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Brazil is the largest country in South America. Comprising almost half the South American
continent (47.3%), Brazil’s territory spans over 8,547,403 sq. km,
or approx. 3,286,000 sq. mi. (source: IBGE). Therefore, it is the fifth largest country in the world, after the Russian
Federation, Canada, China and the United States. Except for a small
number of islands, Brazil’s territory is a single and continuous
land mass on the Eastern seaboard of South America. |
The Equator line crosses Brazil at the Northern region; the Tropic of
Capricorn crosses the country at the Southeastern region. The East-West
and the North-South lengths of the Brazilian territory are similar
(respectively, 4,319.4 km and 4,394.7 km, or 2,683.9 mi and 2,730.7346
mi).
Borders
Brazil borders ten countries in South America: French Guyana (an
overseas department of France), Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and
Colombia, to the North; Uruguay and Argentina, to the South; and
Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, to the West. Ecuador and Chile are the only
countries in the continent which do not border Brazil. The Atlantic
Ocean stretches along Brazil’s Eastern side, up to a total of 7,367 km
(approx. 4,604 mi) of coastline.
Regions
Brazil divides naturally into five large regions.
1. The North, which consists of the states of Pará, Amazonas,
Acre, Rondônia, Amapá, Tocantins and Roraima, is the largest and least
inhabited. It is almost entirely covered by the largest equatorial rain
forest in the world, known as the Amazon. Some of its areas, called
várzeas, are regularly covered by flood water and are among the most
fertile in Brazil.
2. The Northeast consists of the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará,
Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia.
Its semi-arid area is covered with scrubby woodland, known as the
caatinga. It is much more densely populated than the North, but income
levels are low.
3. The Southeast consists of the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito
Santo, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It is the richest and most densely
populated region of the country, and the Rio/São Paulo axis includes the
most important industrial and financial centers.
4. The South consists of the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and
Rio Grande do Sul. It is a subtropical region, consisting of plateaus
which were developed as agricultural land by small colonies of European
settlers. The vegetation is made up of forests and grassland.
5. The Center-West consists of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso,
Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District where Brasilia, the
federal capital, is located. It is a plateau with parts covered by a
woodland savanna known as cerrado. The region hosts vast areas as Indian
reservations and the ecological wildlife paradise known as the Pantanal.
"Pantanal" is a Portuguese word for marshland.
Topography
Brazil has no mountains as high as the Andes, and the Brazilian
Highlands do not exceed 1.9 mile high. Plateaus cover five-eighths of
the territory, and plains cover the rest. The average altitude is about
0.3 mile. The highest mountain is the Pico da Neblina (3 km or 1.86 mile
high) located in the state of Amazonas.
Climate
Brazil’s vast territories, the different geographical areas, altitudes
and air masses result in a wide variety of climates. The Equator crosses
Brazil in its northern region and the Tropic of Capricorn, in the
southeast, putting most of Brazil in the “inter-tropical zone”, where
the high and wet climates predominate. The average temperature for the
country as a whole is 20º C (68º F), and the thermal amplitude
(difference between the his and lows) is small. Brazil’s main climates
are the Equatorial (in the Amazon Region), with all-year rain, high
average temperatures between 77º and 80.6º F; and the Tropical (Central
Brazil and part of the Northeastern Region), with high average
temperatures between 64.4º and 82.4º F and well-defined dry (mid-year)
and wet (early in the year) seasons. The south is colder than the rest
of Brazil (average temperature of 64.4º F; during winter temperature may
fall below freezing point).
Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the opposite of those in
the Northern: roughly, January-March is summer, April-June is fall,
July-September is winter and October-December is spring.
Vegetation
Brazil has some of the most diverse vegetation on the planet, due to the
many differences in weather, soil and landscape. Brazilian flora can be
divided into 10 groups: the Amazon rainforest, the Atlantic rainforest,
caatinga, pantanal, cerrado, campos, mata de araucária, mata de cocais,
mangue and restinga.
The Amazon Tropical Rainforest spans approximately 7 million sq.
km (approx. 4,375,000 sq. mi) in the north and central parts of South
America. It is mostly within Brazilian territory, although parts of it
are located in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and
Venezuela. The Amazon represents 58.5% of the Brazilian territory. The
Amazon rainforest holds the largest reserve of biological organisms in
the world. The precise number of species in it is not known, but
scientists estimate a figure between 800 thousand and 5 million species
– 15 to 30% of all known species in the world. The banks of the rivers
of the Amazon basin are covered by floodwater - the várzeas - and are
among the most fertile soil in Brazil.
