Atlantic South America Brazil

History  Brazil is the largest country in South America. Its population of 188 million people is more than all of the other South American countries combined.

Colonial Brazil  The first people of Brazil were Native Americans, arriving thousands of years ago and basing their lives on hunting, fishing and small farms. The first Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese, in 1500.

Colonial Brazil  The Portuguese soon moved to Brazil due to warm climates and good soil. These conditions made it a large sugar producing region. The Portuguese brought Africans over as slaves to work the cane plantations. Sugar made Portugal rich.

Colonial Brazil  Inland, many Portuguese raised cattle on ranches. In the late 1600’s to early 1700’s, gold and precious gems were found in the southeast and a mining boom would bring people from around the world. Finally, in the 1800’s, Coffee would become king.

Brazil Since Independence  Brazil gained independence in 1822 without rebellion or fight. Independence did not change the economy or society much – they were the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery. Leaders have been both dictators at times and elected officials at other times. Today, the government has elected officials and Brazilians can participate in government.

People and Culture: People  More than half of Brazilians see themselves as European descent. Portuguese immigrants along with Spanish, German, Polish and Italians have made Brazil home.

People  40 % of the population is of mixed African and European heritage. Brazil also has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

People and Language  Due to its cultural heritage, Portuguese is the official language. Since Brazil is so huge and populous, Portuguese is spoken by more than Spanish in all of South America. Native languages as well as others like French and English are spoken as well.

Religion  Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics of any country in the world. Protestants have grown in Brazil in the recent times and some Brazilians practice Macumba, a blend of African, Indian and Christian beliefs and practices.

Festivals and Food  Carnival is huge in Brazil. Celebrated before Lent, they incorporate traditions from Africa, Europe and Brazil. Food is also influenced by heritage. An African seafood dish called vatapa is popular.

Brazil Today  Opportunities and challenges face this big nation. Brazil has the largest economy in South America and many wealthy areas – however, many Brazilians are quite poor. Some issues and characteristics are common throughout Brazil, but some pertain to particular regions. Brazil can be divided into four regions based on people, economies and landscapes.

The Southeast  Most people live in the Southeast and Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and 4 th largest in the world is there. A megacity, there are many small cities and suburbs in the surrounding area.

Rio  Rio de Janeiro is the 2 nd largest city and is northeast of Sao Paulo. It was the capital from 1822 to 1960 and has a population of 12 million. A major port, its setting and exciting culture draw thousands of tourists each year.

Southeast  The Southeast is also the richest region – both in resources and industry and farmlands. It does have poverty as well, many cities having favelas – slums – right next to wealthy areas.

The Northeast  The northeast is Brazil’s poorest region. Many can’t read, health care is poor and jobs non- existent. Droughts make farming difficult and does not attract industry. However, the beaches do attract tourists. Old colonial cities also attract tourists.

The Interior  The Interior region is a frontier. Mild climate and abundant land may make it an agricultural region in the future. Few live there today except for those in Brasilia, the capital.

Brasilia  In the 1950’s, officials hoped building the capital inland would draw people to the area. It has big buildings and highways and 2 million population although it was designed for 500,000.

The Amazon  The Amazon region covers most of northern Brazil. Manaus is the major port and industrial city and over a million people live there and they rely on the great river for transportation and communication.

The Amazon  Isolated Indian villages are scattered throughout the rainforest – some had very little contact with the outside world until recently. Now, mining, logging and roads bring people and development to the region.

The Amazon  The new development brings much needed income to the area, but it destroys large areas of the rainforest. This also creates tensions between Indians, new settlers, miners and the government.