Brazil:History, states and capital, facts, tourist attraction.

If you’ve never been to Brazil, and wishes to be there someday, here are some vital information you should have at hand before making a move.

Population: 198,739,269 (2009 estimate)
Capital: Brasilia
Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil
Important Cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador
Area: 3,287,612 square miles (8,514,877 sq km)
Coastline: 4,655 miles (7,491 km)
Highest Point: Pico da Neblina 9,888 feet (3,014 m)
Brazil is the largest country in South America and covers nearly half (47%) of the South American continent. It is currently the fifth-largest economy in the world, is home to the Amazon Rainforest and is a popular location for tourism.

Brazil is also rich in natural resources and active in world issues such as climate change, giving it significance on a worldwide scale.

Early History of Brazil

statue of rio and aerial view over the city of rio with the sea in the background

The city of Rio in Brazil. Photocredit: Shutterstock

The history of Brazil begins with indigenous people, and dates back over 10,000 years. The first inhabitants of Brazil were native indigenous “Indians” known as“indios’’ in Portuguese who lived mainly on the coast and alongside rivers in tribes. But very little is known about this history before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500, as the tribes tended to be semi-nomadic without permanent buildings and written records.

Portuguese Arrival & Settlement

Pedro Alvares Cabral. Photo credit: wikipedia

The Portuguese fleet under the command of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, who arrived in April 1500, claiming Brazil for Portugal. Up until this time Portugal has shown little interest in Brazil or the large brazilwood tree that was Brazil’s major export. From the 16th century sugarcane plantations along the northeast coast became an important part of the country’s economy. The Portuguese tried to use the native indigenous people as slaves to produce sugar for Europe, but in the end they resorted to bringing in slaves from Africa.

The first permanent Portuguese settlement was established at São Vicente in 1532. Salvador was founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil, and it became a major port for slaves and sugarcane.

Other Europeans

Cathedral in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo credit: Shutterstock

French colonists tried to settle in present-day Rio de Janeiro between 1555 and 1567. The Jesuits also played a key role in early colonisation, the Jesuit order establishing the town of São Paulo in 1557. The Dutch were present in the northeast from the 1620’s capturing Salvador briefly before their expulsion in 1654.

Discovery of Gold

Diamantina in Brazil. Photo credit: shutterstock

Gold was discovered in Brazil in the beginning of the 18th century resulting in a huge influx of European immigrants. The region known as Minas Gerais became the centre of Brazil’s gold mining and slaves were again used as the work force. Deposits of diamonds were also discovered in 1729 in the region now known as Diamantina, now a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site.

Brazil Independence

Influencer in the history of Brazil “Emperor Pedro II”. Photo credit: wikipedia

From 1808, the Portuguese king ruled his vast empire from Rio de Janeiro. 15 years later after the Independence war, Brazil ceased to be a Portuguese colony declaring independence from Portugal in 1822 and becoming the Empire of Brazil. Pedro I ruled until his abdication in 1831 when he left behind his 5 year old son, Emperor Pedro II. Years of rebellion ensued. The First Brazilian Republic was established in 1889 after a military coup and the ousting of Pedro II. The country’s name was changed to the Republic of the United States of Brazil, changing again in 1967 to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Other Historical Events

Floating houses in Manaus, Brazil. Photo credit: shutterstock

Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, the last country in the western world to do so, after an estimated 4 to 5 million African slaves had been imported.
Coffee was introduced to Brazil in 1720 and by the mid 1800’s, Brazil was responsible for half of the world’s coffee production.
1880 to 1920 saw a rubber boom in the Amazon and resulted in the transformation of the village of Manaus into a cosmopolitan centre complete with ornate theatre.

States And Capital

Acre…………….. …….Rio Branco [sharp, pungent, acrid] [White River]
Alagoas …………,……Maceió
Amapá …………………Macapá
Amazonas…. …………Manaus [Amazon]
Bahia ……………….,… Salvador [Bay] [Savior]
Ceará…………………… Fortaleza [Fort]
Distrito Federal …. .,.Brasília [Federal District]
Espírito Santo ………..Vitória [Holy Spririt] [Victory]
Goiás ……………………. Goiânia
Maranhão ………. …,…São Luís [Saint Louis]
Mato Grosso…………… Cuiabá [Thick Forest]
Mato Grosso do Sul ,…Campo Grande [South Thick Forest] [Big Field]
Minas Gerais …,………. Belo Horizonte [General Mines] [Beautiful Horizon/Skyline]
Pará ..,……………….,……Belém
Paraíba ……………………João Pessoa [John Person]
Paraná …………………… Curitiba
Pernambuco …………….Recife [Reef]
Piauí ……………………….Teresina
Roraima ………………… Boa Vista [Good View]
Rondônia …………………Porto Velho [Old Port]
Rio de Janeiro ………….Rio de Janeiro [January River]
Rio Grande do Norte….Natal [Great River of the North] [Christmas]
Rio Grande do Sul …… Porto Alegre [Great River of the South] [Happy Port]
Santa Catarina…………..Florianópolis [Saint Catherine] [Floriano City]
São Paulo ………………….São Paulo [Saint Paul]
Sergipe ……………………..Aracaju
Tocantins…………………..PSãoFrancis]

The Most Important Things to Know About Brazil

1) Brazil was given to Portugal as part of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 and the first person to officially claim Brazil for Portugal was Pedro Alvares Cabral.

2) The official language of Brazil is Portuguese; however, there are more than 180 native languages spoken in the country. It is also important to note that Brazil is the only country in South America whose dominant language and culture comes from Portugal.

3) The name Brazil comes from an Amerindian word Brasil, which describes a dark rosewood type common in the country. At a time, the wood was Brazil’s main export and thus gave the country its name. Since 1968 however, the export of Brazilian rosewood has been banned.

4) Brazil has 13 cities with over one million residents.

5) Brazil’s literacy rate is 86.4% which is the lowest of all South American countries. It falls just behind Bolivia and Peru at 87.2% and 87.7%, respectively.

6) Brazil is a diverse country with ethnic groups including 54% European, 39% mixed European-African, 6% Africa, 1% other.

7) Today, Brazil has one of the largest economies in the Americas and is the largest in South America.<br/>
8) Brazil’s most common agricultural exports today are coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus, and beef.

9) Brazil has a plethora of natural resources which include: iron ore, tin, aluminum, gold, phosphate, platinum, uranium, manganese, copper and coal.

10) After the end of the Brazilian Empire in 1889, it was determined that the country would have a new capital and shortly thereafter, the site of present-day Brasilia was chosen in an effort to promote development there.

Growth did not occur until 1956 and Brasilia did not officially replace Rio de Janeiro as Brazil’s capital until 1960.

11) One of the most famous mountains in the world is the Corcovado located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known worldwide for its 98 foot (30 m) high statue of the city’s emblem, Christ the Redeemer, which has been on its summit since 1931.

12) Brazil’s climate is considered mainly tropical, but it is temperate in the south.

13) Brazil is considered one of the most biodiverse places in the world because its rainforest are home to more than 1,000 bird species, 3,000 fish species and many mammals and reptiles such as alligators, freshwater dolphins, and manatees.
14) The rainforests in Brazil are being cut at a rate of up to four percent per year due to logging, ranching, and slash and burn agriculture. Pollution of the Amazon River and its tributaries is also a threat to the rainforests.

15) The Rio Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous attractions in Brazil. It attracts thousands of tourists yearly, but it is also a tradition for Brazilians who often spend the year prior to the Carnaval preparing for it.