Brazil

Geography

Brazil is the largest country in South America and is over 3 million square miles in size.

The capital of Brazil is Brasilia and contains other large well known states including Rio de Janeiro, San Paulo, and Salvador.

Climates in Brazil vary. There are the dense and tropical Amazon basins in the northern region, the semi arid coastline, large grassland areas, and dense wetlands with extensive river systems.

Geography The Amazon River is the largest river system in Brazil. The river extends 2,243 miles and descends only 100

meters before letting out. Agriculture productivity is usually pretty poor because of

high acidity and aluminum levels in the soil. Timber and fertile soil are two renewable resources that

cause tension in the Amazon River Basin. 90% of the country is in tropical zone The country is divided into 5 sections with different eco-

systems. This includes the North, Northeast, South, Southeast, and central west.

The People of Brazil

Approximately 190 million people inhabit Brazil. Most of the people live in the Southeastern and

Northeastern regions. Most inhabitants are descendants of the

indigenous people, Portuguese settlers, or African slaves who were brought over by the trans-Atlantic slave trade to work on the sugar plantations.

Primary language of Brazilian is Portuguese.

The People of Brazil

Brazil is a highly diverse country made up of multiple ethnic backgrounds.

70% of all immigrants who came to Brazil were either Portuguese or Italian.

White Brazilian (brancos) make up 48% of the population, blacks (negros) is 7%, brown or mixed (pardos) makes up 44%, asian (amarelos) is 1%, and the Amerindian (indios) makes up <1% of the population.

Culture

The Portuguese introduced the language, catholic religion, and architectural styles.

Carnival- A large festival held 46 days before Easter which celebrates the farewell to bad things prior to Christ’s death and resurrection.

Carnival is the largest celebrated holiday in the country and the festivities vary from region to region.

Culture

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Brazil. They have a record of 5 word cup titles.

Brazilian folklore which includes dances, stories, legends and religious rituals demonstrates the countries rich and diverse culture. The folklore can be depicted in the countries Carnival celebration.

The music of Brazil is internationally respected and it conveys a nation rich in art and culture. Some music styles that Brazil has mad famous include Samba (Afro-bahian rhythms- largely seen during Carnival), Bossa Nova (jazzy rock similar to Samba), and Choro (classical/ballroom).

The Samba

Brazil’s History

In 1500, Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvaras Cabral was the first person to discover Brazil.

It remained a colony of Portugal until September 7, 1822. Brazil declared it’s independence from Portugal.

Brazil was of little interest to Portugal because of the profitable trade with India, China, and Indonesia.

The land was given to Portuguese noblemen who were followers of the crown.

The Dutch attempted invading Brazil and for a long period inhabited a large portion of the coast. After constantly being under siege, the Dutch finally withdrew.

Brazil’s History

Slavery fueled the Brazilian economy and was essential in their sugar cane production and mining.

35% of all slaves exported in the Atlantic slave trade were brought to Brazil.

After becoming an independent nation, Brazil elected it’s first president Deodoro da Fonseca.

Brazil became a military dictatorship in 1964. It wasn’t until 1985 that Brazil returned to civilian rule and

elected Tancredo Neves as president who died and was replaced by vice president Jose Sarney.