by our excellence in music, specially movements such as the Bossa Nova (which gave the world wonders such as "waters of march" and "girl from Ipanema"), MPB and Tropicália.

Less known but equally true, Brazil has always been playing above it's league in the games of diplomacy, constantly being arbiter and/or mediator in international disputes, as reading the profile of Rui Barbosa should hint. Which is why we compete for a permanent sit in the UN Security Council with almost the same possibility as countries such as Germany and China - what is quite amazing.

In all, what Brazil has lacked is a strong leadership role in international communities (thus we have no figure head politicians), and greater roles in wars (which we probably could not have fulfilled, but I doubt I can consider it desireable).

Finally, we lack better contributions to the scientific community, and we are still a far cry from it, but at least in the fields of deep oil exploration (Petrobrás), alternative fuel (sugar tree alcohool) and small cruise aircrafts (Embraero), Brazil has top notch contributions, and even tech leadership.

Less enterprising but very true, we produce more than our fair share of primary and secondary economy - mostly food and processed metals, such as steel.

So yeah, Brazil does fill it's role in the world community. Economy is improving slowly - nowhere near the amazing rates of China and India - but OTOH, Brazil is ahead of both in terms of social liberties. This slow growth is steady, and appears solid - we mostly cruised through the latest world money bubbles that bursted. We have a great deal of problem with income inequality, and this seens to be our greater problem, but in the last ten years iour institutions are getting stronger. It's still common to have corrupt politicians here, but now, they have to be smart or they will get caught - unlike the past when corruption was obvious and in the face, and nothing would get done.

I have a positive perspective of Brazil; the country has made a great deal of advance since the redemocratization. I think it's fair to hope that one day we will catch up with the role we potentially can fulfil; I just don't know if it will happen sooner.... I fear it will be later.

Regards :).

The bikini is an AMERICAN invention, thank you.

i thought it was french.... :confused:

The bikini is an AMERICAN invention, thank you.

Meh, I thought americans didn't like (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV8WTAKueSQ) bikinis :p

Bikinis are French! They were invented in France by a French guy and modeled by a French woman.

Yes, thank you for being the fourth person in the same page to say that.

It bears repeating as it is the primary contribution the French made to the world.

It bears repeating as it is the primary contribution the French made to the world.

No I thought the French invented the Bra but the americans the bikini

According to a website I found, the best Brazilian invention would be Havaianas
http://bestuff.com/stuff/havaianas

They look like regular flipflops (or "teensletsen" as we call them in Flemish ;) ) to me...
Or at least an idea stolen from the Japanese :)

According to a website I found, the best Brazilian invention would be Havaianas
http://bestuff.com/stuff/havaianas

They look like regular flipflops (or "teensletsen" as we call them in Flemish ;) ) to me...
Or at least an idea stolen from the Japanese :)

I was about to post this. Besides the leadership in sport, music and industry (like Luiz and FredLC pointed out), these flip flops are simply amazing. I'm wearing blue ones right now, and have two other pair back home.

Brasil also gave the world GUARANA (http://www.amigofoods.com/guanbe116pa.html), which may be the world's best soda.

And of course, as Eran noted, Brasil is where my mother is from...so they get half credit for Downtown.

I know it's been mentioned before in this thread, but you seriously can't underestimate what they have done for music.

They bring forth amazing women, good footballers and make music that touches the heart and soul of the listener. If they could only get rid of the violence it would be a paradise .. for those with money ;)

Itaipu is a great building: 15,4 GW and can build more 1,4 GW.

Ayrton Senna - Need talk about?

Osvaldo Aranha - UN president who supported the creation of Israel in 1947.

Probably the use of sugar cane to make all their fuel supplies.

It bears repeating as it is the primary contribution the French made to the world.

Not true. The French also invented the baseball cap.

EDIT: And Germans made the hamburger, and hotdogs.

Suddenly "All-American" doesn't seem so American anymore, does it?

Not true. The French also invented the baseball cap.

EDIT: And Germans made the hamburger, and hotdogs.

Suddenly "All-American" doesn't seem so American anymore, does it?

Actually the Hamburger was created in New Haven Connecticut. The style of meat however was created in Germany.

Sao Paulo has the largest amount of Italians in any one city.

The bikini is an AMERICAN invention, thank you

no, French.

