Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. Covering more than 8.5 million square kilometres, it occupies almost half of the continent and shares a border with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. Its population exceeds 200 million, with most people living in large urban areas, particularly along the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country.

Brazil encompasses the Amazon rainforest, the Cerrado, the Pantanal, major cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, inland plateaus, Atlantic beaches and the southern plains. This geographical diversity is reflected in its population, cuisine, music, economic activities and regional identities.

Brazil is also the only South American country where Portuguese is the official language. This distinction derives from Portuguese colonisation, which began in the 16th century and formally ended with independence in 1822.

Throughout its history, the country has experienced colonisation, slavery, monarchy, the establishment of the republic, industrialisation, the government of Getúlio Vargas, military dictatorship and the return to democracy. Today, Brazil is a federal republic and one of the world’s largest economies, although it continues to face considerable social and regional inequalities.

Brazil at a glance

• Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil
• Official name in Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil
• Capital: Brasília
• Most populous city: São Paulo
• Official language: Portuguese
• Currency: Brazilian real
• Form of government: federal presidential republic
• Continent: South America
• Area: approximately 8.5 million square kilometres
• Population: more than 200 million
• Number of states: 26, plus the Federal District
• Independence Day: 7 September
• Land borders: ten countries and French Guiana
• Ocean: Atlantic Ocean

Brazil is a federation comprising 26 states and the Federal District, where Brasília is located. Federal legislative power is exercised by a bicameral National Congress consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.

Where is Brazil located?

Brazil occupies the central and eastern parts of South America. It extends from the equatorial Amazon region to the subtropical areas of the south and has an Atlantic coastline approximately 7,400 kilometres long.

It borders:

• French Guiana;
• Suriname;
• Guyana;
• Venezuela;
• Colombia;
• Peru;
• Bolivia;
• Paraguay;
• Argentina;
• Uruguay.

The only two South American countries that do not share a border with Brazil are Chile and Ecuador.

Brazil’s immense territory makes it an almost continental-sized country. The distance from north to south and from east to west exceeds 4,000 kilometres in both directions. Climate, landscapes, economic activities and settlement patterns therefore vary considerably from one region to another.

How large is Brazil?

Brazil is the largest country in South America and one of the largest in the world. Its territory covers more than 8.5 million square kilometres.

Brazil accounts for almost half of South America’s entire land area. Its territory includes tropical forests, savannahs, plateaus, semi-arid areas, wetlands, coastal plains and subtropical regions.

The size of the country also explains its strategic importance. Brazil shares river systems, ecosystems and borders with almost the entire continent and plays a decisive role in South America’s political, economic and environmental balance.

What is the capital of Brazil?

The capital of Brazil is Brasília, located in the Federal District in the central-eastern part of the country.

Brasília became the capital in 1960, replacing Rio de Janeiro. It was built as part of a broader project to move Brazil’s political centre inland, promote territorial integration and reduce the concentration of government institutions along the coast.

The city’s urban plan was designed by Lúcio Costa, while Oscar Niemeyer designed many of its most distinctive public buildings.

Brazil has had three capitals:

1. Salvador, from the colonial period until 1763;
2. Rio de Janeiro, from 1763 to 1960;
3. Brasília, from 1960 to the present day.

Brazil’s administrative capital is therefore neither its most populous city, São Paulo, nor its most internationally recognisable city, Rio de Janeiro.

Geography of Brazil

Brazil’s geography is extraordinarily diverse. Although the country does not have mountain ranges as high as the Andes, it contains extensive plateaus, large river basins, floodplains and several climatic zones.

Brazil’s six main terrestrial biomes are:

• the Amazon;
• the Cerrado;
• the Atlantic Forest;
• the Caatinga;
• the Pantanal;
• the Pampa.

Each biome has different natural, climatic and social characteristics. These environments have strongly influenced the distribution of the population, agriculture, industry and infrastructure.

The Brazilian Amazon

The Amazon occupies an enormous part of northern Brazil and contains the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

It is important to distinguish between:

• the Amazon rainforest, an ecosystem extending across several South American countries;
• the Amazon basin, the area drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries;
• the Legal Amazon, a Brazilian administrative region comprising nine states and including areas belonging to other biomes.

Brazil contains approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest. The Legal Amazon covers roughly 502 million hectares and is home to tens of millions of people. More than three-quarters of the region’s population lives in urban areas, challenging the common image of the Amazon as an exclusively forested and rural region.

