About Brazil

Republic of Brazil OverView

When the Portuguese arrived in South America in 1500, they found a land filled with white sandy beaches, exotic rainforests, abundant natural resources and incredible waterfalls. The Portuguese had little interest in the territory we now call Brazil, but they establish trading posts along the beaches in 1530 and by 1549 settlers made Salvador their colonial capital. In 1567, the city of Rio de Janeiro was established. The early settlers exported agricultural products and Brazilian wood to Europe. Sugar became the most important export; it help build new settlements until the 18th century, then prices began to fall due to the competition from French and Dutch sugar producing colonies in the Antilles. Gold and diamonds were found in Minas Gerais around the same time, so the Portuguese colonies continued to grow without a lot of interference from the Dutch and the French.

About Brazil Today

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and shares a border with every South American country except for Chile and Ecuador. The country of Brazil has a population of over 184 million people spread over 3.3 million square miles. The capital city is Brasilia and the official language is Portuguese although English, Spanish and French are spoken in different areas of the country.