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The Nations of South America | Cool Links
Brazil
Brazil is the largest and most populated nation of South America. People in
Brazil speak Portuguese while the rest of South America speaks Spanish. This is because Brazil was once a Portuguese colony. In 1493, Pope Alexander VI split South America between Spain and Portugal. Alexander decreed that Portugal would control the eastern part of South America and Spain would control the western portion. Today neither Portugal nor Spain has a presence in South America, but the continent has borrowed their cultures.
Brazil has an interesting history. In 1808, the King of Portugal moved to Brazil and made the colony the center of the Portuguese empire. Dom João moved to Brazil to escape Napoleon’s army. Thirteen years later João returned to Portugal after Napoleon had been defeated, leaving his son Pedro in charge. The following year Pedro declared Brazil and independent nation and crowned himself emperor. Pedro and his successors ruled Brazil until a military coup in 1889, a year after Brazil abolished slavery. Military government and caudillos ruled Brazil for almost a century until José Sarney was elected president in 1985. Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected president in 1994 and is likely to run again in elections later this year. After many years of turmoil, Brazil is now a democracy.
The people of Brazil
Brazil’s population is concentrated in large cities. São Paulo is South America’s largest city with more than nine million inhabitants. The metropolitan area of São Paulo includes the surrounding area and totals more than thirty-two million people. The rapid growth of São Paulo has many consequences. Air pollution has become a serious problem as the air had reached unhealthful levels. Additionally, traffic has become congested despite a modern subway system built in 1975. Finally, São Paulo has had difficulty providing services for the fast growing population and construction lags behind demand.
Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s second largest city with a population of more than five million. Tourism is the primary attraction in “Rio,” particularly in the spring when people from around the world flock to the city for a four day celebration called “Carnival.” Carnival is similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a party preceding Lent. Lent forty day period before Easter when many Christians fast or repent. Christians will often abandon a pleasurable habit as act of self-discipline or devotion. For the people of Rio, Carnival is a last chance for fun before a very holy period.
Brazil’s capital was Rio de Janeiro until 1960 when the government decided to create a new city in the highlands of central Brazil. In less than thirty years, Brasilia’s population has swollen to more than a million people. The idea to move the capital had been discussed for more than two hundred years before it was done. Many Brazilians disliked the move because of its inconvenience, but Brasilia has succeeded in developing central Brazil and is considered by many to be an outstanding example of a modern planned city.
To cite this page:
Dowling, Mike., "The Electronic Passport to
Brazil," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/712-brazil.html; Internet;
updated
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
©2008, Mike Dowling. All rights reserved.