República Federativa do Brasil Federative Republic of Brazil
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Ordem e Progresso" (Portuguese) "Order and Progress"
Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileiro (Portuguese) "National Anthem of Brazil"
National seal Selo Nacional do Brasil (Portuguese) "National Seal of Brazil"
Capital		Brasília 15°45′S 47°57′W / -15.75, -47.95
Largest city		São Paulo
Official languages		Portuguese
Demonym		Brazilian
Government		Presidential Federal republic
-	President	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
-	Vice President	José Alencar
Independence		from Portugal
-	Declared	September 7, 1822
-	Recognized	August 29, 1825
-	Republic	November 15, 1889
Area
-	Total	8,514,877 km² (5th) 3,287,597 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0. The flag of Brazil has a Green field on which a large Yellow Rhombus is centered The Coat of arms of Brazil was created in November 19, 1889, four days after Brazil became a Republic. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The melody of the Brazilian national anthem (from Portuguese: Hino Nacional Brasileiro) was composed by Francisco Manuel da Silva in 1822 and The National Seal of Brazil is one of Brazil 's national symbols displayed on several official documents such as graduation diplomas consular and diplomatic papers military Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Brazil ' s population is very diverse comprising many races and Ethnic groups In general Brazilians trace their origins from four sources of migration São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Brazilians ( brasileiros in Portuguese) are all people born in Brazil For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government The President of Brazil is both the Head of state and Head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pronounced /lu'iz i'nasju 'lulɐ da 'siwvɐ/; born October 27, 1945) known simply as Lula, is the thirty-fifth and The Vice-President of Brazil is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of Brazil after the President For the 19th-century Brazilian author see José de Alencar. José Alencar Gomes da Silva ( pron. The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The period of Brazilian history from 1889 to 1930 is commonly called the República Velha (Old Republic Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different surface Areas here is a list of areas between 1 million km² and 10 million km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 65
Population
-	2008 estimate	186,757,608 (5th)
-	2007 census	183,987,291
-	Density	22/km² (182nd) 57/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	USD 1,804 trillion (9th)
-	Per capita	USD 11,873 (65)
GDP (nominal)		2007 estimate
-	Total	USD 1,313 trillion (10th)
-	Per capita	USD 6,842 (61st)
Gini (2005)		▼ 56. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 6
HDI (2005)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 800 (high) (70th)
Currency		Real (R$) (BRL)
Time zone		BRT N1 (UTC-2 to -5)
-	Summer (DST)	BRST N2 (UTC-2 to -5)
Internet TLD		.br
Calling code		+55
Footnotes: ^N1  Officially UTC-3 (Brasília time). This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The real (meaning "royal" ɹeˈal in English, [xe{{IPA|ˈ}}aw] in Brazilian Portuguese) ( sign: R$; code: ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Brazil has three Time zones It also observes summer time; however not only do the starting and ending dates often change from year to year it is also not followed UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST Brazil has three Time zones It also observes summer time; however not only do the starting and ending dates often change from year to year it is also not followed UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Areas using UTC−3 Single zone countries without DST Suriname Single zone countries with DST From June 24th, 2008, timezone will change into UTC-2 to UTC-4. UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during ^N2  Officially UTC-2 (Brasília time). UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - From June 24, 2008, DST will change into UTC-2 to UTC-3. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - Areas using UTC−3 Single zone countries without DST Suriname Single zone countries with DST

Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil) listen (help·info), is a country in South America. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Brazi is a commune in Prahova County, Romania. In 1948 it had a population of 1530 South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a ^[1] It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system ^[1][2] Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). ^[1] It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the overseas department of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Fernando de Noronha is an Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the State of Pernambuco, around 354 km offshore Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas is an Atoll in the Atlantic Ocean at location. The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Islets, officially the Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo, is an archipelago of the State of Pernambuco, in Brazilian The islands of Trindade (occasionally called Trinidad and Martim Vaz (also called Martin Vaz which are located about 1200 km East of Vitória in the ^[1]

Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Pedro Álvares Cabral (about 1467/1468/1469 &ndash about 1520 ˈpeðɾʊ ˈaɫvɐɾɨʃ kɐˈβɾaɫ in Portuguese, ˈawvaɾiʃ caˈbɾaw in Brazilian) was ^[3] Initially independent as the Brazilian Empire, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature; now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified. The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral Brazil 's bicameral National Congress ( Congresso Nacional) consists of Senate of Brazil (the Upper house) and the Chamber of ^[3] Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. Because of its troubled political history Brazil has had a number of constitutions A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government ^[4] The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities. The Federal District ( Portuguese: Distrito Federal   is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of twenty-six estados ("states" singular estado) and formed by the states and one district the Distrito A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or ^[4][5]

Brazil is the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates and the ninth largest in purchasing power. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. ^[6] Economic reforms have transformed it into an emerging great power;^[7] founding member of the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties A Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society,^[2] Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats. There are many languages of Brazil, including Portuguese indigenous languages and languages of more recent European and Asian immigrants Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common The wildlife of Brazil is all the natural Flora and Fauna in the South American country See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form List of Protected areas of Brazil according to the National System of Conservation Units] (SNUC a formal unified system for federal state and municipal parks created in 2000 ^[1]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Colonization 1.3 Empire 1.4 Republic 2 Government and politics 2.1 Law 2.2 Foreign relations and the military 3 Subdivisions 3.1 Regions 3.2 States 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 4.2 Wildlife 5 Economy 5.1 Components 5.2 Science and technology 6 Demographics 6.1 Education and health 6.2 Language 7 Culture 7.1 Religion 7.2 Sport 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

History

Main article: History of Brazil

Origins

Main article: Indigenous peoples in Brazil

Within Brazil's current borders, most native tribes who were living in the land by the year 1500 are thought to have descended from the first wave of migrants from North Asia (Siberia), who are believed to have crossed the so-called Bering Land Bridge at the end of the last Ice Age, around 9000 BC. A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The Bering land bridge was a Land bridge roughly 1000 miles (1600 km north to south at its greatest extent which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets At the time of European discovery, the territory of modern Brazil had as many as 2,000 nations and tribes, an estimated total population of nearly 3,000,000 Amerindians. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. A somewhat dated linguistic survey found 188 living indigenous languages with 155,000 total speakers. There are many languages of Brazil, including Portuguese indigenous languages and languages of more recent European and Asian immigrants On 18 January 2007, Fundação Nacional do Índio reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. With this addition Brazil has now overtaken the island of New Guinea as the country having the largest number of uncontacted peoples. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known Uncontacted peoples are peoples who either by choice or chance live or have lived without significant contact with the 'modern' civilizations of the world When the Portuguese arrived in 1500, the Indians were mostly semi-nomadic tribes, living mainly on the coast and along the banks of major rivers. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that

Unlike Christopher Columbus, who thought he had reached the East Indies, the Portuguese, most notably by Vasco da Gama, had already reached India via the Indian Ocean route when they reached Brazil. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term often used to refer to the islands of SE Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Dom Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira ('vaʃku dɐ 'gɐmɐ ( Sines or Vidigueira, Alentejo, Portugal, ca India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Nevertheless the word índios ("Indians"), was by then established to designate the peoples of the New World and stuck being used today in the Portuguese language to designate these peoples, while the people of India, Asia are called indianos in order to distinguish the two peoples. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. Initially, the Europeans saw the natives as noble savages, and miscegenation of the population began right away. In the eighteenth-century cult of " Primitivism " the noble savage, uncorrupted by the influences of civilization was considered more worthy more authentically noble Miscegenation (Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind" is the mixing of different racial groups, that is marrying, cohabiting Tribal warfare, cannibalism and the pursuit of brazilwood for its treasured red dye convinced the Portuguese that they should civilise the Indians. Cannibalism (from Spanish es ''caníbal'' in connection with cannibalism among the Antillean Caribs, also called anthropophagy (from Greek ἄνθρωπος Brazilwood or Pau-Brasil, sometimes known as Pernambuco ( Caesalpinia echinata Syn Enculturation is the process whereby an individual learns the accepted norms and value emphases of an established Culture through repetition so that the individual can become ^[8]

