THREE

It is not just crime. Brazil's rail, road and airport facilities require daunting investment. The vast gap between rich and poor is immediately evident.

Yet Brazil is a country with outstanding potential, a welcoming and richly diverse people, excellent food and several world­class companies. Unlike China, Brazil has no sharp ethnic conflicts and is a ulti­party democracy. Brazilians complain about their politicians' corruption, but point out that, unlike in the US, results in presidential elections ­ the next is due in October 2010 ­ are announced swiftly.

Extracting the newly­found oil, buried beneath thousands of metres of water, rock and salt, will be challenging. But the reserves present the intriguing prospect of Brazil becoming a major oil exporter while deriving most of its own electricity from hydro energy and powering many of its cars with sugar cane ethanol.

Brazilians know oil can be a curse as well as a blessing. How it uses its new wealth will determine whether it becomes a 21st­century force.

Brazil is a thrilling place to visit. In his book, Robb wrote: "Rio is huge and lovely and terrifying. São Paulo is huger and more terrifying and not lovely at all."