Brazil – the largest sovereign state in Latin America. A federal republic, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country, by both geographical area and total population. It is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world, and the only one in the Americas. It is a country of great diversity, and is famous for its football (soccer) tradition and its annual Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Olinda. It is also a land of profound economic contradictions.