Colonization

Main article: Colonial Brazil

Initially Portugal had little interest in Brazil, mainly because of high profits gained through commerce with Indochina. Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. After 1530, the Portuguese Crown devised the Hereditary Captaincies system to effectively occupy its new colony, and later took direct control of the failed captaincies. A captaincy is a historical Administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese Colonial empires Each was governed by a Captain ^[9][10] Although temporary trading posts were established earlier to collect brazilwood, used as a dye, with permanent settlement came the establishment of the sugar cane industry and its intensive labor. Brazilwood or Pau-Brasil, sometimes known as Pernambuco ( Caesalpinia echinata Syn Several early settlements were founded across the coast, among them the colonial capital, Salvador, established in 1549 at the Bay of All Saints in the north, and the city of Rio de Janeiro on March 1567, in the south. Salvador (historic name São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos, in English "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay" is a City on the northeast coast of Baía de Todos os Santos or Bahia de Todos os Santos (All Saints' Bay in archaic Portuguese is the main and biggest bay of the state of Bahia, Brazil Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil The Portuguese colonists adopted an economy based on the production of agricultural goods that were exported to Europe. Sugar became by far the most important Brazilian colonial product until the early 18th century. ^[11][12] Even though Brazilian sugar was reputed as being of high quality, the industry faced a crisis during the 17th and 18th centuries when the Dutch and the French started producing sugar in the Antilles, located much closer to Europe, causing sugar prices to fall. The Antilles (the same in French; Antillas in Spanish; Antillen in Dutch) refers to the islands forming the greater part of the

During the 18th century, private explorers who called themselves the Bandeirantes found gold and diamond deposits in the state of Minas Gerais. The Bandeirantes were Portuguese colonial Scouts who took part in the Bandeiras exploration expeditions The exploration of these mines were mostly used to finance the Portuguese Royal Court's expenditure with both the preservation of its Global Empire and the support of its luxury lifestyle at mainland. A global empire involves the extension of a state's sovereignty over territories all around the World. The way in which such deposits were exploited by the Portuguese Crown and the powerful local elites, however, burdened colonial Brazil with excessive taxes. Some popular movements supporting independence came about against the taxes established by the colonial government, such as the Tiradentes in 1789, but the secessionist movements were often dismissed by the authorities of the ruling colonial regime. Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes ( August 16, 1746 &ndash- April 21, 1792) was a leading member of the Brazilian Gold production declined towards the end of the 18th century, starting a period of relative stagnation of the Brazilian hinterland. ^[13] Both Amerindian and African slaves' man power were largely used in Brazil's colonial economy. The Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( Portuguese: povos indígenas) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another ^[14]

In contrast to the neighbouring Spanish possessions in South America, the Portuguese colony of Brazil kept its territorial, political and linguistic integrity due to the action of the Portuguese administrative effort. Although the colony was threatened by other nations across the Portuguese rule era, in particular by Dutch and French powers, the authorities and the people ultimately managed to protect its borders from foreign attacks. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Portugal even had to send bullion to Brazil, a spectacular reversal of the colonial trend, in order to protect the integrity of the colony. ^[15]

Empire

Main article: Empire of Brazil

In 1808, the Portuguese court, fleeing from Napoleon’s troops who had invaded Portugal, established themselves in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which thus became the seat of government of Portugal and the entire Portuguese Empire, even though being located outside of Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Portuguese empire from 1808 to 1815. After then the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (1815-1825) was created with Lisbon as its capital. The United Kingdom of Portugal Brazil and the Algarves was a monarchy consisting of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve. Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. After João VI returned to Portugal in 1821, his heir-apparent Pedro became regent of the Kingdom of Brazil, within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Pedro I (ˈpedɾuin Brazilian Portuguese and in European Portuguese; English: Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula Following a series of political incidents and disputes, Brazil achieved its independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822. The Brazilian Declaration of Independence comprised a series of political events occurred in 1821-1825 most of which involved disputes between colonial Brazil and Portugal Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the On October 12, 1822, Dom Pedro became the first Emperor of Brazil, being crowned on December 1, 1822. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the Portugal would recognize Brazil as an independent country in 1825.

In 1824, Pedro closed the Constituent Assembly, stating that the body was "endangering liberty". Pedro then produced a constitution modeled on that of Portugal (1822) and France (1814). It specified indirect elections and created the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government; however, it also added a fourth branch, the "moderating power", to be held by the Emperor. Pedro's government was considered economically and administratively inefficient. Political pressures eventually made the Emperor step down on April 7, 1831. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a He returned to Portugal leaving behind his five-year-old son Pedro II. Peter II may refer to several monarchs or nobles Peter II of Russia Peter II of Yugoslavia Peter II of Aragon Until Pedro II reached maturity, Brazil was governed by regents from 1831 to 1840. The regency period was turbulent and marked by numerous local revolts including the Male Revolt, the largest urban slave rebellion in the Americas, which took place in Bahia in 1835. The Malê Revolt (also known as The Great Revolt) is perhaps the most significant Slave rebellion in Brazil. A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. Slave rebellions have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery and are amongst the most feared events ^[16]

On July 23, 1840, Pedro II was crowned Emperor. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year His government was marked by a substantial rise in coffee exports, the War of the Triple Alliance, and the end of slave trade from Africa in 1865, although slavery in Brazilian territory would only be abolished in 1888. The War of the Triple Alliance, also known as the Paraguayan War, and the Great War in Paraguay itself was fought from 1864 to 1870 and caused more deaths than any The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Brazil stopped trading slaves from Africa in 1850, with the Eusébio de Queirós law,^[17] and abandoned slavery altogether in 1888, thus becoming the last country of the Americas to ban slavery. The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World ^[18][19] When slavery was finally abolished, a large influx of European immigrants took place. ^[20][21][22] By the 1870s, the Emperor's control of domestic politics had started to deteriorate in face of crises with the Catholic Church, the Army and the slaveholders. The Republican movement slowly gained strength. In the end, the empire fell due to a military coup d'etat and because the dominant classes no longer needed it to protect their interests and deeply resented the abolition of slavery. ^[23] Indeed, imperial centralization ran counter to their desire for local autonomy. By 1889 Pedro II had stepped down and the Republican system had been adopted to Brazil.

Republic

Main articles: History of Brazil (1889–1930), History of Brazil (1930–1945), History of Brazil (1945–1964), History of Brazil (1964–1985), and History of Brazil (1985–present)

Pedro II was deposed on November 15, 1889 by a Republican military coup led by general Deodoro da Fonseca,^[24] who became the country’s first de facto president through military ascension. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Field Marshal Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca, pron. mɐnu'ɛw deo'dɔɾu da fõ'sekɐ ( August 5, 1827 - August 23, 1892 The country’s name became the Republic of the United States of Brazil. From 1889 to 1930, the dominant states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais alternated control of the presidency. ( is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation ^[25][26] A military junta took control in 1930. A military junta is a government ruled by a committee of military leaders Getúlio Vargas took office soon after, and would remain as dictatorial ruler (with a brief democratic period in between), until 1945. Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (ʒeˈtulju doɾˈnɛlis vaɾgɐs April 19, 1882 – August 24, 1954) served as president of He was re-elected in 1951 and stayed in office until his suicide in 1954. After 1930, successive governments continued industrial and agricultural growth and the development of the vast interior of Brazil. ^[26][27] Juscelino Kubitschek's office years (1956-1961) were marked by the political campaign motto of plunging "50 anos em 5" (English: fifty years of development in five). Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (JK ( September 12, 1902 – August 22, 1976) was a prominent Brazilian politician who was English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[28]

The military took office in Brazil in a coup d'état in 1964, and remained in power until March 1985, when it fell from grace because of political struggles between the regime and the Brazilian elites. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état was a Coup d'état held against President João Goulart by the Brazilian military on the night of In 1967 the name of the country was changed to Federative Republic of Brazil. Just as the Brazilian regime changes of 1889, 1930, and 1945 unleashed competing political forces and caused divisions within the military, so too did the 1964 regime change. ^[29] Democracy was re-established in 1988 when the current Federal Constitution was enacted. ^[30] Fernando Collor de Mello was the first president truly elected by popular vote after the military regime. Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello, pron. feʁ'nɐ̃dʊ a'fõsʊ 'kɔ ^[31] Collor took office in March 1990. In September 1992, the National Congress voted for Collor's impeachment after a sequence of scandals were uncovered by the media. ^[31][32] The vice-president, Itamar Franco, assumed the presidency. Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco, usually known as Itamar Franco ( pron. Assisted by the Minister of Finance at that time, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Itamar Franco's administration implemented the Plano Real economic package,^[31] which included a new currency temporarily pegged to the U. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, PC (born June 18, 1931) - also known by his initials FHC - was the President of the Federative Republic of The Plano Real ( Real Plan, in Portuguese) was a set of measures taken to stabilize the Brazilian economy in early 1994 under the direction S. dollar, the real. The real (meaning "royal" ɹeˈal in English, [xe{{IPA|ˈ}}aw] in Brazilian Portuguese) ( sign: R$; code: In the elections held on October 3, 1994, Fernando Henrique Cardoso ran for president and won, being reelected in 1998. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Brazil's current president is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, elected in 2002 and reelected in 2006. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pronounced /lu'iz i'nasju 'lulɐ da 'siwvɐ/; born October 27, 1945) known simply as Lula, is the thirty-fifth and

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Brazil and Politics of Brazil

The Brazilian Federation is based on the union of three autonomous political entities: the States, the Municipalities and the Federal District. ^[4] A fourth entity originated in the aforementioned association: the Union. ^[4] There is no hierarchy among the political entities. The Federation is set on six fundamental principles:^[4] sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of the people, social value of labor, freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself This brief article is about how the term dignity is used The article presents dignity as it is used by international organizations governments bioethicists academics and An organization (or organisation &mdash see spelling differences) is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals which controls its own performance and Pluralism is in the general sense the acknowledgment of diversity The classic tripartite branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial under the checks and balances system), is formally established by the Constitution. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Separation of powers, a term ascribed to French Enlightenment Political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, is a model for the Governance ^[4] The executive and legislative are organized independently in all four political entities, while the judiciary is organized only in the federal and state levels.