Sao Paulo has the largest amount of Italians in any one city.

São Paulo also has the largest amount of Japanese out of Japan, the largest amount of Spanish out of Spain, the largest amount of Lebanese out of lebanon and the largest amount of Portuguese out of Portugal. It is a big city ;)

Wasn't it the largest at one point?

São Paulo also has the largest amount of Japanese out of Japan, the largest amount of Spanish out of Spain, the largest amount of Lebanese out of lebanon and the largest amount of Portuguese out of Portugal. It is a big city ;)

What I am saying is, there are more Italians in São Paulo than there are in Milan, or Rome or Turin.

What I am saying is, there are more Italians in São Paulo than there are in Milan, or Rome or Turin.

I had no idea of this. Now looking some data The largest city in Italy, Rome has only 2.7 million of residents, of these only a part are Italians. In São Paulo there are 6 million Italians and descendants! (according to wiki)

Also there are more Lebanese and descendants here than in all Lebanon!

I had no idea of this. Now looking some data The largest city in Italy, Rome has only 2.7 million of residents, of these only a part are Italians. In São Paulo there are 6 million Italians and descendants! (according to wiki)

Also there are more Lebanese and descendants here than in all Lebanon!

What is it like living in a city of such diversity in HUGE numbers? Are the Italians, Lebanese and such spread in to different neighbourhoods, or is everybody quite scattered and well-assimilated?

São Paulo also has the largest amount of Japanese out of Japan, the largest amount of Spanish out of Spain, the largest amount of Lebanese out of lebanon and the largest amount of Portuguese out of Portugal. It is a big city ;)

The largest ammount of portuguese people outside Portugal (and in fact anywhere in Portugal too, but Lisbon) is Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo might take the lead if you count everyone with some portuguese blood, but that is kind of irrelevant since most brazilians have some portuguese blood.

In any case, Rio is a much more portuguese city than São Paulo, specially the North Zone (the neighbourhoods of São Cristóvão and Benfica are untill today mostly populated by portuguese immigrants and their children, and the football club Vasco da Gama is based there).

What is it like living in a city of such diversity in HUGE numbers? Are the Italians, Lebanese and such spread in to different neighbourhoods, or is everybody quite scattered and well-assimilated?

People are very well-assimilated in São Paulo (as in the rest of Brazil). Though they do have some neighbourhoods where certain traditions prevail, the most famous being the japanese one.

People are very well-assimilated in São Paulo (as in the rest of Brazil). Though they do have some neighbourhoods where certain traditions prevail, the most famous being the japanese one.
Would you say it's just like the U.S. then?

People are very well-assimilated in São Paulo (as in the rest of Brazil). Though they do have some neighbourhoods where certain traditions prevail, the most famous being the japanese one.


Also have some small towns with one or 2 nacionality.

South brazil has small town with italians, some german town, spanish town.

My family is from a small city that more than 80% are german families.

Brazil is the 3rd country with "germen people".

Would you say it's just like the U.S. then?

In some regards, yes. But when talking about ethnicities in Brazil, one thing to consider is that miscigenation here went much further than in the US, specially outside Southern Brazil (which is still miscigenated, but on a smaller scale).

So while it is true that there are 25,000,000 italian-brazilians, I would guess that some 80% (wild guess) of them also have considerable non-italian heritage.

Also have some small towns with one or 2 nacionality.

South brazil has small town with italians, some german town, spanish town.

My family is from a small city that more than 80% are german families.

Brazil is the 3rd country with "germen people".

Indeed. I was talking more about São Paulo. Southern Brazil is a different story (though not unique: my mom was born in a city in Espírito Santo where virtually 100% of the population is either german or italian).

So Brazil's greatest contribution to the world is harbouring Germans, Italians, Lebanese, Portuguese and Japanese? ;)

I think Brazil's greatest achievement is probably its diversity and music. I mean from the stuff you guys posted :goodjob: :clap:

Best looking girls in the world

If you like girls missing several teeth.

Um, yes .

If you like girls missing several teeth.

Who is missing any teeth?

I thought ice hockey was popular in Canada???

If you like girls missing several teeth.

Girls missing teeth?? :crazyeye:

Where did you get the idea that girls in Brasil do not have all the teeth in the mouth?