The Atlantic Rainforest was common in the Atlantic coast of
Brazil. More than 50% of its species are only found there and in no
other place. Among the tropical rainforests, scholars believe that this
ecosystem has the largest biodiversity per hectare in the world.
Nevertheless, it is the most threatened by the increasing urbanization
and industrialization in Brazil. Today only 7% of its area remains,
mostly in the south and southeast regions of Brazil.
The semi-arid area of the northeast region is covered with scrubby
woodland, known as the Caatinga. In some of its areas, semi-deciduous
forests can be found.
The Pantanal, the wetlands, is considered the biggest swamp area
of the world. It covers an area of 150 thousand sq. km in the states of
Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and areas of Paraguay. It is considered
by the UNESCO a World Heritage Area. About 650 different species of
birds, 80 of mammals, 260 of fish, and 50 of reptiles live there. This
region is similar to the U.S. Florida's Everglades.
The Cerrado is a savannah region. It covers the
Central Brazil. It is characterized by a vegetation of bushes and short
trees. Today the native vegetation of the cerrado is threatened by
increasing agricultural production, specially maize, soybeans, grapes,
mangos and other tropical fruits.
Campos is characterized by a vegetation of fields: big grasslands and
bushes. It covers areas in the south and in the southeast of Brazil.
Mata de Araucária is an open forest of a species of pines called
Araucária (Araucária angustifolia) in Brazil, covering areas in the
south of Brazil. Mata de Cocais is situated between the Amazon and the
caatinga region. It is seen in the states of Maranhão, Piauí and
Tocantins. In the area close to the Amazon, this ecosystem is very wet
and palm trees are common. Mangue is an ecosystem composed of bushes and
trees and covers areas of lakes and swamps along the coast. Restinga is
a vegetation of bushes, herbs and short trees typical in the sandbanks
along the coast of Brazil.
Rivers
The huge size of the country and the wet climate produce great river
systems. Brazil hosts the largest body of fluvial water in the planet.
There are eight river systems in Brazil, the most important being the
Amazon in the north, the São Francisco in the center and the Paraguay,
the Uruguay and the Paraná systems in the south.
The Amazon river basin is the world's largest, comprising an area of
5,800,000 sq. km (or 2,239,383 sq. miles), of which 3,904,392 sq. km (or
1,507,488 sq. miles) are in Brazilian territory. Its main river has its
source in Peru, where it is initially called Vilcanota, then Ucaiali,
then Urubamba and Marañon. When it enters Brazil, it is renamed Solimões
as far as the confluence with the Negro river, near the city of Manaus;
after that, and up until the ocean, it is known as the Amazon river.
From source to ocean, it flows for 6,440 km (4,001 miles) and is the
world's largest in water flow; some consider the Amazon also the world's
longest river, as it extends well into the ocean during the flooding
season. On average, the river is 5 km (3.1 miles) wide and at some
points can be as wide as 50 km (31 miles). It inputs 20% of the fresh
water poured annually into the oceans by all the rivers in the world.
The Amazon river basin has the world's largest diversity of fish,
between 2,500 and 3,000 species.
Population
Workers by Tarsila do Amaral (1933)In 2000 the Brazilian population
reached 169,544,443 (source: IBGE, 2000), the fifth largest in the world
after China, India, the United States and Indonesia. The Brazilian
population is predominantly young: 60% are less than 29 years old. Due
to a strong process of urbanization and economic modernization, the
population’s yearly growth rate went from 2.9% during the 60s down to
1.6% during the 90s. 81.2% of the population live in urban areas. The
southeastern and center-west regions are predominantly urban, with 90.5%
and 86.7% of the population, respectively, living in cities; the north
and northeastern regions are predominantly rural, with 30.3% and 31% of
the population, respectively, living in cities. The Brazilian Census
2000 indicates that there are 96.9 men for every 100 women in Brazil.
Brazil’s demographic density is low compared to other countries. Its
population is concentrated along the Atlantic coastline of the
Northeastern and Southeastern regions. 50% of the industrial output is
located in the Southeastern state of São Paulo.