All members of the executive and legislative branches are directly-elected. ^[33][34][35] Judges and other judicial officials are appointed after passing entry exams. This article is about a type of examination for other uses see Final examination (disambiguation A final examination (or final ^[33] Voting is compulsory for those aged 18 or older. ^[4] Four political parties stand out among several small ones: Workers' Party (PT), Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), and Democrats (formerly Liberal Front Party - PFL). The Workers' Party ( Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT is a left-wing Political party in Brazil. The Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB is a Political party in Brazil. The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party ( Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, PMDB is the successor of the Brazilian Democratic Movement. The Democrats ( Democratas) is a Political party in Brazil, considered the main Centre-right party of Brazil Practically all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive. In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium

The form of government is that of a democratic republic, with a presidential system. A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature ^[4] The president is both head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a four-year term,^[4] with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State Elected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. The current president is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pronounced /lu'iz i'nasju 'lulɐ da 'siwvɐ/; born October 27, 1945) known simply as Lula, is the thirty-fifth and He was elected on October 27, 2002,^[36] and re-elected on October 29, 2006. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[37] The President appoints the Ministers of State, who assist in governing. Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a Parliamentary system. ^[4] Legislative houses in each political entity are the main source of laws in Brazil. The National Congress is the Federation’s bicameral legislature, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. Brazil 's bicameral National Congress ( Congresso Nacional) consists of Senate of Brazil (the Upper house) and the Chamber of In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil ( Portuguese: Câmara dos Deputados) is a federal legislative body and the Lower house of the National Congress of In its present configuration the Federal Brazilian Senate ( Portuguese: Senado Federal Brasileiro) is a federal legislative body and the Upper house Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority

Law

Main article: Law of Brazil

Brazilian Law is based on Roman-Germanic traditions. Roman law is the legal system of Ancient Rome. As used in the West the term commonly refers to legal developments prior to the Roman/Byzantine state's adopting Germania was the Latin Exonym for ^[38] Thus, civil law concepts prevail over common law practices. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. Most of Brazilian law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part of the system, playing a complementary role. In Law, codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a Jurisdiction in certain areas usually by subject forming a Legal code. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are not binding on other specific cases except in a few situations. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influence in law creation and in law cases. The legal system is based on the Federal Constitution, which was promulgated on October 5, 1988, and is the fundamental law of Brazil. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules. ^[39] As of April 2007, it has been through 53 Amendments. States adopt their own Constitutions, but they must also not contradict the Federal Constitution. ^[40] Municipalities and the Federal District do not have their own Constitutions; instead, they adopt "organic laws" (leis orgânicas). ^[4][41] Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms. ^[4]

Jurisdiction is administered by the judiciary entities, although in rare situations the Federal Constitution allows the Federal Senate to pass on legal judgments. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority ^[4] There are also specialized military, labor, and electoral courts. ^[4] The highest court is the Supreme Federal Tribunal. The Supreme Federal Court ( Portuguese: Supremo Tribunal Federal or STF) is the Supreme court (court of last resort of Brazil This system has been criticised over the last decades due to the slow pace at which final decisions are issued. Lawsuits on appeal may take several years to resolve, and in some cases more than a decade to see definitive rulings. ^[42]

Foreign relations and the military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Brazil and Military of Brazil

Brazil is a political and economic leader in Latin America. ^[43][44] However, social and economic problems prevent it from becoming an effective global power. ^[45] Between World War II and 1990, both democratic and military governments sought to expand Brazil's influence in the world by pursuing a state-led industrial policy and an independent foreign policy. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Military government can refer to conditions under either Military occupation, or Military dictatorship Military Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American Magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P More recently, the country has aimed to strengthen ties with other South American countries, engage in multilateral diplomacy through the United Nations and the Organization of American States. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Organization of American States ( OAS, or as it is known in the three other official languages OEA) is an International organization, headquartered ^[46] Brazil's current foreign policy is based on the country's position as a regional power in Latin America, a leader among developing countries, and an emerging world power. In International relations, a regional power is a State that has power within a geographic Region. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties Power in international relations is defined in several different ways ^[47] Brazilian foreign policy has generally reflected multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, and nonintervention in the affairs of other countries. Multilateralism is a term in International relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue ^[48] The Brazilian Constitution also determines the country shall seek the economic, political, social and cultural integration of the nations of Latin America. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Economic integration is a term used to describe how different aspects between economies are integrated ^{[4][49][50][51]}

The Armed forces of Brazil comprise the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy, and the Brazilian Air Force. The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil is the Navy of Brazil and forms part of the Brazilian Armed Forces. The Brazilian Air Force ( Portuguese: Força Aérea Brasileira, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian armed forces and one of the three national ^[4] The Military Police (States' Military Police) is described as an ancillary force of the Army by constitution, but under the control of each state's governor. ^[4] The Brazilian armed forces are the largest in Latin America. The Brazilian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Brazilian armed forces, being the largest air force in Latin America, with about 700 manned aircraft in service. ^[52] The Brazilian Navy is responsible for naval operations and for guarding Brazilian territorial waters. It is the oldest of the Brazilian Armed forces and the only navy in Latin America that operates an aircraft carrier, the NAeL São Paulo (formerly FS Foch of the French Navy). Background São Paulo is the Flagship of the Brazilian Navy. It replaced the World War II -era carrier ''Minas Gerais'', which Combat History 1977 The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm ^[53] Finally, the Brazilian Army is responsible for land-based military operations, with a strength of approximately 190,000 soldiers.

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Brazil

Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean North Region Northeast Region Central-West Region Southeast Region South Region Acre Amazonas Pará Roraima Amapá Rondônia Tocantins Maranhão Bahia Piauí Ceará Rio Grande do Norte Paraíba Pernambuco Alagoas Sergipe Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Federal District Goiás Minas Gerais São Paulo Rio de Janeiro Espírito Santo Paraná Santa Catarina Rio Grande do Sul Argentina Bolivia Chile Colombia French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela

Politically, Brazil is a Federation of 26 states (estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal) which contains the capital city, Brasília. The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of twenty-six estados ("states" singular estado) and formed by the states and one district the Distrito The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The North Region of Brazil was the last region to be given importance by the Brazilian government already when it was independent from Portugal. The Central-West Region is composed of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; along with Distrito Federal (Federal District The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The South Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil For other meanings of the word Acre, see also Acre (disambiguation Acre (ˈakɾi is a state of Brazil, located Amazonas (amaˈzonas is a state of Brazil, located in the northern part of the country Pará (pa'ɾa is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northern part of the country Roraima (ʁoˈrajma or) is the northernmost and least populated state of Brazil, located in the Amazon region Amapá (amaˈpa is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north Rondônia (xõˈdõnia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country Tocantins (tokɐ̃ˈtĩs is one of the states of Brazil.The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on Maranhão (maɾaˈɲɐ̃w̃ is one of the states of Brazil in the north-eastern region Bahia (baˈia is one of the 26 States of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast Piauí (piaw'i is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country Ceará (siaˈɾa is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast Rio Grande do Norte (lit "Large River of the North" xiu ˈgɾɐ̃di du ˈnɔxti is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part Paraíba (paɾaˈiba is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast where lies the easternmost Pernambuco (pɛxnɐ̃ˈbuku is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country Alagoas (AL (alaˈgoajs is a small state in northeastern Brazil lying between the states of Pernambuco and Sergipe; touching the state Sergipe (sɛxˈʒipi (originally Sergipe D'El-Rey) is the smallest state of Brazil, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the Mato Grosso ('matu 'gɾosu is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country Mato Grosso do Sul (ˈmatu ˈgɾosu du ˈsuw is one of the states of Brazil. The Federal District ( Portuguese: Distrito Federal   is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Goiás (goˈjajs is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation ( is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. For the Portuguese company see Espírito Santo Financial Group Espírito Santo (is Other meanings Paraná Argentina, Paraná River Paraná (paɾaˈna is one of the states of Brazil, (ˈsɐ̃ta kataˈɾina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in the country (ʁiu ˈgɾɐ̃de do ˈsuɫ lit "Large River of the South" is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of twenty-six estados ("states" singular estado) and formed by the states and one district the Distrito The Federal District ( Portuguese: Distrito Federal   is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau ^[4] The states are subdivided into municipalities. |||} This article is about the municipalities of Brazil. The States of Brazil are divided into many municipalities States are based on historical, conventional borders and have developed throughout the centuries; though some boundaries are arbitrary. The federal district is not a state on its right, but shares some characteristics of a state and some of a municipality. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or The national territory was divided in 1969 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), for demographic and statistical purposes, into five main regions: North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Gehjgygmmliografia e Estatística is the agency responsible for Statistical The North Region of Brazil was the last region to be given importance by the Brazilian government already when it was independent from Portugal. The Central-West Region is composed of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; along with Distrito Federal (Federal District The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The South Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil

In 1943, with the entrance of Brazil into the Second World War, the Vargas regime detached seven strategic territories from the border of the country in order to administrate them directly: Amapá, Rio Branco, Acre, Guaporé, Ponta Porã, Iguaçu and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (ʒeˈtulju doɾˈnɛlis vaɾgɐs April 19, 1882 – August 24, 1954) served as president of Roraima (ʁoˈrajma or) is the northernmost and least populated state of Brazil, located in the Amazon region The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Rondônia (xõˈdõnia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country Ponta Porã is a Municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Fernando de Noronha is an Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the State of Pernambuco, around 354 km offshore After the war, the first three territories were retained as states, with Rio Branco and Guaporé being renamed Roraima and Rondônia, respectively. Roraima (ʁoˈrajma or) is the northernmost and least populated state of Brazil, located in the Amazon region Rondônia (xõˈdõnia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country Ponta Porã and Iguaçu resorted to territorial status. In 1988, Fernando de Noronha became part of Pernambuco. Pernambuco (pɛxnɐ̃ˈbuku is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country

In 1960, the square-shaped Distrito Federal was carved out of Goiás in preparation for the new capital, Brasília. Goiás (goˈjajs is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau The previous federal district became the state of Guanabara until in 1975 it was merged with the state of Rio de Janeiro, becoming the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The State of Guanabara (in Portuguese Estado da Guanabara) was the name given to the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (now the city with the same name after Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil

In 1977, Mato Grosso was split into two states. Mato Grosso ('matu 'gɾosu is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country The northern area retained the name Mato Grosso while the southern area became the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with Campo Grande as its capital. Mato Grosso do Sul (ˈmatu ˈgɾosu du ˈsuw is one of the states of Brazil. Campo Grande (lit Big Field) is the Capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in the center-west region of Brazil. The new Mato Grosso do Sul incorporated the territory of Ponta Porã and the northern part of Iguaçu. Central Iguaçu went to Paraná, and southern Iguaçu went to Santa Catarina. Other meanings Paraná Argentina, Paraná River Paraná (paɾaˈna is one of the states of Brazil, (ˈsɐ̃ta kataˈɾina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in the country In 1988, the northern portion of Goiás became the state of Tocantins, with Palmas as its capital. Goiás (goˈjajs is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country Palmas is the capital of the Brazilian state of Tocantins. According to IBGE estimates from July 2005 the city had 208165 inhabitants

Regions

Main article: Regions of Brazil

The North region covers 45.27% of the surface of Brazil, and has the lowest number of inhabitants. There are 27 States of Brazil, or Estados in Portuguese which are the federal states of Brazil, plus the Federal District which holds the capital city There are 26 States of Brazil, or Estados in Portuguese which are the federal states of Brazil, plus the Federal District which holds the capital city With the exception of Manaus, which hosts a tax-free industrial zone, and Belém, the biggest metropolitan area of the region, it is fairly unindustrialized and undeveloped. Manaus is a largest city in the Amazonia Brazil and capital of Amazonas State. Belém is city of Amazonia, in the northern part of Brazil. It is the capital of the state of Pará. It accommodates most of the rainforest vegetation of the world and many indigenous tribes. The Northeast region is inhabited by about 30% of Brazil's population. ^[54] It is culturally diverse, with roots set in the Portuguese colonial period, and in Amerindian and Afro-Brazilian elements. It is also the poorest region of Brazil,^[55] and suffers from long periods of dry climate. ^[56] The Central-West region has low demographic density when compared to the other regions,^[57] mostly because a part of its territory is covered by the world's largest marshlands area, the Pantanal^[58] as well as a small part of the Amazon Rainforest in the northwest. The Pantanal is a tropical Wetland in South America, mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía However, much of the region is also covered by Cerrado, the largest savanna in the world. The Cerrado ( English: "closed" or "inaccessible" is a vast Tropical savanna Ecoregion of Brazil. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. The central-west region contributes significantly towards agriculture. ^[59]

The Southeast region is the richest and most densely populated. ^[57] It has more inhabitants than any other South American country, and hosts one of the largest megalopolises of the world, and has the country's two largest cities; São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A megalopolis (or megapolis) is defined as an extensive Metropolitan area or a long chain of roughly continuous metropolitan areas São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil The region is very diverse, including the major business center of São Paulo, the historical cities of Minas Gerais and its capital Belo Horizonte, the third-largest metropolitan area in Brazil, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and the coast of Espírito Santo. Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the The South region is the wealthiest by GDP per capita,^[55] and has the highest standard of living in the country. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population ^[60] It is also the coldest region of Brazil,^[61] with occasional occurrences of frost and snow in some of the higher altitude areas. ^[62] It has been settled mainly by European immigrants, mostly of Italian, German and Portuguese ancestry, being clearly influenced by these cultures. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

States

Main article: States of Brazil

The Equatorial line cuts through the state of Amapá in the north, and the Tropic of Capricorn line cuts through the state of São Paulo. Amapá (amaˈpa is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north The southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul is further to the south than the entire European continent is to the north. (ʁiu ˈgɾɐ̃de do ˈsuɫ lit "Large River of the South" is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development ^[63] Acre is in the far west side of the country, covered by the Amazon forest; Paraíba is the easternmost state of Brazil; Cabo Branco, in the city of João Pessoa, is the easternmost point of Brazil and theAmericas. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Paraíba (paɾaˈiba is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast where lies the easternmost The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina all have a temperate climate. Other meanings Paraná Argentina, Paraná River Paraná (paɾaˈna is one of the states of Brazil, (ʁiu ˈgɾɐ̃de do ˈsuɫ lit "Large River of the South" is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development (ˈsɐ̃ta kataˈɾina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in the country

São Paulo is the economic center of Brazil. ( is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy Agriculture, industry, commerce, and services are the most diversified of Brazil. Although a large proportion is exported to other states and other countries, the consumer market of the state is also the biggest in the country. Different from other states, where settlement started in the coast and moved inwards, in São Paulo the center of the economy was in a non-coastal city.

Rio de Janeiro, the most well known Brazilian city and with many famous landmarks, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Older books may still reference the state of Guanabara: after the Federal District (capital of the Republic) was moved to Brasília in 1960, the city of Rio de Janeiro was elevated to the condition of state of Guanabara (name of the large bay which washes the city or Rio); however, in 1975, Guanabara was incorporated to the state of Rio and returned to the condition of municipality, with the old name of city of Rio de Janeiro. The State of Guanabara (in Portuguese Estado da Guanabara) was the name given to the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (now the city with the same name after

Geography

Main article: Geography of Brazil

Brazil occupies an immense area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of the continent's interior region,^[64] sharing land borders with Uruguay to the south; Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest; Bolivia and Peru to the west; Colombia to the northwest; Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the overseas department of French Guiana to the north; stretching from the North to the Southern Hemisphere in the west. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' ^[1] The factors of size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Brazil geographically diverse. ^[64] Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world—after Russia, Canada, China and the United States—and third largest on the Americas; with a total area of 8,511,965 kilometers (5,289,090 mi), include 55,455 kilometers (34,458 mi) of water. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[1] It spans four time zones; from UTC-5, in the state of Acre and UTC-4, in the central states; to UTC-3, in the eastern states, the official time of Brazil, and UTC-2, in the Atlantic islands. UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during For other meanings of the word Acre, see also Acre (disambiguation Acre (ˈakɾi is a state of Brazil, located UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during Areas using UTC−3 Single zone countries without DST Suriname Single zone countries with DST UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - This is a list of the far offshore Islands of Brazil. Saint Peter and Paul Rocks Rocas Atoll Fernando de Noronha ^[65]

