Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world by area. It is home to over 200 million people and famous for its vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and love of football. Brazil’s long and rich history has given rise to many mysteries and riddles over the years. Below are 56 riddles about different aspects of Brazil along with their answers.
Geography Riddles
Riddle 1
What is the name of the world’s largest tropical rainforest that covers most of northern Brazil?
Answer: The Amazon rainforest
Riddle 2
I am a huge plateau that covers most of eastern and central Brazil. Millions live on me, yet I am named after the feeling you get when looking down from my steep cliffs. What am I?
Answer: The Brazilian Highlands or Planalto Brasileiro
Riddle 3
We are a famous natural wonder of the world located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Over 275 waterfalls make up our horseshoe shape that stretches 2.7 kilometers wide. What are we?
Answer: Iguazu Falls
History Riddles
Riddle 4
I am a South American country that was a Portuguese colony for over 300 years until my independence in 1822. Coffee and sugar cane are two of my major exports. What country am I?
Answer: Brazil
Riddle 5
I am a famous Brazilian city that was the capital during colonial times. Many landmarks still reflect my Portuguese history like the São Francisco Basilica and the Pelourinho neighborhood. What historic city am I?
Answer: Salvador
Riddle 6
We are an influential architectural style from Brazil during the mid 20th century. Oscar Niemeyer was our most famous architect. We used modern materials like concrete, glass, and steel in curved, abstract shapes. What style are we?
Answer: Brazilian modernism
Culture Riddles
Riddle 7
I am an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics, and music. My name comes from a Bantu language meaning “rooster”. Capoeira is played to me all around Brazil. What am I?
Answer: Berimbau
Riddle 8
We are a spicy pepper sauce commonly used in Brazilian cuisine. Portuguese for “little pepper”, we are made from malagueta peppers, salt, and lime juice. Our scoville rating is about 30,000-50,000 units. What red and green sauce are we?
Answer: Piri piri sauce
Riddle 9
I am a religious festival celebrated before Lent every year in Brazil. Elaborately decorated floats and samba school parades take over cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. What colourful festival am I?
Answer: Carnival
Soccer Riddles
Riddle 10
We are Brazil’s national soccer team. With 5 World Cup titles under our belt, we have the most wins of any team. Our iconic yellow jersey is known worldwide. What team are we?
Answer: The Brazil national football team
Riddle 11
I am a retired Brazilian professional football player. I am the all-time leading goal scorer for Brazil having scored 77 goals in 92 matches. What is my name?
Answer: Pelé
Riddle 12
I am a term used to describe creative and clever soccer play that is considered a hallmark of Brazilian football. I involve subtle feints and dribbling that confuses opponents. What am I?
Answer: Joga bonito
Animal Riddles
Riddle 13
I am the largest snake in the Americas. I can grow over 5 meters long and use my powerful coils to squeeze my prey to death. I make my home in the Amazon rainforest. What snake am I?
Answer: The green anaconda
Riddle 14
We are one of the most venomous spiders in the world, earning a Guinness World Record in 2010. Our Greek name means “armed with poison”. Over 2 inches wide, we are found in remote regions of Brazil. What spider are we?
Answer: The Brazilian wandering spider
Riddle 15
I am the national animal of Brazil. My coat is golden orange with black spots and I can run up to 75 mph. Jaguars are often called this as another common name. What nimble big cat am I?
Answer: The jaguarundi
Plant Riddles
Riddle 16
I am a tropical berry that originated in Brazil but is now grown around the world, especially in Hawaii. Thriving in volcanic soil, I have a sweet yet tart flavor perfect for juices and desserts. What red berry am I?
Answer: The acai berry
Riddle 17
We are the fruit of a Brazilian palm tree that contains edible orange pulp and a nutty core. Our name comes from a Native American word meaning “fruit for the future”. What oval fruit are we?
Answer: Açaí berries
Riddle 18
I am a palm tree native to Brazil but now cultivated worldwide for my edible hearts of palm. My name comes from a Native American word meaning “crying baby”. What palm am I?
Answer: Peach palm
People Riddles
Riddle 19
I am an actress and model born in Brazil. I gained fame playing a Bond girl in the 2002 film Die Another Day. I often top lists of the world’s most beautiful women. Who am I?
Answer: Halle Berry
Riddle 20
We are twin Brazilian supermodels known for our Victoria’s Secret campaigns and work with designers like Dolce & Gabbana. Our last name means “beautiful view” in Portuguese. Who are we?
Answer: Gisele and Patricia Bündchen
Riddle 21
I am a famous Brazilian novelist and playwright from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I wrote the acclaimed novels The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas and Dom Casmurro. Who am I?
Answer: Machado de Assis
Folklore Riddles
Riddle 22
According to legend, we protect the forests and waters of Brazil. With our backward turned feet, we confuse hunters and loggers who try to pursue us. What mythical creatures are we?
Answer: Curupira
Riddle 23
I am a legendary reptile monster said to lurk in the Amazon River. With red eyes and a horn on my head, some believe I am a surviving glyptodont. Local legends tell of my taste for human flesh. What monster am I?
