Catholicism is Brazil’s major religion, comprising 82.6% of the population, followed by Protestants with 11.3% and Animists with roughly 2.5%. Portuguese is the official language, though Spanish, French and English are also spoken. Whites are the majority ethnic group in the country, followed by mulattos, Negroes and a major Asian colony. The blend of all these races has churned out several half-breed groups, thus making Brazil an extremely diverse country from an ethnical standpoint. The vigor of African traditions in Brazil is manifest in its particular spreading instead of confining themselves to the boundaries of their own ethnic identity. Black symbolism and African memories are strongly evoked time and time again, thus generating an everlasting source of inspiration and creation among Brazil’s black movements. Despite being a Catholic country, African religions are also worshipped nationwide.