Brazilian topography is also diverse, including hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat The term highland is used to denote any Mountainous region or elevated mountainous Plateau. Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. Much of Brazil lies between 200 metres (660 ft) and 800 metres (2,600 ft) in elevation. ^[66] The main upland area occupies most of the southern half of the country. ^[66] The northwestern parts of the plateau consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills. ^[66] The southeastern section is more rugged, with a complex mass of ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). ^[66] These ranges include the Mantiqueira Mountains, the Espinhaço Mountains, and the Serra do Mar. The Mantiqueira Mountains (Portuguese Serra da Mantiqueira) are a mountain range in southeastern Brazil, with parts in the states of São Paulo, The Espinhaço Mountains (Serra do Espinhaço is a mountain range in eastern Brazil. Serra do Mar ( Portuguese for Mountain Range of the Sea) is a 1500 km long system of Mountain ranges and Escarpments in Southeastern Brazil ^[66] In north, the Guiana Highlands form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the Amazon Basin from rivers that empty into the Orinoco river system, in Venezuela, to the north. The Guiana Shield (Guayana is one of the three Cratons of the South American Plate. ORiNOCO is the brand name that was used for a family of wireless networking solutions by Proxim (previously Lucent) The highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina with 3,014 metres (9,890 ft), and the lowest point is the Atlantic ocean with 0 metres (0 ft). Pico da Neblina is the highest Mountain in Brazil, 2994 metres (9822 feet above sea level at the Imeri mountain range (Serra do Imeri which borders on Venezuela ^[1] Brazil has a dense and complex system of rivers, one of the world's most extensive, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean. ^[67] Major rivers include the Amazon, the largest river in terms of volume of water, and the second-longest in the world; the Paraná and its major tributary, the Iguaçu River, where the Iguaçu Falls are located; the Negro, São Francisco, Xingu, Madeira and the Tapajós rivers. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers This article is about the second-longest river in South America For the shorter river in Goiás, central Brazil see Paranã River The Paraná River Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls ( Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu kataˈɾatɐz du igwaˈsu Spanish: Cataratas For other uses see Rio Negro (disambiguation Rio Negro ( Portuguese: Rio Negro, Spanish: Río Negro For other uses see São Francisco (disambiguation The São Francisco River is a river in Brazil with a length of 3160 kilometres The Xingu River in northeast Brazil is a tributary of the Amazon River. The Madeira River is a major waterway in South America, approximately 3380 km (2100 miles long The Tapajós, a Brazilian river running through a humid and hot valley pours into the Amazon River 500 miles above Pará and is about 1200 miles long ^[67]

Climate

Main article: Climate of Brazil

The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale and varied topography, but the largest part of the country is tropical and covered by the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía ^[1] Analysed according to the Köppen system, Brazil hosts five major climatic subtypes: equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, and temperate; ranging from equatorial rainforests in the north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to temperate coniferous forests in the south and tropical savannas in central Brazil. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial Biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. ^[68] Many regions have starkly different microclimates. A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area ^[69][70]

A equatorial climate characterizes much of northern Brazil. An equatorial climate is a type of Tropical climate in which there is no Dry season – all months have mean Precipitation values of at least 60 mm There is no real dry season but there are some variations in the period of the year when most rain falls. The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the Tropics. ^[68] Temperatures average 25 °C (77 °F),^[70] with more significant temperature variations between night and day than between seasons. ^[69] Over central Brazil rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of a savanna climate. ^[69] This region is as large and extensive as the Amazon basin but, lying farther south and being at a moderate altitude, it has a very different climate. ^[68] In the interior Northeast, seasonal rainfall is even more extreme. The semiarid climate region receives less than 800 millimetres (31 in) of rain, which falls in a period of two or three months. A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in ^[69] From the south of Bahía, near São Paulo, the distribution of rainfall changes, here some appreciable rainfall occurs in all months. ^[68] The South has temperate conditions, with average temperatures below 18 °C (64 °F) and cool winters,^[70] frosts are quite common, with occasional snowfalls in the higher areas. Frost is the solid deposition of Water vapor from saturated air "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. ^[68][69]

Wildlife

Main article: Wildlife of Brazil

Brazil's large area comprises different ecosystems, such as Amazon Rainforest, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, which together sustain some of the world's greatest biodiversity. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía The Atlantic Forest ( Mata Atlântica in Portuguese) is a region of tropical and subtropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, tropical The Cerrado ( English: "closed" or "inaccessible" is a vast Tropical savanna Ecoregion of Brazil. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Because of the country's intense economic and demographic growth, Brazil's ability to protect its environmental habitats has increasingly come under threat. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. Extensive logging in the nation's forests, particularly the Amazon, both official and unofficial, destroys areas the size of a small country each year, and potentially a diverse variety of plants and animals. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. ^[71] Brazil's environment is under threat because of the rapid economic and demographic rise. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles Extensive legal and illegal logging destroys forests the size of a small country per year, and with it a diverse series of species through habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation. Illegal logging is the harvest transportation purchase or sale of timber in violation of national Laws The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal including Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present Habitat fragmentation is a process of environmental change important in Evolution and Conservation biology. ^[72] Between 2002 and 2006, an area of the Amazon Rainforest equivalent in size to the State of South Carolina was completely deforested for the purposes of raising cattle and woodlogging. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. ^[73] By 2020, at least 50% of the species resident in Brazil may become extinct. ^[73]

There is a general consensus that Brazil has the highest number of both terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates of any single country in the world. Vertebrates are members of the Subphylum Vertebrata, Chordates with backbones or spinal columns The grouping sometimes includes An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate ^[74] Also, Brazil has the highest primate diversity,^[74] the highest number of mammals,^[74] the second highest number of amphibians and butterflies,^[74] the third highest number of birds,^[74] and fifth highest number of reptiles. ^[74] There is a high number of endangered species,^[75] many of them living in threatened habitats such as the Atlantic Forest. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The Atlantic Forest ( Mata Atlântica in Portuguese) is a region of tropical and subtropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, tropical

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Brazil and Economic history of Brazil

Brazil is the largest national economy in Latin America, the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates^[76][77] and the ninth largest in purchasing power parity (PPP),^[78][79] according to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; with large and developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, as well as a large labor pool. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale ^[6] The country has been expanding its presence in international financial and commodities markets, and is regarded as one of the group of four emerging economies called BRIC. Commodity markets are markets where raw or primary products are exchanged In economics BRIC or BRICs is an acronym that refers to the fast growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China ^[80] Brazilian exports are booming, creating a new generation of tycoons. ^[81] Major export products include aircraft, coffee, automobiles, soybean, iron ore, orange juice, steel, ethanol, textiles, footwear, corned beef and electrical equipment. Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Iron ores are rocks and Minerals from which Metallic Iron can be economically extracted Orange juice is a Fruit juice obtained by squeezing pressing or otherwise crushing the interior of an orange. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Ethanol fuel is Ethanol (ethyl alcohol the same type of Alcohol found in Alcoholic beverages. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Footwear consists of Garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment and Adornment. In the US and Canada Corned beef has two meanings One refers to a cut of Beef (usually Brisket, but sometimes round or silverside) Electrical equipment includes any Machine powered by Electricity. ^[82] The biggest investment boom in history is under way; in 2007, Brazil launched a four-year plan to spend $300 billion to modernise its road network, power plants and ports. A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo ^[83] Brazil's booming economy is shifting into overdrive, with biofuels and deep-water oil providing energy independence and the government collecting enough cash to irrigate the desert and pave highways across the Amazon Rainforest. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is ^[84] Brazil had pegged its currency, the real, to the U. The real (meaning "royal" ɹeˈal in English, [xe{{IPA|ˈ}}aw] in Brazilian Portuguese) ( sign: R$; code: S. dollar in 1994. However, after the East Asian financial crisis, the Russian default in 1998^[85] and the series of adverse financial events that followed it, the Brazilian central bank temporarily changed its monetary policy to a managed-float scheme while undergoing a currency crisis, until definitively changing the exchange regime to free-float in January 1999. The Asian Financial Crisis was a period of Financial crisis that gripped much of Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown ( Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending ^[86]

Brazil received an International Monetary Fund rescue package in mid-2002 in the amount of $30. 4 billion,^[87] a record sum at that time. The IMF loan was paid off early by Brazil's central bank in 2005 (the due date was scheduled for 2006). ^[88] One of the issues the Brazilian central bank is currently dealing with is the excess of speculative short-term capital inflows to the country in the past few months, which might explain in part the recent downfall of the U. The Brazilian Central Bank ( Banco Central do Brasil) is Brazil 's highest monetary authority in and the country's S. dollar against the real in the period. ^[89] Nonetheless, foreign direct investment (FDI), related to long-term, less speculative investment in production, is estimated to be $193. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country 8 billion for 2007. ^[90] Inflation monitoring and control currently plays a major role in Brazil's Central Bank activity in setting out short-term interest rates as a monetary policy measure. ^[91]