Answer: The Amazonian river monster
Riddle 24
We are mythical dwarf beings and guardians of caves in Brazilian folklore. Beards cover our tiny elf-like bodies. Miners traditionally leave offerings to appease us. What are we called?
Answer: Cuca
Food & Drink Riddles
Riddle 25
I am a popular cocktail originating from Brazil. Cachaça, sugar, lime juice and ice are used to make me. I have a sweet yet tart flavor. What refreshing drink am I?
Answer: Caipirinha
Riddle 26
We are a sweet dessert with origins in colonial Brazil. Made from eggs, sugar, and cornstarch or flour, we are baked in miniature pans or ramekins. What are these baked custards called?
Answer: Pudim
Riddle 27
I am a leafy green vegetable commonly used in Brazilian feijoada stew. In English I share my name with a big city in Texas. What nutrient-rich vegetable am I?
Answer: Kale
Language Riddles
Riddle 28
I am the official language of Brazil spoken by over 99% of the population. I am a Romance language derived from Portuguese. What language am I?
Answer: Brazilian Portuguese
Riddle 29
We are a writing system used to represent the Indigenous languages of Brazil prior to European colonization. Our name combines the Greek words for “writing” and “drawing”. What are we called?
Answer: Pictographs
Riddle 30
I am an Indigenous American language isolate spoken by a few thousand people in Rondônia, Brazil. I am unrelated to any other living language. What am I called?
Answer: Arikapú
Music Riddles
Riddle 31
I am a Brazilian ballroom dance and music genre originating in Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century. My name means “new trend”. What dance am I?
Answer: Choro
Riddle 32
We are a form of Brazilian folk music from Northeastern Brazil. We feature rhythmic poetry sung over fast-paced accordion and percussion. What genre are we?
Answer: Forró
Riddle 33
I am a genre of samba music that originated in Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. I feature call and response singing between a soloist and a chorus. What rhythmic genre am I?
Answer: Samba de roda
Science Riddles
Riddle 34
I am a Brazilian neuroscientist who won the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries about memory storage in the brain. What is my name?
Answer: Eric Kandel
Riddle 35
I am a Brazilian physicist who predicted the existence of the Higgs boson particle in 1964. I also developed a model unifying the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces. Who am I?
Answer: César Lattes
Riddle 36
We are prehistoric relatives of armadillos the size of small cars that went extinct about 10,000 years ago. Fossils of us have been found in Brazil. What are we called?
Answer: Glyptodonts
Literature Riddles
Riddle 37
I am a famous modernist Brazilian novel published in 1928. I chronicle the shifting fortunes of several generations of the fictional Buendía family in the town Macondo. What novel am I?
Answer: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Riddle 38
I am a celebrated Brazilian novel written by Jorge Amado in 1958. Set in 1940s Brazil, I tell the story of the doomed love between a man and woman divided by race and class. What romantic tale am I?
Answer: Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
Riddle 39
I am a collection of satirical, humorous short stories set in Brazil, published in 1964. Written by Luis Fernando Verissimo, I skewer topics like politics, sports, and family life. What am I called?
Answer: Borges and the Eternal Orangutans
Movie Riddles
Riddle 40
I am a 2002 crime film set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Director. What gritty movie am I?
Answer: City of God
Riddle 41
I am an animated film set in Rio de Janeiro featuring a macaw named Blu trying to adjust to life in the wild. I was produced by Blue Sky Studios and released in 2011. What’s my name?
Answer: Rio
Riddle 42
I am a 1984 film based on the Broadway play of the same name. I tell the story of a con man and dancer teaming up to perform a scam set in 1920s Rio. What comedy caper am I?
Answer: The Jewel of the Nile
Art Riddles
Riddle 43
I am a Brazilian artist and painter considered a forerunner of modern art in Latin America. My paintings feature bold colors and distorted human forms. Who am I?
Answer: Tarsila do Amaral
Riddle 44
We are enormous outdoor artworks carved into sandstone cliffs on mountaintops across southern Brazil. Created by the Kayapo people, we depict animals, plants, and geometric shapes. What are we?
Answer: Kayapo geoglyphs
Riddle 45
I am a famous work of art depicting the founding of Brazil in 1500. Painted by Oscar Pereira da Silva in 1893, I show Pedro Álvares Cabral coming ashore. What epic painting am I?
Answer: The Discovery of Brazil
Government Riddles
Riddle 46
I am the federal constitutional republic and largest country in South America by area. Brasília is my capital and reais is my currency. What country am I?
Answer: Brazil
Riddle 47
I am the current and 37th president of Brazil, elected in 2018. I am a member of the conservative Social Liberal Party. Controversy surrounds my policies on the environment. Who am I?
Answer: Jair Bolsonaro
Riddle 48
I am Brazil’s bicameral national legislature consisting of the Federal Senate and Chamber of Deputies. I hold the legislative authority of the country. What am I called?
Answer: The National Congress of Brazil
Engineering Riddles
Riddle 49
I am a famous racetrack in São Paulo, Brazil known for hosting the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990. I am one of