The Brazilian Amazon includes major cities such as Manaus and Belém, Indigenous communities, traditional settlements, mining operations, agriculture, livestock farming and industry.

The region plays a fundamental role in protecting biodiversity, storing carbon and regulating rainfall cycles. Deforestation can affect rainfall, water availability, agriculture and hydroelectric production even in areas far from the forest.

The Cerrado

The Cerrado is an extensive tropical savannah covering a considerable part of central Brazil.

It contains grasslands, shrubs, trees adapted to natural fires and numerous springs. Several major South American river systems originate in or depend on this region.

The Cerrado is also one of Brazil’s most important agricultural areas. The expansion of soya cultivation, cattle farming and other crops has supported economic growth but has also substantially transformed its ecosystems.

Although it receives less international attention than the Amazon, the Cerrado is essential to Brazil’s biodiversity and water security.

The Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest originally extended along much of Brazil’s eastern coast.

Portuguese colonisation began in these areas, where many of the country’s largest cities later developed. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and numerous other urban centres now stand within or close to the forest’s original range.

Urban expansion, agriculture and infrastructure have greatly reduced and fragmented the original biome. The remaining areas nevertheless continue to support exceptional biodiversity.

The Caatinga

The Caatinga covers a significant part of Brazil’s north-eastern interior.

It is a semi-arid environment where vegetation has adapted to prolonged periods of drought. Thorny shrubs, water-storing plants and species that lose their leaves during the driest season are common.

The scarcity and irregularity of rainfall have influenced agriculture, migration and social conditions in north-eastern Brazil for centuries.

The Pantanal

The Pantanal is one of the world’s largest wetlands. It lies mainly in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, although it also extends into Bolivia and Paraguay.

Its natural cycles are shaped by alternating floods and drier periods. The Pantanal supports a wide variety of wildlife, including jaguars, caimans, capybaras and many bird species.

Wildfires, drought, agricultural expansion and changes to waterways are among the main threats to this ecosystem.

The Brazilian Pampa

The Pampa lies in Brazil’s far south, primarily in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

It is characterised by grasslands, rolling terrain and livestock farming. The region has strong geographical and cultural connections with Uruguay and Argentina.

It is associated with gaúcho culture, which is connected to rural life, horses, cattle farming and the consumption of chimarrão, the local version of mate.

Brazil’s main rivers

Brazil has one of the world’s most extensive river networks.

Its principal river systems include:

• the Amazon;
• the Paraná;
• the Paraguay;
• the São Francisco;
• the Tocantins-Araguaia;
• the Uruguay.

The Amazon is the world’s largest river by water discharge. It crosses northern Brazil and receives water from numerous tributaries, some of which are among the longest rivers on Earth.

Brazilian rivers are used for transport, fishing, irrigation and hydroelectric generation. In the Amazonian interior, they often serve as the main routes connecting communities.

Climate of Brazil

Brazil has several climates because of its enormous size.

The Amazon region has a hot and humid equatorial climate. By contrast, the interior of the Northeast is semi-arid, with irregular rainfall and recurring droughts.

Much of central Brazil has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. Conditions become subtropical in the south, where seasonal variations are greater and winter temperatures are lower.

The five regions of Brazil

For statistical and geographical purposes, Brazil is divided into five major regions.

North Region

The North comprises:

• Acre;
• Amapá;
• Amazonas;
• Pará;
• Rondônia;
• Roraima;
• Tocantins.

It is Brazil’s largest and least densely populated region. Much of its territory lies within the Amazon.

Northeast Region

The Northeast comprises:

• Alagoas;
• Bahia;
• Ceará;
• Maranhão;
• Paraíba;
• Pernambuco;
• Piauí;
• Rio Grande do Norte;
• Sergipe.

The Northeast was central to Brazil’s colonial history. The first major sugar plantations developed there, alongside important cities such as Salvador, Recife and Olinda.

Central-West Region

The Central-West comprises:

• Goiás;
• Mato Grosso;
• Mato Grosso do Sul;
• the Federal District.

It includes Brasília, large areas of the Cerrado and part of the Pantanal. It has become one of Brazil’s leading agricultural and livestock-producing regions.

Southeast Region

The Southeast comprises:

• Espírito Santo;
• Minas Gerais;
• Rio de Janeiro;
• São Paulo.

It is Brazil’s most important region in economic and demographic terms. It contains major industries, universities, ports, financial services and some of Latin America’s largest urban areas.