Components

Main articles: Agriculture in Brazil, Industry in Brazil, and Energy policy of Brazil

Brazil's "investment grade" economy is diverse,^[92] encompassing agriculture, industry, and a multitude of services. A bond is considered investment grade or IG if its credit rating is BBB- or higher by Standard & Poor's or Baa3 or higher by Moody's Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" ^[93][94] Brazil is finally punching its weight with a booming economy and stronger global leadership. ^[95][81] The recent economic strength has been due in part to a global boom in commodities prices with exports from beef to soybeans soaring. A commodity is anything for which there is demand but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows ^[94][95] Its prospects have been helped by huge oil and gas discoveries. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit This page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter ^[96] A global power in agriculture and natural resources, Brazil unleash the greatest burst of prosperity has witnessed in three decades. ^[97]

Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, logging and fishing accounted for 5. Brazil is endowed with vast agricultural resources There are two distinct agricultural areas Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. 1% of the gross domestic product in 2007. ^[98] A performance that puts agribusiness in a position of distinction in terms of Brazil's trade balance, in spite of trade barriers and subsidizing policies adopted by the developed countries. In Agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term that refers to the various Businesses involved in Food production including Farming, Seed The balance of trade (or net exports, sometimes symbolized as NX) is the difference between the monetary value of Exports and imports in an ^[99][100] The industry; from automobiles, steel and petrochemicals to computers, aircraft, and consumer durables; accounted for 30. Industrialization during colonial times During the colonial period due to the rules of the economic theory of Mercantilism, no industrial activity could take place in Brazil Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of Petroleum or other Hydrocarbon origin A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. In Economics, a durable good or a hard good is a good which does not quickly wear out or more specifically it yields services or 8% of the gross domestic product. ^[98] Industry is highly concentrated geographically, with the leading concentrations in metropolitan São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre, and Belo Horizonte. Campinas (kɐ̃ːˈpinɐs is a city and county ( município) located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Porto Alegre ( is the 10th largest city in Brazil, and the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the Technologically advanced industries are also highly concentrated in these locations. ^[101]

Brazil is the world's tenth largest energy consumer. This list of countries by Electricity consumption is mostly based on The World Factbook. It's energy comes from renewable sources, particularly hydroelectricity and ethanol; and nonrenewable sources, mainly oil and natural gas. Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, ^[102] Brazil will become an oil superpower, with massive oil discoveries in recent times. ^{[103][104][105]}

Science and technology

Main article: Science and technology in Brazil

Brazilian science effectively began in the first decades of the 19th century, when the Portuguese Royal Family, headed by John VI, arrived in Rio de Janeiro, escaping from the Napoleon's army invasion of Portugal in 1807. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Wikipedia talkFeatured lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Portuguese John VI (13 May 1767 &ndash 10 March 1826 ( Portuguese João, ʒʊˈɐ̃ũ the Clement ( Port Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Until then, Brazil was a Portuguese colony, without universities, and a lack of cultural and scientific organizations, in stark contrast to the former American colonies of the Spanish Empire, which although having a largely illiterate population like Brazil and Portugal, had, however, a number of universities since the 16th century. The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta In the History of Brazil, Colonial Brazil comprises the period from 1500 with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815 when Brazil was elevated A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen,

Technological research in Brazil is largely carried out in public universities and research institutes. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Nonetheless, more than 73% of funding for basic research still comes from government sources. ^[106] Some of Brazil's most notables technological hubs are the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, the Butantan Institute, the Air Force's Aerospace Technical Center, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the INPE. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is considered Instituto Butantan is a Brazilian biomedical research center affiliated to the São Paulo State Secretary of Health. The Brazilian General-Command for Aerospace Technology ( Portuguese: Comando-Geral de Tecnologia Aerospacial; CTA) is the national military The Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA (Brazilian Enterprise for Research on Farming and Cattle Raising is a state-owned Brazil has the most advanced space program in Latin America, with significant capabilities to launch vehicles, launch sites and satellite manufacturing. ^[107] On October 14, 1997, the Brazilian Space Agency signed an agreement with NASA to provide parts for the ISS. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Brazilian Space Agency ( Portuguese: Agência Espacial Brasileira; AEB) is the civilian authority in Brazil that is in charge of the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program ^[108] Uranium is enriched at the Resende Nuclear Fuel Factory to fuel the country's energy demands. Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the The Nuclear Fuel Factory (FCN is located at Resende, State of Rio de Janeiro, comprising three units and has a production capacity of 280 tons of Uranium per year In Physics and other Sciences energy (from the Greek grc ἐνέργεια - Energeia, "activity operation" from grc ἐνεργός Plans are on the way to build the country's first nuclear submarine. A nuclear submarine is a Submarine powered by Atomic energy. Previously conventional submarines used diesel engines that required air for moving on the ^[109] Brazil is one of the two countries in Latin America^[110] with an operational Synchrotron Laboratory, a research facility on physics, chemistry, material science and life sciences. A synchrotron is a particular type of cyclic Particle accelerator in which the magnetic field (to turn the particles so they circulate and the electric field (to accelerate Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Materials Science or Materials Engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of Science and Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Brazil

Brazil's population is comprised of many racial and ethnic groups. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets ^[111] The last National Research for Sample of Domiciles (PNAD) census revealed the following: 49. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Gehjgygmmliografia e Estatística is the agency responsible for Statistical 7% of the population are White, about 93 million; 42. According to the 2006 census White Brazilians make up 497% of Brazil's population or around 93 million people 6% are Pardo (mixed), about 80 million; 6. In Brazil, the Pardos are a mixture of Whites Blacks and Amerindians, varying from light to dark complexion as used by the Brazilian Institute 9% are Black, about 13 million; 0. Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial 5% are Asian, about 1 million; and 0. An Asian Brazilian is a Brazilian born person of Asian ancestry 4% are Amerindian, about 519,000. The Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( Portuguese: povos indígenas) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to ^[112] Most Brazilians can trace their ancestry to the country's Indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonists, and African slaves. An ancestor is a Parent or ( recursively) the parent of an ancestor (i Portuguese-Brazilian' (luso-brasileiro is a Portuguese born citizen with Brazilian citizenship or a Brazilian born citizen of Portuguese Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial Since 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, miscegenation between these three groups took place. Miscegenation (Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind" is the mixing of different racial groups, that is marrying, cohabiting Over three centuries of Portuguese colonization, Brazil received more than 700,000 Portuguese settlers and 4 million African slaves. ^[113]

Starting in the late 19th century, Brazil opened its doors to immigration: people of over 60 nationalities immigrated to Brazil. Immigration has been a very important demographic factor in the composition structure and history of human Population in Brazil, with all its attending factors About 5 million European and Asian immigrants arrived from 1870 to 1953, most of them from Italy, Portugal, Spain), and Germany. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In the early 20th century, people from Japan and the Middle-East also arrived. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. ^[111] The immigrants and their descendants had an important impact in the ethnic composition of the Brazilian population, and many diasporas are present in the country. The term Diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά &ndash " a scattering or sowing of seeds " refers any population sharing common ethnic Brazil has the largest population of Italian origin outside of Italy, with over 25 million Italian Brazilians,^[114] the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, with 1. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging An Italian Brazilian ( Italian: Ítalo-Brasiliano, Portuguese: Ítalo-Brasileiro) is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Italian The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan 6 million Japanese Brazilians,^[115] as well the second largest German population outside of Germany, with 12 million German Brazilians. A Japanese Brazilian' (日系ブラジル人 in Kanji and Kana Japanese writing nikkei burajiru-jin in Rōmaji Japanese The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A German Brazilian ( German: Deutschbrasilianer, Portuguese: teuto-brasileiro or germano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian ^[116] A characteristic of Brazil is the race mixing. Brazil does not have a category for multiracial people but a Pardo (brown one which may include people of mixed European, African and Amerindian Genetically, most Brazilians have some degree of European, African, and Amerindian ancestry. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is ^[117] The entire population can be considered a single "Brazilian" ethnic group, with highly varied racial types and backgrounds, but without clear ethnic sub-divisions. ^[113]

