Garota Verao (translation: “Summer Girl”) is the annual beauty contest held every summer in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Past winners have gone on to become Miss Brazil, Miss Universe, or Miss Earth, so you know the talent is Grade A. Hey, if you can put up with the random muggings at knifepoint and hookers harassing you for dough at clubs, we highly suggest moving to Brazil. In the meantime, take a look at pics from the pageant after the jump.

After her less-than-stellar answer to a simple question concerning maps during the “Miss Teen USA” pageant Lauren Caitlin Upton appeared on the Today show to redeem herself.
Matt Lauer and Ann Curry, ever the defenders, hand-fed South Carolina’s finest cartographer her dignity by strategically answering the questions they asked b… Click to read more