Language
The official language in Brazil is Portuguese, a Latin-originated
(or "romance") language. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country
in Latin America. Portuguese is related to other European languages such
as Spanish, French, Italian, Rumanian and others, but its vocabulary is
influenced by Arabic (reminiscent of the Muslim conquest of the Iberian
Peninsula in the Middle Ages) and, in the case of Brazilian Portuguese,
by African and Indian languages.
Main Cities
Most of Brazil's population (81.2%) now lives in cities, which are
responsible for generating about 85% of the GDP. Among the most
important are:
* São Paulo has a population of 10,406,166 (IBGE, 2000) and it is
the largest city in Brazil. It hosts the largest industrial base in the
country and the most dynamic cultural activities.
* Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil for almost 200 years
(1700's - 1960). Today, Rio is a cultural, financial and tourist
metropolis that has not lost its resort character. Its population is
5,850,544 (IBGE, 2000).
* Belo Horizonte, designed and built in the 1890's as the capital
of the state of Minas Gerais to replace Ouro Preto, the former colonial
capital which was enclosed by mountains. An important transport and
industrial center, its population is 2,229,697 (IBGE, 2000).
* Salvador was the capital of Brazil from the 1500's through the
1700's with an impressive colonial architecture. Today, several of its
neighborhoods are considered UNESCO landmark. Salvador is a cultural and
business center famous for its art, cuisine and a strong African culture
influence. Its population is 2,440,886 (IBGE, 2000).
* Brasilia was designed and built as the capital city of Brazil
in the geographical center of the country, Brasília was inaugurated in
1960. It is a showpiece of modern architecture. Its urban planning is
unique, with a population of 1.6 million.
* Recife is one of the most interesting cities in the Northeast,
Recife is known as the Brazilian Venice, with a history of Portuguese,
Dutch and African settlers. It is a business center with a modern busy
port. Its population is 1,421,947 (IBGE, 2000).
Political Aspects/Government
Brazil (official name: Federative Republic of Brazil or, in
Portuguese, República Federativa do Brasil) is a federation
comprising 26 states and a federal district (where the federal capital,
Brasília, is located), which are granted self-administration within
limits set by the Federal Constitution.
The Federal Constitution was enacted in October 5, 1988 and establishes
a democratic political system with periodic elections for public
offices. It instituted a presidential republic (that is, a form of
government where the public offices are held for a determined period of
time and the Public Administration is directed by a President of the
Republic, such as in the U.S.). The three branches of Government are the
President (aided by ministers), in charge of the Public Administration;
the National Congress, consisting of a Senate and a Lower House; and the
Judiciary organizations, the topmost being the Federal Supreme Court
with 11 justices (currently, 10 men and a woman).
The President is elected for a 4-year term and the incumbent may be
re-elected for one additional term; the Vice President is elected in the
same ticket. The President is responsible for directing the federal
Administration, approving or vetoing legislation, maintaining relations
with foreign governments, celebrating treaties, being commander-in-chief
of the armed forces, declaring war and peace (in both cases when
authorized by Congress) and proposing to Congress the annual federal
budget. In the National Congress, the Representatives are elected for
4-year terms; the Senators are elected for 8-year terms (the Senate is
renewed at each election at the rate of one-third or two-thirds,
alternately). Congress can legislate on all matters pertaining to the
federal government. Congress, its houses or any of its committees may
summon ministers and other public servants to hearings. The federal
judicial system comprises courts and appeals courts; specialized
electoral, labor and military court systems; the High Court of Justice,
responsible for the uniformity of all judicial decisions; and the
Federal Supreme Court, in charge of the constitutionality of judicial,
legislative and administrative decisions.
According to the Brazilian Federal Constitution, voting is compulsory
for men and women between 18 and 70 years of age, and optional for those
16-18 years old, above 70 or the illiterate. Women conquered the right
to vote in 1932; the illiterate, in 1988. In elections for executive
posts, in case no candidate gets the absolute majority of valid votes
the Constitution requires that a runoff be held between the two most
voted candidates. Currently votes for all public posts and in all levels
of Government are counted flawlessly by electronic machines, in
elections supervised by a special Electoral Court System.
The Federal Constitution provides for a democratic system with a bill of
rights (article 5) which grants every person freedom of movement, of
thought, of religion, of conscience, of expression, of reunion, and the
rights to the due process of law, to ownership, to petition, as well as
the guaranties of habeas corpus and others.
The states have their own Constitutions and laws. The branches of
Government in each state are similar to the federal level: the Governor,
in charge of Administration; the Legislative Assembly; and the
judiciary, headed by the state’s Tribunal of Justice.