The largest metropolitan areas in Brazil are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte, respectively with 19. This is a list of the largest cities in Brazil. Brazil has a relatively high reported level of Urbanization, with 8 out of every 10 Brazilians living in cities 7, 11. 4, and 5. 4 million inhabitants. ^[118] Almost all the capitals are the largest city in their corresponding state, except for Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo, and Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina. Vitória is the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. For the Portuguese company see Espírito Santo Financial Group Espírito Santo (is Florianópolis ( Nicknamed Floripa) is the capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. There are also non-capital metropolitan areas in the states of São Paulo (Campinas, Santos and the Paraíba Valley), Minas Gerais (Steel Valley), Rio Grande do Sul (Sinos Valley), and Santa Catarina (Itajaí Valley). Campinas (kɐ̃ːˈpinɐs is a city and county ( município) located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The Paraíba Valley (Vale do Paraíba is a Microregião of the eastern part of the state of São Paulo. Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation The Vale do Aço is a metropolitan area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, comprising only the four municipalities of Ipatinga, Coronel Fabriciano, Porto Alegre ( is the 10th largest city in Brazil, and the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Vale do Itajaí also known as Vale Europeu (or "European Valley" is a mesoregion located in the Northeastern part of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina ^[119]

Largest cities of Brazil								view • talk • edit
	Municipality	Federative unit	Population		Municipality	Federative unit	Population	São Paulo Rio de Janeiro
1	São Paulo 1	São Paulo	11,016,703	11	Belém	Pará	1,428,368
2	Rio de Janeiro 2	Rio de Janeiro	6,136,652	12	Guarulhos 1	São Paulo	1,283,253
3	Salvador	Bahia	2,714,119	13	Goiânia	Goiás	1,220,412
4	Fortaleza	Ceará	2,416,920	14	Campinas	São Paulo	1,059,420
5	Belo Horizonte	Minas Gerais	2,399,920	15	São Luís	Maranhão	922,458
6	Brasília	Distrito Federal	2,383,784	16	São Gonçalo 2	Rio de Janeiro	973,372
7	Curitiba	Paraná	1,788,559	17	Maceió	Alagoas	922,458
8	Manaus	Amazonas	1,644,690	18	D. de Caxias 2	Rio de Janeiro	855,010
9	Recife	Pernambuco	1,515,052	19	Nova Iguaçu 2	Rio de Janeiro	844,583
10	Porto Alegre	Rio Grande do Sul	1,440,939	20	Teresina	Piauí	813,992
Source: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2007 Demographic Census)
^1  Metropolitan region of São Paulo (São Paulo and Guarulhos) ^2  Metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, São Gonçalo, Duque de Caxias and Nova Iguaçu)

Education and health

Main articles: Education in Brazil and Health in Brazil

The Federal Constitution and the 1996 General Law of Education in Brazil (LDB) determine how the Federal Government, States, Federal District, and Municipalities will manage and organize their respective education systems. Education in Brazil is regulated by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, which defines the guiding principles for the organization of educational ^[4] Each of these public educational systems is responsible for its own maintenance, which manages funds as well as mechanisms and sources for financial resources. The new Constitution reserves 25% of state and municipal taxes and 18% of federal taxes for education. ^[120][121]

Private school programs are available to complement the public school system. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered In 2003, the literacy rate was 88% of the population, and the youth literacy rate (ages 15–19) was 93. 2%. ^[120] Illiteracy is highest in the Northeast, around 27%, which has a high proportion of rural poor. ^[122] Although at same year, Brazil's education had low levels of efficiency by 15-year-old students, particularly in the public school network. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and ^[123] Higher education starts with undergraduate or sequential courses, which may offer different specialist choices such as academic or vocational paths. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Depending on choice, students may improve their educational background with Stricto Sensu or Lato Sensu postgraduate courses. ^[124][121]

The public health system is managed and provided by all levels of government, whilst private healthcare fulfills a complementary role. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations ^[4][125] There are several problems in the Brazilian health system. In 2006, these were infant mortality, child mortality, maternal mortality, mortality by non-transmissible illness and mortality caused by external causes: transportation, violence and suicide. Infant mortality is defined as the number of deaths of Infants (one year of age or younger per 1000 live births Child mortality refers to the death of infants and children under the age of five Maternal death, or maternal mortality, also "obstetrical death" is the Death of a woman during or shortly after a Pregnancy. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes ^[126][125]

Language

Main articles: Languages of Brazil and Brazilian Portuguese

Portuguese is the only official language of Brazil. ^[2] It is spoken by nearly the entire population and is virtually the only language used in newspapers, radio, television, and for all business and administrative purposes. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Moreover, Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas, making the language an important part of Brazilian national identity and giving it a national culture distinct from its Spanish-speaking neighbors. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America ^[127]

Brazilian Portuguese has had its own development, influenced by the Amerindian and African languages. Brazilian Portuguese ( Language code pt-BR Portuguese: português brasileiro or português do Brasil) is a group of Portuguese Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and There are an estimated 2000 Languages spoken in Africa. About a hundred of these are widely used for inter-ethnic communication ^[128] Due to this, the language is somewhat different from that spoken in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries, mainly for phonological and orthographic differences. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. These differences are somewhat greater than those of American and British English. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the ^[128] Portugal may have to recognize the inevitable by bowing to the economic and cultural supremacy of Brazil, its former colony; it is considering reforming its own language to accommodate linguistic developments in the Brazilian Portuguese since the two languages diverged. In the History of Brazil, Colonial Brazil comprises the period from 1500 with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815 when Brazil was elevated ^[129]

Minority languages are spoken throughout the vast national territory. Some of these are spoken by indigenous peoples: 180 Amerindian languages are spoken in remote areas. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Others are spoken by immigrants and their descendants. ^[128] There are important communities of speakers of German (mostly the Hunsrückisch, part of the High German languages) and Italian (mostly the Talian dialect, of Venetian origin) in the south of the country, both largely influenced by the Portuguese language. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Hunsrückisch is a German Dialect spoken in the Hunsrück region of Germany ( Rhineland-Palatinate) The High German languages (in German, Hochdeutsch) are any of the varieties of standard German, Luxembourgish and Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Talian is a Dialect of the Venetian language spoken mainly in the wine-producing area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken by over two million people mostly in the Veneto region of Italy. ^[128][127]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Brazil

A wide variety of elements create a society with considerable ethnic complexity. Brazil ' s population is very diverse comprising many races and Ethnic groups In general Brazilians trace their origins from four sources of migration ^[113] Brazilian culture has historically been influenced by European, African, and Indigenous cultures and traditions. The term African people can refer to people who live in Africa, or people who trace their ancestry to Indigenous inhabitants of Africa. The Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( Portuguese: povos indígenas) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to ^[113] Its major early influence derived from Portuguese culture, because of strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. The culture of Portugal is rooted in the Latin culture of Ancient Rome, with a Celtiberian background (a mixture of pre-Roman Celts and The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Catholic religion and the colonial architectural styles. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic is the sumptuous composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century ^[130] Other aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of Italian, German and other European immigrants; came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the South and Southeast of Brazil. An Italian Brazilian ( Italian: Ítalo-Brasiliano, Portuguese: Ítalo-Brasileiro) is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Italian A German Brazilian ( German: Deutschbrasilianer, Portuguese: teuto-brasileiro or germano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian According to the 2006 census White Brazilians make up 497% of Brazil's population or around 93 million people ^[111] Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil's language and cuisine; and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced language, cuisine, music, dance and religion. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The cuisine of Brazil, like Brazil itself varies greatly by region Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial The Music of Brazil encompasses various regional Music styles influenced by African European and Amerindian forms ^[131][111]

Literature in Brazil dates back to the 16th century, to the writings of the first Portuguese explorers in Brazil, such as Pêro Vaz de Caminha, writer of the fleet of navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral. The Literature of Brazil refers to literature written in the Portuguese language by Brazilians or in Brazil, even if prior to Brazil's independence from Portugal Pêro Vaz de Caminha (c 1450 - December 15 1500) ( pron. 'peɾu vaʃ dɨ kɐ'miɲɐ (also spelled Pedro Vaz de Caminha) was a Pedro Álvares Cabral (about 1467/1468/1469 &ndash about 1520 ˈpeðɾʊ ˈaɫvɐɾɨʃ kɐˈβɾaɫ in Portuguese, ˈawvaɾiʃ caˈbɾaw in Brazilian) was ^[132] Cuisine varies greatly by region. The cuisine of Brazil, like Brazil itself varies greatly by region This diversity reflects the country's mix of native and immigrants. This has created a national cooking style marked by the preservation of regional differences. ^[133] Brazil's cultural tradition extends to its music styles which include samba, bossa nova, forró, frevo, pagode and many others. Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style Bossa nova ( is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto. Forró is a kind of Northeastern Brazilian dance as well as a word used to denote the different genres of music which accompanies the dance Frevo describes is a wide range of musical styles originating from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, all of which are traditionally associated with Brazilian Pagode is a Brazilian style of music which originated in the Rio de Janeiro region as a subgenre of Samba. ^[134] Brazil has also contributed to classical music, which can be seen in the works of many composers. ^[134] In arts, important modern artists Anita Malfatti and Tarsila do Amaral were both early pioneers in Brazilian art. Anita Catarina Malfatti ( December 2, 1889 – November 6, 1964) is heralded as the first Brazilian artist to introduce European and American Tarsila do Amaral, (b September 1, 1886 in Capivari, São Paulo - d Brazilian visual art began in the 18th century with painting with a strong European accent ^[135] The Cinema has a long tradition, reaching back to the birth of the medium in the late 19th century, and gained a new level of international acclaim in recent years. Brazilian cinema has more recently sparked attention overseas thanks to the success of films like Central Station ( Central do Brasil) and ^[136]

