Originating from Brazil, capoeira was developed by African slaves over 500 years ago. Their masters didn't allow them to fight so the slaves decided to disguise it with singing, clapping and dancing. If you've ever seen capoeira being performed or demonstrated you probably thought it looked sort of like break dancing. Capoeira practicioners would stand around in a circle and play instruments while two other men inside the circle danced(or so people thought) using kicks, headbutts, flips, head/handstands, etc. The basic stance is a lunging and swaying movement called "ginga".
Capoeira is unique because of it's flowing movements which can be(for an experienced capoeira fighter) easily made into long, smooth, flowing combinations. There are two styles of capoeira: Angola and Regional(Angola being the first).
Named after it's place of origin, angola is a less aggressive style than regional.
More practical for self-defense than angola. Regional tends to be more fast paced.
If your wondering which one you should choose then I have a couple of solutions: