WATCH: World Cup venue guide, Sao Paulo
A fun fact about Brazil, host of soccer’s World Cup next month: Its forests, rivers and lakes are home to the highest number of mammals, plants and fresh water fish species of any country on the planet.
Another fact? There are more than 25 homicides per 100,000 members of the population each year, giving it one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Indeed, Brazil is a study in contrasts for the world to discover when the country plays host for the month-long contest beginning June 12.
‘Do not react, scream or argue’
Authorities in Sao Paulo, one of 12 Brazilian cities now scrambling to complete preparations, have taken the unusual step (well, unusual perhaps outside of Brazil) to produce a pamphlet prepping visitors about how to avoid being killed during a robbery.
“Do not react, scream or argue,” the pamphlet says, according to a report from Estadao de Sao Paulo, a local newspaper.
Failing to heed the brochures warnings may well result in “latrocinios,” or robbery leading to cold-blooded murder, a disturbing trend on the rise in densely populated Brazilian cities.
For travellers bound for matches in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil – and with 30 million people living in the city and surrounding countryside, the largest city in the southern hemisphere period – authorities are advising not to flaunt flashy items such as jewelry or watches, and to be vigilant at all times.
GALLERY: Is Brazil ready to host the World Cup?
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