Economy
The Brazilian economy is one of the eighth largest in the world, with a
GNP of US$ 1,148 billion (source: The World Bank, 1999, PPP method) and
a per capita income of US$ 6,840. Being dynamic and diversified, the
Brazilian economy includes an industrial sector responsible for 38.1% of
the economic output, an agricultural sector with 10% and a services
sector with 51.9%. Brazil’s economy represents 39% of Latin America’s
GDP and is the world's fourth largest recipient of foreign direct
investment (US$ 29.8 billion in 2000).
The Brazilian currency is the Real (noted as R$).
The Common Market of the Southern Cone (Mercosul) was established on
March 26, 1991, the date on which the Treaty of Asuncion was signed by
Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. As of January 1, 1995, the
regional block became a customs union and a free trade area, with the
future goal of allowing the free movement of capital, labor and services
among the four countries. Since 1991, the trade flows among the member
states of Mercosul more than tripled. Brazil’s trade flow with the
member states of Mercosul reached US$ 18.7 billion in 1997, up from US$
3.6 billion in 1990. Chile and Bolivia are associated states to Mercosul.
Agriculture and Cattle
Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee, sugar cane, oranges,
bananas and manioc and the second largest producer of soy bean and
cocoa. It is the fourth largest producer of tobacco and beef cattle.
Brazil has the world's largest commercial herd of cattle.
Industry
Brazil's main industries are shipbuilding, motor cars, aircraft, metals
(including steel), foodstuffs, textiles and chemicals. The state of São
Paulo is the most industrialized and the metropolitan area of greater
São Paulo is the biggest industrial center in Latin America.
Trade
Brazil's foreign trade is the largest in volume and value of all the
Latin American countries combined. The major Brazilian exports fall into
three categories:
* Raw materials: coffee beans, iron ore, soy bran, poultry meat,
soybeans, tobacco leaves, fresh beef, maize, sisal, jute, etc
*Semi-finished goods: raw sugar, aluminum, cellulose, semi-manufactured
of iron and steel, hides and skins, castor oil, cocoa butter, pine-wood,
iron alloys, rolling stock, electrical machines, instant coffee,
processed beef, crude soybean oil, etc
* Manufactured products: orange juice, shoes, aircraft, cars, auto
parts, piston engines, refined sugar, pumps and compressors, rolled
products, cargo vehicles, tires, transmission and reception equipment,
chassis with motors, machines and equipment for agricultural use,
motors, generators and transformers, buses, etc
The Brazilian foreign trade figures attest to the dynamic nature of
Brazil. In 2000, Brazil exported a total of US$55.1 billion and imported
US$55.7, with total trade flows of US$110.8 billion (source Secex). Our
top export markets are the European Community, absorbing slightly over
27% of Brazilian exports, Latin America (over 22%), North America
(around 21%), Asia (16%) and the Middle East (2.4%); the remaining
exports are distributed over a variety of smaller markets. The United
States is Brazil’s largest single country export market, absorbing 19%
of Brazilian exports, resulting in a long-term partnership between the
two countries. The U.S. is also Brazil's main supplier (imports of US$
12.8 billion in 2000; source: Secex).
History
1400-1500 In the course of the
Portuguese discoveries during the 15th and 16th Centuries, the
Portuguese navigators were aware of the existence of land across the
Atlantic, West of the Portuguese route to the Indies (down the West
African coast).
The Treaty of Tordesilhas (1494) settled the issue of the possession of
these new lands between Spain and Portugal. An agreement was reached
according to which the territories East of the meridian located 370
leagues West of the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Portugal,
whereas the lands found West of that meridian should belong to Spain.
This imaginary line, from pole to pole, crossed the Eastern portion of
South America and constituted the first border of Brazil, although the
formal discovery, by Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral
commanding a 12-vessel fleet, occurred only six years later, in 1500.
Central and South America, by Pierre Descelliers
1500-1700 The new colony was named after the Holy Cross (Terra de Santa
Cruz) and, later, due to the abundance of Brazil wood in its coast, it
was called "Brazil". A period of exploitation of Brazil wood was
followed by an organized program of settlements, starting in 1530, when
Portugal sent the first permanent settlers. The territory was inhabited
by indigenous tribes, some friendly, some hostile to the Europeans. In
the Northeastern coast of Brazil, harbors and sugarcane plantations were
established, with a triangular trade evolving among Brazil (sugar),
Portugal (supplies) and Africa (slaves). During the first years of the
colonization, the French founded a colony on the coast of Brazil, in the
area of the present-day city of Rio de Janeiro, only to be subsequently
expelled by Portuguese forces. With the union of the crowns of Spain and
Portugal under Felipe II of Spain (1580-1640), the Portuguese colony was
incorporated into the Hispanic New World for a period of 60 years.
