According to the CIA World Factbook, 21 countries require adults to vote by law, and the largest country to practice compulsory voting is Brazil. If you are an adult between the ages of 18 and 70, and you do not vote in a federal election, you are subject to a small fine.

Adopted in 1889, the Brazilian flag features 27 stars, making it the flag with the second-highest number of stars in the world, after the United States. Unlike on the American flag, however, the stars on the Brazilian flag are scattered across a blue globe. The stars represent the 26 states or provinces in Brazil, along with the Federal District.

Brazil is the world’s 12th-largest economy by GDP, and the country is the world’s largest exporter of soybeans. In 2021, Brazil exported a record 95 billion tons of soybeans, with around 70% of their product shipped to China. Soybeans brought in over $30 billion to Brazil’s economy in 2021. The country’s second-largest export was iron ore.

Brasília has been the capital of Brazil since 1960; prior to that, from 1763 to 1960, Rio de Janeiro was the country’s capital. Brasília is thought to be the first capital city designed by modern urban planning, and when seen from above, it takes the shape of an airplane. The city was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, who looked to the sky for inspiration.

Born in the Brazilian city of Três Corações in 1940, Pelé is widely regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time. He led Brazil to three World Cup victories in 1958, 1962, and 1970. Pelé was named FIFA’s “Co-Player of the Century” along with Diego Maradona, who won one World Cup with Argentina.

Covering 3.3 million square miles, Brazil is approximately 300,000 square miles larger than the contiguous United States. Brazil touches almost every other country in South America, except Chile, which stretches along the Pacific coast, and Ecuador, on the northwest coast of the continent. It is the world’s fifth-largest country by area.

Beginning on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, Brazil’s massive Carnival — the largest such celebration in the world — kicks off the season of Lent. Historically, Carnival was celebrated primarily by the working class of Brazil, and the flashy, colorful costumes were meant to mock the rich. The central event of the weekend is when Rio’s top samba schools compete throughout the night at the Sambadrome arena.

A Lusophone country is one that recognizes Portuguese as its official language, and Brazil is the largest Lusophone country by both area and population, thanks to its history as the only country in the Americas that was colonized by Portugal. Brazil is also home to more than 150 Indigenous languages, but Portuguese is the country’s sole official language.

Looming over the Rio de Janeiro skyline from the summit of Mount Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer is one of Brazil’s most famous monuments. Constructed in 1931, the statue of Jesus Christ is 98 feet tall, with arms stretching 92 feet wide. It is considered the largest art deco sculpture in the world.

Not only is São Paulo the most populous city in Brazil, but it is also the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere. As of 2022, there are 22.4 million people living in the São Paulo metropolitan area, making it the world’s fourth-most-populated city. Brazil’s second-largest city is Rio de Janeiro, with 13.6 million residents.