In Brazil, the most used social networking site on the Internet, which has become wildly popular nationwide, is known as Orkut (pronounced Or-coo-chee). It was created in 2004 by a Turkish Google employee and originally was marketed in the United States. Gradually, though, its two largest markets became Brazil and India, which make up 55% and 16% of total users, respectively.

Brazilians use Orkut to stay in touch with friends, post photos, and share information about themselves. Like Facebook, there is a wall, called “scraps,” used to leave messages on each person’s profile, and also an area to join groups, which on Orkut are called communities. You can also send private messages, post videos, and leave “depoimentos,” telling your friends how you feel about them.

If you’re looking to make friends while living or traveling in Brazil, or even if you’re looking to do business here, it’s a good idea to set up an Orkut account!