OverviewImperial Federation of BrazilFederação Imperial do Brasil (Portuguese)
Flag
Location
Motto:
"Independence or Death!"
Capital and Largest City: Rio de Janeiro
Official Language: Portuguese
Regional Languages: Spanish [Uruguay, Acre]
Amerindian languages (Guarani, Tupi, Nheengatu, etc.) [Amazonian Region]
German dialects (Hunsrik, East Pommeranian, etc.) [Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina]
Italian dialects (Veneto, Friulian, etc.) [Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo]
Yoruba [Rio de Janeiro, Bahia]
Arabic [São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul]
Japanese [São Paulo, Paraná]
Polish [Paraná]
Belarusian [Rio Grande do Sul]
Ukrainian [Paraná]
Russian [Rio Grande do Sul]
English [Uruguay]
Ethnic Groups (2020 Census):
52.6% White
29.6% Mixed
13.5% Black
2.8% Asian
1.5% Amerindian
Religions (2020 Census):
70% Roman Catholicism
10.2% Protestantism
4.8% Eastern Orthodoxy
3.6% Afro-Brazilian Religions
3.1% Irreligion
1.5% Judaism
1.1% Japanese Religions
0.8% Islam
0.5% Animism
0.4% Oriental Orthodoxy
4% Other Religions
Demonym: Brazilian
Government: Federal constitutional monarchy
Emperor: Dom Luís de Orléans e Bragança
Prime Minister: Antônio Carlos de Andrada (Liberal-MG)
Minister of Foreign Relations: Afrânio de Melo Franco (Liberal-MG)
Minister of Economy: Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (Liberal-RS)
Population (1930 Census): 57,518,000 (13th)
GDP per Capita (1936): $45,292 (16th)
GDP (1936): $504,960,000 (6th)
Currency: Real (R$)
Ruling Party: Liberal Party
The
Imperial Federation of Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese:
Federação Imperial do Brasil), more commonly referred to as
Brazil, is a federal representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy in South America, being the only independent monarchy in the Americas. Formerly a colony of the Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil became the seat of the Portuguese Empire in 1808 when the Portuguese court fled Portugal during the Napoleonic invasion. Following the defeat of Napoleon, Portuguese king Dom João VI departed to Portugal, leaving his eldest son and heir, Prince Pedro, as the regent of the Kingdom of Brazil. However, after a Portuguese attempt to demote Brazil back to the status of colony, Prince Pedro declared the independence of Brazil on 7 September 1822. Prince Pedro successfully waged war against his father's kingdom, and on 12 October 1822 was acclaimed Dom Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil. The new country was immense, sparsely populated, and diverse.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of more than 7,500 kilometers. It borders all countries in South America with the exception of Chile and covers almost half of the continent's area. Its Amazon basin includes a vast tropical rainforest, home to diverse wildlife, many ecological systems, and extensive natural resources. This makes Brazil one of the few megadiverse countries. The geography of Brazil also includes semi-arid regions, savannas, temperate forests, and grasslands.
Brazil is a regional hegemon in South America and is one of the eight great powers, having the sixth-largest economy in the world and the third-largest military. Brazil also possesses a high standard of living - the highest among the eight great powers - with a GDP per capita of $8,779. It is one of the world's major breadbaskets, being the largest producer of coffee for the last 100 years and one of the most important producers of rubber. Brazil is also an industrial powerhouse. Major contributions to the Brazilian economy come from the electronics industry, automobile manufacturing, and aviation. Before the 1932 World Depression, Brazil had the lowest unemployment rate in the world, with only 0.72% of the population unemployed.
EtymologyThe word "Brazil" likely comes from the Portuguese word for brazilwood, a tree that once grew plentifully along the Brazilian coast. In Portuguese, brazilwood is called
pau-brasil. Brasil means "red like an ember", formed from
brasa (ember) and the suffix
-il (from
iculum or
illium). As Brazilwood produces a red dye, it was highly valued by the textile industry of Europe, turning brazilwood into the earliest commercially exploited product from Brazil.
In the Guarani language, an Amerindian language (and also an official language of Brazil's neighbor Paraguay), Brazil is called "Pindorama", meaning "land of the palm trees".
HistoryAround the time of the Portuguese arrival, the territory of current day Brazil had an estimated indigenous population of 7 million people, mostly semi-nomadic tribes, who subsisted on hunting, fishing, gathering, and migrant agriculture. The Amerindian population comprised several groups, such as the Tupis, the Guaranis, and the Gês. Before European arrival, boundaries between these groups were marked by wars that came from cultural, moral, and linguistic differences. These wars involved cannibalistic rituals on prisoners of war.