No longer bound by the 1494 Treaty borders, the Brazilian settlers
started to explore and to exploit the hinterland, an area that so far
had not been occupied by either Spain or Portugal, in a movement called
bandeiras. In 1640, when the Portuguese recovered their independence,
the Brazilian settlers refused to abandon the lands they had occupied
and colonized West of the former Treaty line. Claiming the legal
principle of uti possidetis, or "possession granted by the use" in
Latin, the Portuguese emerged as the legal sovereigns over large
portions of the lands West of the Tordesilhas line.
During the period of union between Spain and Portugal, enemy countries
of Spain also became enemies of Portugal, leading to invasion attempts
by the Dutch and the French in the coast of Brazil. The Dutch managed to
conquer and maintain large areas of the Northeastern coast for a period
of 20 years, making the city of Recife their capital. After that period,
joint Portuguese and Brazilian-colonial forces managed to expel them.
The French founded the city of São Luis, in what is today the state of
Maranhão, but were quickly expelled by the Portuguese. The British also
launched raids against many coastal towns in Brazil.
1700-1800 The gold rush to the area of Minas Gerais, in Southeastern
Brazil, attracted thousands of people from the plantations along the
coast and from Portugal. Approximately 1,000 metric tons of gold and 3
million karats of diamond were extracted from Minas Gerais between 1700
and 1800, causing the establishment of new towns in that area (nowadays
called the "historical towns" of Minas Gerais due to their preserved
baroque colonial architecture and artwork). All this wealth in gold and
diamonds brought repercussions to Brazil as well as to Europe. In
Brazil, an important economic cycle was sustained; in Europe, the gold
sent to Portugal was forwarded to England as payment for the textiles
the Portuguese imported – the Brazilian gold thus helped finance the
English Industrial Revolution. During this period, rebellions against
Portuguese rule occurred in Minas Gerais ("Inconfidência Mineira", in
1789) and in Bahia ("Conjuração Baiana", in 1798); both were failed
attempts to overthrow the Portuguese rule and replace it with a republic
in Brazil, and were suppressed by the Portuguese crown. Tiradentes, one
of the leaders of the Inconfidência Mineira, was sentenced to death and
hanged in 1793. He later became a national hero and one of the most
important symbols of the Brazilian republic.
Starting in the 19th Century, a new economic cycle was developed, that
of coffee. Coffee plantations were established in the region of what is
currently the state of Rio de Janeiro and then moved southwards, to São
Paulo and the southern region of Brazil.
1800-1900 With the Napoleonic invasion of Portugal, in 1808 the
Portuguese royal family moved to Rio de Janeiro, which had become the
capital of the colony in the mid-18th Century. The presence of the royal
court turned Brazil into a United Kingdom with Portugal, a status the
Brazilians were reluctant to abandon when the court finally had to move
back to Portugal, after Napoleon’s defeat. The ideals of nationalism and
independence were fast growing stronger.
Therefore, when the Portuguese court returned to Lisbon, D. Pedro de
Bragança, the heir to the throne of Portugal, who had spent most of his
life in Brazil and had been left in Rio de Janeiro as the Brazil's
regent, backed by his Brazilian counselors (especially José Bonifácio de
Andrada e Silva), declared independence from Portugal on September 7,
1822. He was subsequently crowned D. Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil. In 1826
his father, D. João VI, king of Portugal, died leaving the Portuguese
crown to D. Pedro I. The threat of reunification with Portugal was
unacceptable and led to D. Pedro I abdicating the Portuguese crown in
favor of his eldest daughter Da. Maria da Gloria (Da. Maria II of
Portugal). D. Pedro I's brother, D. Miguel (a confessed absolutist),
usurped the Portuguese throne, causing D. Pedro I to intervene in
Portuguese politics in favor of his daughter. Without managing to detach
himself from the Portuguese problems, D. Pedro attracted considerable
opposition in Brazil; he was also accused of favoring many Portuguese
citizens in detriment of Brazilians. In 1831, he abdicated the throne in
favor of his son, then 5 years old, and went to Portugal where he died
in 1834 after having secured the throne for his daughter. In Brazil,
following a ten-year regency period, Pedro I' s son was crowned D. Pedro
II (imp. 1831-1889).