The festival of Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval), with its spectacular street parades and vibrant music, has become one of the most potent images of Brazil;^[133] an annual celebration held forty days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. The Brazilian Carnival, or Carnaval (Carnaval is an annual festival in Brazil held 4 days before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Carnival is celebrated throughout Brazil, with distinct regional characteristics, but the most spectacular celebrations outside Rio de Janeiro take place in Salvador, Recife, and Olinda, although the nature of the events varies. Salvador (historic name São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos, in English "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay" is a City on the northeast coast of Recife ( heˈsifi is the fifth largest Metropolitan area in Brazil and the capital of the state of Pernambuco. Olinda is a historic city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located on the country's northeastern Atlantic ^[133] Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festivals). Bumba Meu Boi or Boi Bumbá is a popular regional festival which takes place annually in North and Northeast Brazil in Parintins. Festa Junina, typically termed São João (Saint John as it is centered on that saint's day is the name of annual ^[134][133]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Brazil

Religion is very diversified in Brazil, the constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. ^[4] The Roman Catholic Church is dominant, making Brazil the largest Catholic nation in the world. ^[137] The formal link between the state and the Roman Catholicism was severed in the late 19th century; however, the Catholic Church has continued to exert an influence on national affairs. ^[138] Adepts of Protestantism are rising in number. Until 1970, the majority of Brazilian Protestants were members of "traditional churches", mostly Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Since then, numbers of Pentecostal and Neopentecostal members have increased significantly. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism ^[138] Traditional African beliefs, brought by slaves, have blended with Catholicism to create Afro-Brazilian religions such as Macumba, Candomblé, and Umbanda. Candomblé (pronounced /kɐ̃dõˈblɛ/is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion practiced chiefly in Brazil. Basic beliefs and practices The Umbanda creeds and practices are an eclectic mixture from three main sources from Catholicism Umbanda adopted the ideas of ^[137] Amerindians practice a wide variety of indigenous religions that vary from group to group. ^[138]

According to the 2000 Demographic Census: 73,89% of the population is Roman catholic; 15,41% is Protestant; 0,907% from other Christian denominations; 1,332% follows Kardecist spiritism; 0,309% follows African traditional religions; 0,010% follows Amerindian traditions; 7,354% considers itself agnostics, atheists or without a religion; and 0,806% are members of other religions. The Roman Catholic Church in Brazil is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome On March 10, 1557, the first Protestant worship service was held in Brazil Spiritism is a Christian philosophical Doctrine, established in France in the mid-nineteenth century Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the Atheism Some of these are 0,126% of Buddhists; 0,051% of Jews; 0,016% of Islamics and some practice a mixture of different religions. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Islam in Brazil was first practiced by African slaves. The early Brazilian Muslims led the largest slave revolt in Brazil which then had the largest slave population ^[139][2]

Sport

Main article: Sport in Brazil

Football (Portuguese: futebol) is the most popular sport in Brazil. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. ^[133] The Brazilian national football team (Seleção) is currently ranked second in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international History FIFA World Ranking Leaders In December 1992 FIFA first published ^[140] They have been victorious in the World Cup tournament a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup was held in Chile from May 30 to June 17. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17 1994 The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. ^[141] Basketball, volleyball, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large audiences. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. Though not as regularly followed or practiced as the previously mentioned sports, tennis, team handball, swimming, and gymnastics have found a growing number of enthusiasts over the last decades. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Some sport variations have their origins in Brazil. Beach football,^[142] futsal (official version of indoor football)^[143] and footvolley emerged in the country as variations of football. Futsal is an indoor version of Association football. Its name is derived from the Portuguese fut ebol de sal ão and the Spanish Footvolley (Futevôlei is an international sport which combines field rules that are based on those of Beach volleyball with ball-touch rules taken from Soccer In martial arts, Brazilians have developed Capoeira,^[144] Vale tudo,^[145] and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Capoeira (kapuˈejɾɐ is a brazilian art form that ritualizes movement from Martial arts, Games, and Dance. Vale Tudo ( Portuguese for Anything goes. The individual words translate into English as vale - "is allowed" and tudo - "everything" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ( BJJ) is a Martial art and Combat sport that focuses on Grappling and especially Ground fighting with the goal ^[146] In auto racing, Brazilian drivers have won the Formula 1 world championship eight times: Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972 and 1974;^[147] Nelson Piquet in 1981, 1983 and 1987;^[148] and Ayrton Senna in 1988, 1990 and 1991. Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships The 1972 Formula One season included the 23rd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 23, 1972, and ended on The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (born August 17, 1952) more commonly known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver who was Formula The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended The 1983 Formula One season included the 34th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 13 and ended on October 15 after fifteen races The 1987 Formula One season was the 38th FIA Formula One World Championship season Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple The 1988 Formula One season was the 39th FIA Formula One World Championship season The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st FIA Formula One World Championship season The 1991 Formula One season was the 42nd FIA Formula One World Championship season ^[149]

Brazil has undertaken the organization of large-scale sporting events: the country organized and hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup^[150] and is chosen to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup event. The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship ^[151] The circuit located in São Paulo, Autódromo José Carlos Pace, hosts the annual Grand Prix of Brazil. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world Autódromo José Carlos Pace or Interlagos is the venue of the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, located in a suburb of the city of São Paulo The Brazilian Grand Prix (Grande Prêmio do Brasil is a Formula One championship race which occurs at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos ^[152] São Paulo organized the IV Pan American Games in 1963,^[153] and Rio de Janeiro hosted the XV Pan American Games in 2007. The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil. The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, is a major International Multi-sport event which was celebrated ^[153] Brazil also tried for the fourth time to host the Summer Olympics with Rio de Janeiro candidature in 2016. The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International ^[154]

References

Further reading

• Alves, Maria Helena Moreira (1985). State and Opposition in Military Brazil. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.  
• Amann, Edmund (1990). The Illusion of Stability: The Brazilian Economy under Cardoso. World Development (pp. 1805–1819).  
• Background Note: Brazil. US Department of State.
• Bellos, Alex (2003). Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life. London: Bloomsbury Publishing plc.  
• Bethell, Leslie (1991). Colonial Brazil. Cambridge: CUP.  
• Costa, João Cruz (1964). A History of Ideas in Brazil. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.  
• Fausto, Boris (1999). A Concise History of Brazil. Cambridge: CUP.  
• Furtado, Celso. The Economic Growth of Brazil: A Survey from Colonial to Modern Times. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.  
• Martinez-Lara, Javier (1995). Building Democracy in Brazil: The Politics of Constitutional Change. Macmillan.  
• Malathronas, John (2003). Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul. Chichester: Summersdale.  
• Prado Júnior, Caio (1967). The Colonial Background of Modern Brazil. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.  
• Schneider, Ronald (1995). Brazil: Culture and Politics in a New Economic Powerhouse. Boulder Westview.  
• Skidmore, Thomas E. (1974). Black Into White: Race and Nationality in Brazilian Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  
• Wagley, Charles (1963). An Introduction to Brazil. New York, New York: Columbia University Press.  
• (2006) The World Almanac and Book of Facts: Brazil. New York, NY: World Almanac Books.  
• Leal, Victor Nunes (1977). Coronelismo: The Municipality and Representative Government in Brazil. Cambridge: CUP.  

External links

Government and administration

• Brazilian Federal Government
• Presidency of Brazil
• Chamber of Deputies
• (Portuguese) Federal Senate

Information and statistics

• Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
• (Portuguese) Institute of Applied Economics Research
• U.S. Library of Congress
• National Bank for Social and Economical Development
• Brazil entry at The World Factbook

Economy and business

• Brazilian Central Bank
• São Paulo Stock Exchange
• Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce
• Britcham in Brazil

Tourism and sports

• Brazil travel guide from Wikitravel
• Tourism in Brazil
• Accommodation in Brazil
• (Portuguese) Sport in Brazil

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