Brazil was claimed for the Portuguese Empire on 22 April 1500, with the arrival of a fleet led by Pedro Álvares Cabral. The Portuguese encountered indigenous people divided into many groups, but most of them spoke the languages of the Tupi-Guarani family. The first Portuguese settlement was founded in 1532, and colonization effectively began in 1534 when King John III of Portugal divided Brazil into fifteen private and autonomous captaincy colonies. However, the decentralized and unorganized administration of the colonies proved to be unsustainable, and in 1549 the Portuguese king restructured them into the Governorate General of Brazil. The Governorate's capital, Salvador, housed the government of a single and centralized Portuguese colony in South America.
In the first two centuries of colonization, indigenous peoples and European settlers lived in constant warfare, creating opportunistic alliances in order to gain advantages against each other. Cane sugar was Brazil's main export, and slaves purchased in Sub-Saharan Africa were the main Brazilian import. Brazil received almost three million slaves from Africa between 1500 and 1800. By the end of the 17th century, sugar exports began to decline, and the Bandeirantes, a group of slavers and adventurers of mixed indigenous and Portuguese origin, discovered gold in 1690, marking the beginning of the Brazilian Gold Rush. The Gold Rush attracted many new settlers, and this period of increased immigration caused conflicts between newcomers and old settlers. The Bandeirantes also expanded the Brazilian borders during the 17th century. In the same period, other European powers tried to colonize Brazil, such as the French in Maranhão and the Dutch in Pernambuco, although these attempts failed and never were tried again.
In 1807, the Napoleonic Empire invaded Portugal, causing Prince Regent João, in the name of Queen Maria I, to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, the latter city being the capital of Brazil. Once arriving in the colony, they established Brazil's first financial institutions, such as local stock exchanges and its National Bank. They also ended the Portuguese monopoly on Brazilian trade and opened Brazil to other nations. In 1809, in retaliation for being forced into exile, the Prince Regent ordered the Portuguese conquest of French Guiana, which was formally returned to France following the Congress of Vienna of 1815.
In 1814, after the end of the Peninsular War, the European courts demanded the return of the Portuguese court to Lisbon. In 1815, as a justification to continue living in Brazil, the Crown created the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves, thus establishing a pluricontinental transatlantic monarchic state. In 1821, acceding to the demands of revolutionaries, who declared independence from Brazil, Dom João VI left for Lisbon, leaving his son Prince Pedro de Alcântara as Regent of the Kingdom of Brazil.
In 1822 the Portuguese Cortes tried to demote Brazil back to the status of colony. The Brazilians refused to yield, and Prince Pedro supported the Brazilians, declaring independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822. The Brazilian War of Independence was fought from 1822 to 1824, as the Portuguese garrisons in Brazil refused to recognize independence. Upon intervention from the United Kingdom, Portugal was urged to recognize Brazilian independence, doing so on 12 February 1825.
However, shortly after the independence war was over, the United Provinces of La Plata invaded Brazil, seeking to annex the Spanish-speaking Brazilian province of Cisplatina. A tough war ensured, and despite initial victories by the Argentines, Brazil managed to defeat the Platine Armada. After the Battle of Monte Caseros, Brazil offered peace to the Argentines, but the government refused. As a result, Emperor Dom Pedro I ordered the barrage of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, a decision that resulted in the death of a quarter of the Argentine population and the complete destruction of Buenos Aires. Following the Great Fire of Buenos Aires, Britain decided to intervene in the war, establishing peace between the two warring countries. The Argentines, beaten and humiliated, were forced to accept defeat and renounce all claims on the eastern bank of the Plata River.
In March 1826, Dom Pedro I's father, King João VI of Portugal, died. As a result, Pedro I inherited the Portuguese crown. However, the Brazilian emperor decided to abdicate in favor of his daughter, Maria II. In 1828, Maria's throne would be usurped by Pedro I's younger brother, Prince Miguel. Further difficulties arose in 1826, when the Empire's parliament, the General Assembly, was opened. Dom Pedro I, supported by a large portion of the legislature, argued for an independent judiciary, a popularly elected legislature, and a government that would be led by the emperor who held broad executive powers. The majority, however, argued for a less influential role for the monarch, with the legislative branch being dominant in policy and governance. The debate over whether the government should be dominated by the monarch or the parliament lasted until 1831 when Dom Pedro I abdicated the Brazilian throne and sailed to Portugal. He had decided to leave his five-year-old son as the Brazilian monarch and departed to his mother country to assist his daughter in the Portuguese Civil War.
Prince Pedro, the son and heir of Dom Pedro I, would have to wait until 1843 to become emperor. A regency was elected to rule the country, however, the Regency held few of the powers exercised by a monarch and was completely subordinated by the General Assembly. The Regency was unable to solve most issues, especially those pertaining to disputes between national and local political factions. Believing that granting greater autonomy to the provincial governments would be a good idea to diminish dissent, the General Assembly passed a constitutional amendment in 1834, the
Ato Adicional (Additional Act). However, instead of ending the ensuing chaos, the new powers granted to local governments only fed local rivalries. A period of generalized violence erupted throughout Brazil, as local parties competed with ferocity to control provincial and municipal governments. The parties that lost the elections would rebel and try to take the government by force. This led to several rebellions, such as the Cabanagem, the Sabinada, the Ragamuffin War, and the Balaiada.
