The largest country in South America, Brazil holds a variety of topographies and cultures from the Amazon rain forest to the mountain towns of Mina Gerais, the central plateau of Brasilia and the world-famous beaches of Copacabana. Brazil also has Latin America's highest GDP with a booming mining, agriculture and manufacturing industry. Many travel to Brazil for its exciting Latin American culture full of Samba, sunshine and soccer and you should make Brazil a top priority on your countries to visit list. Here are some top Brazil facts to know before you embark on your journey to this tourist gem.

Brazil Facts: Weather

The first thing every traveler should know is the type of climate you will endure in Brazil so you know essentials to pack from your closet. The seasons are reverse from that of the US, so when it's summer in New York it's winter in Rio de Janeiro and vice versa. Cities on the plateau of Brazil have a mild climate with an average temperature of 66° F (19° C). Those on the coast have warmer climates with an average temperature of 80° F (26°C), which climbs to over 100°F (38° C) during the summer. In the southern areas, there is a subtropical climate where travelers will endure temperatures that can fall below freezing during the winter months (July to August). In the Amazon, temperatures rarely rise above 90°F (32° C) with days that are generally warm, wet and humid.

Brazil Facts: Currency

The next thing to know before a trip to Brazil is the country's currency and its exchange rate. Brazil uses a real, pronounced hay-ow. One real is made up of 100 centavos. As of 2010, each real is the equivalent to 65 US cents. Each US dollar is equivalent to 1.77 real. Since the exchange rate is fairly close it should be easy for travelers to stay fiscally mindful while traveling. The customary tips are also generally the same between 10-15%.

Brazil Facts: Language

The official language in Brazil is Portuguese. However, most of the natives also speak English and Spanish. Here are a few phrases to know that may be helpful during your trip. From English to Portuguese, hello is Olá, to say, "How do I get to?" say "Como faço para obter." When you wish to ask a native if they speak English say "Você fala Inglês?" To ask for the location of the bathroom say, "Onde é o banheiro."

Brazil Facts: Transportation

Last, but not least, ever traveler will need to know their transportation options in Brazil. The public transport system is cheap and most places can be reached by the metro or bus. The Metro is the most efficient, but only has two lines. The most inexpensive is the local bus though they care usually pretty crowded. Bus travel costs about R$8 (US$4). Taxis and radio cabs are also available, with radio cabs costing 30 percent more. Driving in cities like Rio de Janeiro is generally not recommended as it can become quite an expense.

By Rachel Jimenez, Contributing Author

From horses to hang-gliding

Many flock to the Outer Banks for the mass of water, land and air sports that are celebrated on this tiny string of barrier islands. Aside from the classic surfing, fishing and traditional water sports, the Outer Banks offers activities for those land-dwellers, from bicycle rentals to golf courses. Most notably and interesting, however, are the air sports that the Outer Banks has, including hang-gliding over the dunes and skydiving. There is also a fascinating characteristic of Corolla, about 20 minutes out of the main area of the banks--wild horses! From catching a beautiful mackerel to hitting a few birdies under the beating sun, the Outer Banks are sure to appease any tourist's wants.

Grab a bite in town or in the waves

Of many of the things to do in the Outer Banks, eating should always be at the top of the list. First of all, fishing for your party can always be fun and inclusive, and you can even get a meal or two out of it. There is also a huge collection of seafood markets in the Outer Banks whose expertise on the water wildlife goes hand-in-hand with large selections of seafood. However, if catching your own food may not be your fancy or you'd rather have a hot, pre-prepared meal, the restaurants in the area are outstanding. Sam and Omie's, a local favorite in Duck, offers a wide variety of beach-friendly meals available throughout the day. Other restaurants, like The Blue Point in Duck and Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk, have been repeatedly praised and loved. The region has a wonderful combination of fine dining, casual seafood and markets where you can concoct your own beach picnic.

Indulge your sweet tooth

Being on vacation means that dessert must follow every meal. In the Outer Banks, and frequently in other sea towns or coastal areas, saltwater taffy reigns supreme as the sweet champion. One of the best places to get saltwater taffy is Forbes, a local chain that will have you begging for more. There's also a nice collection of frozen custard shops, including Rita's and Kill Devil's. A little secret of the area is the small sprinkling of local homemade donut shops--Duck Donuts, located in Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and most recently Corolla. If you've got a sweet tooth, you're likely to find somewhere to grab a cone or cup around any corner.

Flight fun

The Outer Banks has a rich history and therefore, offers a few great cultural things to do. The primary and most notable history of the Outer Banks revolves around the famous flight of the Wright Brothers in nearby Kitty Hawk, where man learned to conquer air. The brothers, who started out as bicycle dealers, are commemorated in a memorial, plane replica and visitor's center. Another interesting part of the Outer Banks are the lighthouses that dot the shoreline; some of the most famous are located on Hatteras Island, Currituck Beach and Bodie Island. The Outer Banks also offer several museums and exhibits for the inner intellectual.

