Portal:Brazil



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Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 212 million people. The country is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District, which hosts the capital, Brasília. Its most populous city is São Paulo, followed by Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has the most Portuguese speakers in the world and is the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is an official language.

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). Covering roughly half of South America's land area, it borders all other countries and territories on the continent except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil encompasses a wide range of tropical and subtropical landscapes, as well as wetlands, savannas, plateaus, and low mountains. It contains most of the Amazon basin, including the world’s largest river system and most extensive virgin tropical forest. Brazil has diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats. The country ranks first among 17 megadiverse countries, with its natural heritage being the subject of significant global interest, as environmental degradation (through processes such as deforestation) directly affect global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

Brazil was inhabited by various indigenous peoples prior to the landing of Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. It was claimed and settled by Portugal, which imported enslaved Africans to work on plantations. Brazil remained a colony until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of a united kingdom with Portugal after the transfer of the Portuguese court to Rio de Janeiro. Prince Pedro of Braganza declared the country's independence in 1822 and, after waging a war against Portugal, established the Empire of Brazil. Brazil's first constitution in 1824 established a bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress, and enshrined principles such as freedom of religion and the press, but retained slavery, which was gradually abolished throughout the 19th century until its final abolition in 1888. Brazil became a presidential republic following a military coup d'état in 1889. An armed revolution in 1930 put an end to the First Republic and brought Getúlio Vargas to power. While initially committing to democratic governance, Vargas assumed dictatorial powers following a self-coup in 1937, marking the beginning of the Estado Novo. Democracy was restored after Vargas' ousting in 1945. An authoritarian military dictatorship emerged in 1964 with support from the United States and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution, enacted in 1988, defines it as a democratic federal republic.

Brazil is a regional and middle power and rising global power. It is an emerging, upper-middle income economy and newly industrialized country, with one of the 10 largest economies in the world in both nominal and PPP terms, the largest economy in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest share of wealth in South America. With a complex and highly diversified economy, Brazil is one of the world's major or primary exporters of various agricultural goods, mineral resources, and manufactured products. The country ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations, the G20, BRICS, G4, Mercosur, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries; it is also an observer state of the Arab League and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. (Full article...)

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Agricultural fields near Perdizes, Minas Gerais

The agricultural sector in Brazil is historically one of the principal bases of Brazil's economy. In 2024, Brazil was the second-biggest grain exporter in the world, with 19% of the international market share, and the fourth overall grain producer. Brazil is also the world's largest exporter of many popular agriculture commodities like coffee, soybeans, cotton, organic honey, beef, poultry, cane sugar, açai berry, orange juice, yerba mate, cellulose, tobacco, and the second biggest exporter of corn, pork, and ethanol. The country also has a significant presence as producer and exporter of rice, wheat, eggs, refined sugar, cocoa, beans, nuts, cassava, sisal fiber, and diverse fruits and vegetables.

The success of agriculture during the Estado Novo (New State), with Getúlio Vargas, led to the expression, "Brazil, breadbasket of the world". (Full article...)

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Mechanized harvesting of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), Piracicaba, São Paulo.

The history of ethanol fuel in Brazil dates from the 1970s and relates to Brazil's sugarcane-based ethanol fuel program, which allowed the country to become the world's second largest producer of ethanol, and the world's largest exporter. Several important political and technological developments led Brazil to become the world leader in the sustainable use of bioethanol, and a policy model for other developing countries in the tropical zone of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Government policies and technological advances also allowed the country to achieve a landmark in ethanol consumption, when ethanol retail sales surpassed 50% market share of the gasoline-powered vehicle fleet in early 2008. This level of ethanol fuel consumption had only been reached in Brazil once before, at the peak of the Pró-Álcool Program near the end of the 1980s. (Full article...)

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Palace of Sao Cristovao
Credit: Maria Graham

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Panorama of Brasilia from the TV tower
Panorama of Brasilia from the TV tower

Brasília is the capital of Brazil. It presents a sui generis status in Brazil, given it is not a municipality like nearly all cities in Brazil. Instead, Brasília is the first of several Administrative Regions within the Distrito Federal (Federal District) — which, constitutionally, cannot be divided into municipalities. Informally, however, Brasília is referred to as coterminous with the Federal District.

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2008 Brazilian Grand Prix • Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil • Brazilian cruiser Bahia • Blue whale • Empire of Brazil • 1937 Brazilian coup d'état • Pedro Álvares Cabral • Chagas disease • Cherry-throated tanager • Drymoreomys • Euryoryzomys emmonsae • Fôrça Bruta • Giant otter • Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 • Joaquim José Inácio, Viscount of Inhaúma • Jaguar • Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of Paraná • Lundomys • Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil • Master System • Brazilian battleship Minas Geraes • Minas Geraes-class battleship • Noronha skink • Noronhomys • USS Orizaba • José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco • Pedro I of Brazil • Pedro II of Brazil • Pedro Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil • Brazilian battleship São Paulo • Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias • Sonic After the Sequel • Manuel Marques de Sousa, Count of Porto Alegre • South American dreadnought race • Suicidal Tour • Thalassodromeus • Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies • Uruguayan War • 2014 FIFA World Cup final

2016 Summer Olympics medal table • List of World Heritage Sites in Brazil • List of international goals scored by Pelé • List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Norte • Sepultura discography

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1995 Brazilian Grand Prix • 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix • 2000 Rio 200 • 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix • 2010 São Paulo Indy 300 • 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix • 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix • 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix • A Puro Dolor • Abraham Weintraub–Wikipedia controversy • Actinote zikani • Admirável Chip Novo • Rebeca Andrade • Archaeological interest of Pedra da Gávea • Arise (Sepultura album) • Clube Atlético Mineiro • Azure-shouldered tanager • Bomba Patch • Disappearance of Bruno Borges • Brainstorm (2000 film) • Brazil v Germany (2014 FIFA World Cup) • Brazil at the 1994 Winter Olympics • Brazil at the 1998 Winter Olympics • Brazil at the 2014 Winter Paralympics • Brazilian military junta of 1930 • Gisele Bündchen • Candomblé • Capybara • Adelir Antônio de Carli • Carlos Bandeirense Mirandópolis hoax • Hélio Castroneves • Dorival Caymmi • Cê • César Cielo • Clube Atlético Mineiro in international club football • Clube da Esquina (album) • Cavalera Conspiracy • Diego Costa • Philippe Coutinho • Dejaría Todo • Diptychophora galvani • Fortress of Humaitá • Fruta Fresca • Ganga Bruta • Gilberto Gil • Maurício Gugelmin • Hilda Hilst • Hurricane Catarina • Jorge Ben (album) • 1986 João Câmara earthquake • Le langaige du Bresil • Josiane Lima • Mitsuyo Maeda • RMS Magdalena (1948) • Man of the Hole • Mango Yellow • Marquinhos • Laura Matsuda • Jailson Mendes • Más Notícias • The Naturalist on the River Amazons • Legacy of Pedro II of Brazil • Early life of Pedro II of Brazil • Pelé • Brazilian monitor Piauí • Pikysyry campaign • Platine War • Prince Bernhard's titi monkey • Marie Rennotte • Revolt of the Lash • Revolution of the Ganhadores • Rio de Janeiro bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics • Samba rock • Sarcófago • State University of Campinas • TAM Airlines Flight 3054 • TV Bahia • Taubaté pregnancy hoax • Tectoy • Transgender history in Brazil • Tribalistas (2002 album) • Umbanda • Alessandra Vieira • Vinicius and Tom • Martha Watts • World War II

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