The national politicians who had become familiar with the rebellions believed that only a neutral figure could solve these issues and ensure Brazil's survival. In July 1840, the parliament passed a law lowering the age of majority from 18 to 14. As a result, Pedro II was declared fit to rule, thus bringing an end to the anarchic Regency in an act that is widely known as the
Golpe da Maioridade (Majority Coup).
Under Dom Pedro II, Brazil went from a rural and illiterate country to an industrializing one. In 1843 the British-Brazilian Railway Company started the construction of a nationwide railway network, connecting Montevideo to Natal. In 1845 the British government passed the Aberdeen Act, which authorized British warships to board Brazilian ships and arrest anyone participating in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In 1847 Brazil passed the Eusébio de Queirós Law, which banned the Transatlantic Slave Trade and granted the power to Brazilian authorities to combat slave trafficking. By 1850, the United Kingdom had accepted that the international slave trade in Brazil was eliminated. In 1848, Slavery was abolished in the province of Cisplatina. In turn, this would make the Spanish-speaking province a hotbed for slaves seeking to escape from the slave provinces of the North. In 1848, a rebellion erupted in the province of Pernambuco. The rebels, inspired by the Springtime of Nations, sought to reform the corrupt and inefficient judiciary, limit the powers of the emperor, establish a federal system of government, end press censorship, and implement universal suffrage. The revolt lasted for six months before being crushed in early 1849.
Despite the immediate failure of the liberal rebels, the Praiera Revolt (as it became known) did achieve some of its goals. After appointing a liberal cabinet, emperor Dom Pedro II started a period of reforms in Brazil. In 1850 the Cardoso de Carvalho Law ended censorship, causing the beginning of a revolution in Brazil. In 1851 the Senate Reform Act was narrowly approved by the General Assembly; it reformed the Senate, abolishing lifelong terms. Also, most seats of the senate would be elected by the population, although some seats were reserved for those appointed by the Emperor. In 1853 the
Lei de Terras (Homestead Act) was passed. It reformed private property laws in Brazil, being a major factor in attracting new immigrants. The Lei de Terras displeased the landed elite, as they felt betrayed by the emperor and his liberal "goons", who took away centuries-old privileges and traditions. The rural elite began organizing a rebellion against the government, establishing the first organized republican movement in Brazil. In 1856 the elite of the province of São Paulo founded the Paulista Republican Party, marking the beginning of a perpetual struggle between monarchists and republicans.
In 1855, after intense debate in the General Assembly, Brazil became the first country outside of Europe to adopt Universal suffrage - all free adult males older than 21 became apt to vote. No longer voting would be restricted to those with wealth or status. This controversial law was yet another factor that fomented the fears of landowners. In 1860 the electoral system was reformed, dealing the final blow to the decadent system controlled by the local landed elites. Brazil had turned into a full democracy, a nation that enjoyed internal peace and stability unlike any other in Latin America. Despite the prosperous period of peace Brazil was enjoying, the rural, conservative aristocracy only cared about their profit. The slaveholding landed aristocracy of the farms and estates feared that they would lose importance to the people of the urban centers, who voted en masse for the Liberal Party. By allowing common people (and by common I mean free, literate males) to vote in democratic and fair elections, the fears of the landed aristocracy were concretized: the Liberal Party began to dominate Brazil, passing progressive laws that allowed Brazil to grow. However, such growth took away the power from the aristocracy, and without power, they also lost a large share of profit.
In 1862 the Argentine dictator, Juan Manuel de Rosas, allied himself with Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López. Together, they elaborated a plan that would split Brazil between Paraguay and Argentina. The Paraguayans would annex the Brazilian provinces of Paraná and Santa Catarina, while Argentina would get Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul. In 1863, such plans were intercepted by Brazilian spies, though. The Brazilian emperor, Dom Pedro II, called the army reservists and ordered the naval blockade of Argentine ports. The Argentines, in counterpart, invaded the province of Uruguay (then named Cisplatina). Paraguay attempted to take Brazilian forts in the province of Mato Grosso, but they failed miserably, allowing Brazil to counter-attack and capture 10,000 Paraguayan soldiers in the first months of the war.
On August 1864 Brazil engaged the Argentine fleet in the Bay of La Plata. The Argentines, despite having support from ground artillery, were beaten by the numerically superior Brazilian navy. In 1865 the Argentines were pushed out of Uruguay, thus marking the beginning of the Brazilian counter-attack against Argentina. By 1867, Paraguay was already defeated, and its dictator Solano López was killed by a Brazilian lancer. In 1870 the war finally came to an end, with the Sacking of Buenos Aires, in which Juan Manuel de Rosas preferred to kill himself instead of renouncing or being captured.