The science of sleep

After a long day at the beach or in one of the Outer Bank's beautiful towns, you'll need to find a place to stay and relax. The Outer Banks are famous for their quirky and beautiful houses, which can range from a small family-sized house to sprawling mansions with bedroom numbers in the 'teens. Some have walkways directly onto the beach, while others are just a stone's throw away from a public or neighborhood-only walkway. Getting a house with a pool or volleyball court can help entertain the masses. You can lounge on your porch as easily as you can on the shore, but don't take the beach for granted. Your experience in the Outer Banks will be like no other, and you'll miss it as soon as you drive away.

by Abigail Geiger, Contributing Author

Young or old, there is always something fascinating about a museum. From exploring ancient exhibits to examining fine art, education can be enjoyable by living out a fantasy, myth or inspiration. From miniature doll houses at the Museum of Science and Industry to life-sized dinosaur skeletons at the History Museum, enjoy, learn and marvel through wondrous museum culture. From war museums to maritime museums, any sort of specialized interest can be found across the globe. Take a look at the top must see museums in the US.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMa)- New York City

Considered by many to have the best collection of modern Western masterpieces in the world, MoMA's holdings include more than 150,000 individual pieces in addition to approximately 22,000 films and 4 million film stills including important pieces like "Starry Night" (Vincent Van Gogh),  "Campbell's Soup Cans" (Andy Warhol ) and "Water Lilies" (Claude Monet). A must-see stop for a trip to New York, the permanent collections of print, film and sculptures are a highlight of any city trip. With ever-rotating exhibits of digital media, contemporary art and traveling worldly artists, be sure to check what's on the calendar before planning your trip to fuel your creativity.

The Smithsonian, the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)- Washington DC

Opened in 1910, the green-domed National History museum on the National Mall was among the first Smithsonian building constructed exclusively to house the national collections and research facilities. The main building contains 1.5 million square feet of space and altogether the Museum is the size of 18 football fields. Housing more than 126 million natural science specimens and cultural artifacts, the collections include 30 million insects; 4½ million plants; 7 million fish; and 2 million cultural artifacts, including 400,000 photographs housed in the National Anthropological Archives.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)- New York City

One of the world's largest and finest art museums, The Met's collections include more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Founded in 1870, nearly five million people visit the Museum each year at its Central Park location.

Museum of Flight- Seattle

One of the nation's premier aviation museums, the Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the Red Barn®--the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co. Home to America's First jet Air Force One, the very first 747, the original 737, a Boeing 727, the sleek Concorde, and a Lockheed Super-G Constellation, engage in a number of flight simulations to test your piloting skills.

J. Paul Getty Museum- Los Angeles

With two locations, the Getty Villa in Malibu and the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the J. Paul Getty Museum serves a wide variety of audiences through its expanded range of exhibitions and programming in the visual arts. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The Villa houses approximately 44,000 works of art from the Museum's extensive collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, of which over 1,200 are on view.

Shedd Aquarium- Chicago

One of the world's largest oceanariums and aquariums, get eye-to-eye with a dolphin, meet a penguin on a stroll to the South Pole and immersed yourself in an Amazon flooded forest. Beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Shedd aquarium houses nearly 22,000 aquatic animals representing some 1,500 species of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and mammals from waters around the world. Regularly voted one of Chicago's best tourist attractions, the Shedd's biggest draw are their daily aquatic shows.

If you want a multicultural travel experience, there is no better destination than the states and territories of Malaysia. Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and is a bustling melting pot of races and religions, where you will find Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups all living together in one of the most peaceful multicultural regions in the world. The multiculturalism of Malaysia has made it a food lover's paradise and has also made it home to hundreds of colorful festivals that celebrate the warm, friendly and laid back Malaysian lifestyle. The area is attractive to many travelers for its contrasting architecture of huge skyscrapers next to small wooden houses built on stilts and its majestic sandy beaches and humid mangroves among other attractions. It is clear that Malaysia has a lot to offer and is an interesting place with unique people and a diverse background.

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area, which became subject to the British Empire in the 18^th century. The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements and the other states formed protectorates. The states on Peninsular Malaysia were originally known as Malaya and were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and achieved independence on August 31, 1957. Malaya united with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore on September 16, 1963, with "si" being added to give the new country the name Malaysia. Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia since independence, with the GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years.

The first evidence of human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years, with the first inhabitants thought to be Negritos. Control of the nation states has been passed around among many different groups throughout Malaysia's history. In the early 15th century, Parameswara, a prince of the former Srivijayan Empire, founded the Malacca Sultanate, which is commonly considered to be the first independent state in the Malay Peninsula. The British first entered Malaya in 1786 when the sultan of Kedah leased Penang to the British East India Company. By 1826 the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the island of Labuan, which they established as the crown colony of the Straits Settlements. By the 20th century, the Federated Malay States had British residents appointed to advise the Malay rulers and the remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States, while not directly under British rule, also accepted British advisors around the turn of the 20th century.

The Japanese army invaded and subsequently occupied the states of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore for over three years during the Second World War, causing nationalism to grow. Post-war, the British planed to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called the Malayan Union, but it was met with strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the weakening of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese. The Malayan Union was established in 1946 and consisted of all the British possessions in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore, but was quickly dissolved and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.

In 1963, Malaya, along with the then British crown colonies of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore, federated to form Malaysia. Independence brought increased tensions including a conflict with Indonesia over the formation of Malaysia, the exit of Singapore in 1965, and racial strife, which caused the May 13 race riots in 1969. The riots led to a declaration of a state of national emergency and suspension of Parliament by the Malaysian government, while the National Operations Council was established to temporarily govern the country between 1969 and 1971. The country has since maintained a delicate ethno-political balance. It operates with a system of government that has attempted to combine overall economic development with political and economic policies that promote equitable participation of all races.