Archived Great Discussion Series

In contrast with the townships of South Africa, which are almost all several miles from the city centre, a large number of Rio’s 900-odd favelas sit cheek by jowl with some of the fanciest real estate in Brazil.

If a country is named host of the Olympics or the World Cup, it's a big deal. Brazil will be hosting both events over the next three years, and that means a massive influx of foreign visitors. Now, this is a country where fears about crime usually grab the headlines. But as NPR's South American correspondent Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports from Sao Paolo, tourists coming to Brazil may be clutching their wallets for a different reason.

The Foreign Policy Association provides background information on Brazil's emerging economies, problems, and global prominence.