Free Essays on Brazil

Brazil In 1822, Brazil became a nation independent from Portugal. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military government to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development. With an abundance of natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970’s. Brazil is located in Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It is slightly smaller than the U.S., with bordering countries Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, French Guyana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It has many natural resources, including bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, and timber. The climate is tropical in the north, but temperate in the south. The terrain consists of mostly flat to rolling lowlands, with some plains, hills, mountains, and a narrow coastal belt. In recent years, environmentalists have become increasingly concerned over the future of the Amazon region, where human life has threatened the world's largest intact rain forest. Brasilia is the capital and main source of modern industry. The total population in Brazil is 167,988,000. The population grows at a rate of 0.91%, with a life expectancy of 64 years for the total population; the female life expectancy is 67.73 years and the male is 58.96 years. The Brazilian people are very diverse. Three main ethnic groups exist in the country: Portuguese, Native American, and African. The Portuguese, Spanish and English languages are spoken throughout Brazil. However, Portuguese cultural influences remain strong, with Portuguese as the primary language and Roman Catholicism as the principal religion. The definition of literacy being those who are aged fifteen and older who can read and write, the literacy rate in Brazil is 83% for the entire population. Before 1930,... Free Essays on Brazil Free Essays on Brazil Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and is also the largest country in South America. It occupies almost half of the South American continent and extends from north of the equator to south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Its capital is Brasilia. Brazil’s large size and diverse population provide great variety in the natural environment, population, culture, and economy. The name of Brazil comes from a very heavy hard dyewood pau brasil or brazilwood. The first inhabitants of Brazil were Native Americans. The Portuguese settled in Brazil in 1500 when many Native American tribes sparsely populated the country. In the mid-16th century the Portuguese began to import African slaves to work on agricultural production. The economic development of Brazil has been strongly influenced by a series of economic cycles in which different resources were exploited in different parts of the country. The first commodity to be exploited was the brazilwood then other resources were exploited over the years. Brazil was a Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1822, when it achieved independence. The abolition of slavery took place in 1888. Since the 1940s Brazilian society has undergone dramatic changes to boost industrialization and to diversify the economy. Until the 1960s the majority of the people lived in rural areas rather than in cities or towns, but the si tuation is now reversed. Two geographic features dominate the landscape of Brazil: the vast Amazon Basin, which spans the width of northern Brazil, and an extensive highland plateau, known as the Brazilian Highlands, which covers most of the South and Southeast. The Amazon Basin consists of a huge drainage area that contains the world’s largest river, the Amazon River, and the world’s largest tropical rain forest. In the South and Southeast, the Brazilian Highlands- an eroded plateau dotted with irregular mountains and crossed by river valleys- forms the major fe... Free Essays on Brazil Brazil, one of the world’s largest and most populated countries. It is the largest country in South America. Its largest city is So Paulo, and its capital is Brasà ­lia. Brazil’s population is very diverse. There is a combination between Native Americans, Portuguese settlers, and African slaves, which made a society of racial and ethnicity. According to The Colliers Encyclopedia Brazil is the only Latin American country settled by the Portuguese. Before the Portuguese arrived in 1500, allot of Native American tribes had a small amount of people in Brazil. In the 16th century the Portuguese began to bring African slaves to work in agricultural production. The ethnic mix between these three groups, along with other European peoples who immigrated to Brazil after 1850, has contributed to some distinctly Brazilian cultural forms, especially in music and architecture. Distinct cultures also continue to survive among Afro-Brazilians, non-Portuguese immigrants from Europe a nd Asia, and isolated pockets of Native Americans. However, Portuguese cultural influences remain strong, with Portuguese as the primary language and Roman Catholicism as the principal religion. The economic development of Brazil has been strongly influenced by a series of economic cycles in which different resources were exploited in different parts of the country. The first commodity to be exploited was the dyewood pau brasil, from which the country takes its name. In the mid-16th century colonists introduced sugar cultivation, taking advantage of the good soil and tropical climate along the Northeast coast. Gold was discovered in the 1690s in what became the state of Minas Gerais. This provoked a gold rush that brought the first significant settlement of the interior and shifted the country’s economic focus and population center from the Northeast to the Southeast. Brazil has a dense and complex system of rivers. The most impressive river system is that of t... Free Essays on Brazil Brazil In 1822, Brazil became a nation independent from Portugal. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military government to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development. With an abundance of natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970’s. Brazil is located in Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It is slightly smaller than the U.S., with bordering countries Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, French Guyana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It has many natural resources, including bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, and timber. The climate is tropical in the north, but temperate in the south. The terrain consists of mostly flat to rolling lowlands, with some plains, hills, mountains, and a narrow coastal belt. In recent years, environmentalists have become increasingly concerned over the future of the Amazon region, where human life has threatened the world's largest intact rain forest. Brasilia is the capital and main source of modern industry. The total population in Brazil is 167,988,000. The population grows at a rate of 0.91%, with a life expectancy of 64 years for the total population; the female life expectancy is 67.73 years and the male is 58.96 years. The Brazilian people are very diverse. Three main ethnic groups exist in the country: Portuguese, Native American, and African. The Portuguese, Spanish and English languages are spoken throughout Brazil. However, Portuguese cultural influences remain strong, with Portuguese as the primary language and Roman Catholicism as the principal religion. The definition of literacy being those who are aged fifteen and older who can read and write, the literacy rate in Brazil is 83% for the entire population. Before 1930,... Free Essays on Brazil In â€Å"Liberalism†, Emilia Viotti da Costa paints a picture of the political, social, and economic atmosphere in Brazil during the 1800’s. One topic of her discussion was the many regional rebellions in the country between 1822 and 1845. Another topic discussed was Brazilian politics and how it may have contributed to the instability of the nation. A third topic of interest included the factors that allowed Pedro II to rule largely until 1889 without disruption. These are the three main topics of interest discussed in Emilia Viotti da Costa’s chapter â€Å"Liberalism†. There were many reasons for the multiple regional rebellions that took place in Brazil from 1822 until 1845. The first of these reasons was the forming of the National Convention, which was composed of many groups of social elites ranging from priests to plantation owners. These social elites had completely separate motivations and initiatives, which were mostly personal and wealth driven, than those of the lower class. The Constitutional Charter, passed in 1824, was a second reason for rebellion in the country. This â€Å"Constitution† was created by the Brazilian elite and supported their self-interests and property. Class and racial differences were a major issue of the time. The constitution held no value for the majority of the population, who were mostly slaves and tenants on land they could not own. A third reason for rebellion by Liberals was religion, as Catholicism was the official religion of Brazil. As mentioned earlier, there were members of the National C onvention who were priests. These individuals clearly wanted to preserve the interests of the church through the power of education. These are some of the underlying themes beneath the many regional rebellions of the period. Brazilian politics also helped to cause the instability of the nation. Two conflicting parties dominated the political scene at the time. One group was the Libe...