D. Pedro II grew to become a respected and prepared sovereign, who ruled
for half a century and brought Brazil to political and cultural maturity
and to territorial integrity. European immigration and progressive
suppression of slavery (finally suppressed in 1888, when the Lei Áurea,
or "Golden Law", was signed) were introduced. During the latter part of
his reign, Brazil was involved in regional disputes along the La Plata
river basin, including the war of the Triple Alliance. Facing challenges
that included, among others, dissatisfaction among the military, the
former slave owners and the clergy, the Monarchy came to an end in
November 15, 1889, to be replaced by a republican form of government.
The Republic adopted a federal system of Government (Federal
Constitution of 1891). The former provinces under the Empire became
states and the parliamentary system of Government was replaced with the
presidential system. This framework can be found in today’s Brazilian
political system.
1900's The political structure of the beginning of the 1900's was based
on the agricultural oligarchy. Political power was controlled especially
by landowners (coffee and dairy producers) located in the states of São
Paulo and Minas Gerais. Urban middle classes emerged after the World War
I economic boom.
The 1930 Revolution led by Getúlio Vargas implanted a
new political regime. The Government under Vargas took important
measures, especially the introduction of welfare legislation.
Industrialization was also given a substantial boost. After a failed
revolution in 1932 that demanded more democratic measures from the
government, a new constitution was democratically enacted in 1934,
granting women the right to vote. The 1930's were a time of change for
Brazilian politics and society. Vargas in 1930 was a democratic leader,
offering new perspectives for a growing Brazilian population who was
anxious to have more participation in the government. Very soon,
however, due to political turmoil with growing communist and fascist
threats to his government, Vargas introduced a new constitution, in
1937, with a strong authoritarian tone. During Vargas' government,
Brazil participated in World War II on the side of the allies, sending
an expeditionary force of 25,000 men and a fighter aircraft group to the
Italian front. Vargas renounced in 1945 and a constitutional assembly
prepared a new federal constitution, enacted in 1946.
One of the presidents under the 1946 Constitution, Juscelino
Kubitschek’s
government (1956-1961) decidedly fostered development and
industrialization and moved the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a new
city, Brasília, designed by architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer
and built in the Brazilian Highlands. In 1964, the polarization between
leftist and rightist tendencies in Brazil brought the military to the
political arena. The military took power in March 31, 1964 and ruled
until 1985. During that period Brazil experienced one of the fastest
growing industrialization processes in the whole hemisphere.
Nevertheless, authoritarian rule brought political repression Brazilian
troops in Italy, WWII and violent measures. The regime started to
gradually democratize in the 1970's (general amnesty in 1979, elections
for state governors in 1982), but it took more than a decade for
Brazilians to be able to elect a civilian for the Presidency again
through direct elections (1989).
The two oil crises in the 70s and 80s had a direct impact in the
Brazilian economy, then largely dependent on foreign oil, with serious
economic repercussions which were to last, in one way or another, for
the better part of the 80s.
In 1988, a new democratic Federal Constitution was enacted. In 1989,
after 29 years without general direct elections for President,
Brazilians elected Fernando Collor de Mello as president. Preaching
austerity and modernization, Collor inspired great hope. Nevertheless,
involved in a political scandal and accused of corruption, Collor was
impeached in 1992; Vice President Itamar Franco was subsequently sworn
in to finish Collor's term. In 1994, Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who
had held the offices of Minister of Foreign Relations and of Finance
Minister during Franco's administration, was elected President. He was
re-elected in 1998. During the 90's, strong emphasis was given to
inflation control (through the so-called "Plano Real"), foreign
investment was invited and well received and trade barriers started to
come down.
The 21st Century: Perspectives During the 20th Century, Brazil underwent
a strong process of industrialization, developed an open, complex
society and witnessed a trend towards urbanization which intensified in
the second half of the century. A considerable middle class emerged.
This urban society gave birth to a powerful popular culture which
resulted in movements such as the Modern Art Week of 1922 (marked by a
search for exclusively Brazilian artistic expressions), the Bossa Nova
and the Tropicalismo musical movements in the 60s and 70s, and the
increased importance of national and regional musical elements in the
90s.
