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Language and Religion in Brazil

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The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. It is spoken by the entire nation with very few regional differences. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas, and has a language that is slightly different from the language spoken in Portugal. Most speakers understand some degree of Spanish, and English is taught high school, although few learn to speak it well. There are also many indigenous languages spoken. The main ones are Tupi, Guarani, Kaingang, Nadeb, Caraja, Caribe, Tucano, Arara, Terena, Bororo, Apalai, and Canela. There are also a number of dialects that are spoken by communities of descendant of immigrants. These people speak dialects of Italian, German, Polish, or Japanese languages. There are also several thousand people who speak those languages as their first language.

The main religion in Brazil is Roman Catholicism. Seventy-four percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 15% is Protestant, and 1.3% follows the beliefs of Spiritism. The next largest groups are traditional African religions, such as Candomble, Macumba, and Umbanda. There are also approximately 900,00 Mormons, 120,000 members of the Jewish community, and 28,000 Muslims. Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world and the most members of Asian religions in the Western world.

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