Brazil

The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and the fifth largest in the world. Spanning a vast area between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, it borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, France (French Guiana) — every South American nation except for Ecuador and Chile. Named after brazilwood, a tree highly valued by early colonists, Brazil is home to both extensive agricultural lands and rain forests. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it has the biggest GDP in South America (10th in the world) and is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Portuguese is the national language of Brazil.

History

Main article: History of Brazil

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Brazil had been inhabited for at least 6,000 years by semi-nomadic populations when the first Portuguese explorers, led by Pedro Álvares Cabral disembarked in 1500. Over the next three centuries it was re-settled by the Portuguese and exploited mainly for brazilwood at first, and later for gold mining and sugarcane agriculture. Work in the colony was based on slavery. In 1808 Queen Maria I of Portugal and her son and regent, the future João VI of Portugal, fleeing from Napoleon, relocated to Brazil with the royal family, nobles and government. Though they returned to Portugal in 1821, the interlude led to the opening of commercial ports to the United Kingdom — at the time isolated from most European ports by Napoleon — and the "elevation" of Brazil to the status of a Kingdom united to Portugal's Crown. Then prince-regent Dom Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal declared independence on 7 September 1822, establishing the independent Empire of Brazil. As the crown remained in the hands of the house of Bragança, this was more the severance of the Portuguese empire in two than an independence movement as seen elsewhere in the Americas.

Related Topics:
Portuguese - Pedro Álvares Cabral - 1500 - Brazilwood - Gold mining - Sugarcane - Slavery - 1808 - Maria I of Portugal - João VI of Portugal - Napoleon - 1821 - United Kingdom - Dom Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal - 7 September - 1822 - Empire of Brazil

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Though a monarchy, the Brazilian Empire (which for a time included Spanish-speaking Uruguay) was a democracy in the British style. Intensive European immigration created the basis for industrialization and slavery was gradually abolished. Pedro I was succeeded by his son, Dom Pedro II who at old age was caught by a political dispute between the Army and the Cabinet, due to crisis arising as a consequence to the England-driven Paraguay War, and not hesitating to sacrifice his crown to avoid a civil war between Army and Navy renounced on 15 November 1889 when a federal republic was established.

Related Topics:
Dom Pedro II - 15 November - 1889 - Federal - Republic

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Brazil attracted over 5 million European and Japanese immigrants. That period also saw Brazil industrialise and further colonize and develop its interior. Brazilian democracy was replaced by dictatorship three times — 1930–1934 and 1937–1945 under Getúlio Vargas, and 1964–1985 under a succession of generals appointed by the military. Today Brazil is a democracy.

Related Topics:
19th - 20th - Europe - Japanese - Dictatorship - 1930 - 1934 - 1937 - 1945 - Getúlio Vargas - 1964 - 1985 - Democracy

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