Brazil thus enters the 21st Century as the world's third largest
democracy, the world's eighth largest economy, one of the trend-setters
in world culture (especially in the domain of popular music), a global
trader with trade flows to virtually every economic block in the planet.
Among the items of Brazil's domestic agenda for the new century are the
pursuit of economic development, the reduction of income and regional
disparities, wider access to fundamental public social services such as
education and health, and the struggle against discrimination based on
origin, race, gender and age.
As to its foreign agenda, Brazil continues to approach international
relations from the standpoint of national independence, prevalence of
human rights, self determination of all peoples, non intervention,
equality among nations, defense of peace and international security,
peaceful solution of disputes, repudiation of terrorism and of racial
prejudice, international cooperation, free and fair international trade,
regulation of financial flows and respect to the environment. Trade
negotiations are expected to continue in the framework of the World
Trade organization, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Southern
Common Market (Mercosul), as well as with regional spaces such as the
European Union.
Suggested Reading
*A Concise History of Brazil, by Boris Fausto
*Brazil: Five Centuries of Change, by Thomas Skidmore
*The Politics of Military Rule in Brazil, 1964-1985, by Thomas Skidmore
*Politics in Brazil 1930-1964: An Experiment in Democracy, by Thomas
Skidmore
*A History of Brazil, by E. Bradford Burns
U.S.-Brazil Relations
(The following text does not necessarily constitute the official
position of the Ministry of External Relations and is provided here
simply as a study aid)
The United States was the first country to recognize Brazil as an
independent country (independence was declared in 1822). In 1824, Brazil
sent its first envoy to the U.S., Mr. José Silvestre Rebello, as a
minister plenipotentiary . During most of the 19th Century, relations
between Brazil and the U.S. were basically defined on trade terms.
Brazil's main commodity at that time, coffee, had in the U.S. one of its
largest consumer markets. The contribution of the American people to the
Brazilian society is noteworthy, as from 1867 to 1871 at least 3,000
Southern confederate families migrated to Brazil, fleeing from the
hardship of the Southern reconstruction in the aftermath of the American
Civil War. They founded the city of Americana, in the state of São
Paulo, and introduced many new agricultural methods in Brazil.
In 1889, as Brazil became a republic, the U.S. government was the first
to recognize the new regime, which was strongly influenced by the
American constitution. Under the guidance of the Baron of Rio Branco,
Foreign Minister of Brazil in the beginning of the 20th Century,
Brazilian foreign relations shifted from the traditional alliance with
the European nations to closer relations with the U.S.; according to his
view, the cooperation between the two countries would be vital for the
future of Brazil in South America.
The 1940's were a turning point in the strengthening of political and
cultural links between Brazil and the U.S. During World War II, the U.S.
government used military bases in the Northeastern coast of Brazil in
order to support the allied forces in North Africa; a Brazilian
expeditionary force was incorporated into the U.S. V Army fighting in
Italy. In 1943, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first American
president to visit Brazil. Under the influence of the Good Neighborhood
policy, established by Roosevelt, many American artists visit Brazil and
Brazilian artists visited the U.S.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Brazil allied itself with the
U.S in the capitalist bloc during the Cold War. During this period,
American investment in Brazil reached high levels. American car
industries, such as Ford and General Motors opened plants in Brazil, as
well as pharmaceutical industries. During the Juscelino Kubistchek's
years the fast industrialization of Brazil attracted large sums of
American money. Nevertheless, the Cold War dialectic between left and
right wing ideals dominated the dialogue between Brazil and the U.S..
Policies to improve socio-economic conditions in Latin American
countries were seen as leftist ideas sponsored by communist regimes such
as Cuba, something that alienated the sympathy for U.S ideals among many
Brazilian intellectuals. During the Kennedy years, a new program the
so-called Alliance for Progress tried to help change this mentality. The
U.S would support social changes in Latin American without the fear of
political turmoil.
During the 1970's and 1980's, the relations between Brazil and the U.S.
saw trade disputes, human rights arguments and divergences on political
interests. Brazil's re-democratization in the mid-1980's, the opening of
the Brazilian markets and a renewed interest from the U.S. government on
Latin America established an climate of understanding and cooperation
with positive results, which endure to this day. Today the main items of
the bilateral agenda can be highlighted as the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), drug control and the continuous opening of the
Brazilian economy to foreign investment.
(Source: The Brazilian Consulate in New York)
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