South Region

The South comprises:

• Paraná;
• Santa Catarina;
• Rio Grande do Sul.

The region has a more temperate climate and a significant history of European immigration. Agriculture, livestock farming, industry and services all contribute to its economy.

Population of Brazil

Brazil has more than 200 million inhabitants. Population estimates vary depending on the year and the methodology used by different institutions.

The population is unevenly distributed. Coastal areas and the Southeast are much more densely populated than the Amazonian interior and many parts of the Central-West.

Brazil is also highly urbanised. Most people live in cities, with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Curitiba, Recife and Porto Alegre forming some of its principal urban centres.

The origins of Brazil’s population

Brazil’s population developed through interactions, often shaped by violence and inequality, among:

• Indigenous peoples;
• Portuguese colonisers;
• Africans forcibly transported through the Atlantic slave trade;
• European immigrants;
• Asian immigrants;
• migrants from the Middle East;
• people arriving from other Latin American countries.

Millions of Africans were forcibly transported to Brazil during the colonial and imperial periods. Afro-Brazilian cultures have profoundly influenced the country’s religion, music, cuisine, language, festivals and identities.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, significant migration also took place from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan and other regions.

Brazil is home to one of the largest communities of Japanese descent outside Japan, concentrated primarily in the state of São Paulo.

Indigenous peoples of Brazil

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the territory was inhabited by numerous Indigenous peoples with different languages, economies and political systems.

Colonisation caused a dramatic decline in the Indigenous population through epidemics, warfare, enslavement, forced displacement and land appropriation.

Hundreds of Indigenous peoples live in Brazil today. Many communities are located in the Amazon, although Indigenous populations are also present in other regions.

The protection of Indigenous territories, languages, autonomy and access to services remains one of the central issues facing contemporary Brazil.

What language is spoken in Brazil?

The official language is Portuguese.

Brazil is the only independent country in the Americas where Portuguese is the sole official national language. It is also the world’s most populous Portuguese-speaking country.

Brazilian Portuguese differs from European Portuguese in pronunciation, vocabulary and usage. Numerous regional varieties are also spoken throughout Brazil.

Other languages used in the country include:

• Indigenous languages;
• languages associated with immigrant communities;
• creole languages;
• Brazilian Sign Language.

Why is Portuguese spoken in Brazil?

Portuguese became dominant because Brazil was colonised by Portugal.

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided overseas spheres of expansion between Spain and Portugal. After Pedro Álvares Cabral’s expedition reached the Brazilian coast in 1500, the territory gradually entered the Portuguese sphere.

Spanish colonisation prevailed in most other parts of South America. This historical division explains why Brazil is largely surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries while Portuguese remains its dominant language.

Brazil’s major cities

São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil’s most populous city and its leading economic and financial centre.

Its development was initially supported by coffee production and trade, followed by industrialisation and internal and international migration.

Today it is home to corporate headquarters, banks, universities, cultural institutions and one of the continent’s largest metropolitan areas.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is one of the best-known Brazilian cities in the world.

It served as a colonial, imperial and republican capital before the government moved to Brasília. The city is famous for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, its beaches, Carnival and its landscape between mountains and the ocean.

Rio is also an important cultural, academic, tourist and energy centre.

Brasília

Brasília is the federal capital and Brazil’s principal political and administrative centre.

The city was inaugurated in 1960 and designed to accommodate the institutions of the federal government in the country’s interior.

Salvador

Salvador was the first capital of colonial Brazil.

The city has a powerful Afro-Brazilian heritage, reflected in its religion, cuisine, music and festivals. Its historic centre also demonstrates the role it played during the colonial period.

Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte is the capital of Minas Gerais and one of Brazil’s largest inland cities.

It lies in a region historically associated with mining and is now also an important centre for industry, services, culture and higher education.

Recife

Recife is one of the Northeast’s leading cities.

It has an important commercial and maritime tradition and is associated with cultural expressions such as frevo and maracatu.

Fortaleza

Fortaleza is the capital of Ceará and one of the largest cities in north-eastern Brazil.

Its economy includes trade, services, tourism and industry.

Manaus

Manaus lies in the heart of the Amazon, close to the meeting of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers.

It experienced rapid growth during the rubber boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it contains an important industrial centre and is one of the main gateways to the Brazilian Amazon.

Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.

Local culture reflects the region’s geographical and historical proximity to Uruguay and Argentina, particularly through gaúcho traditions and the consumption of chimarrão.

History of Brazil

Brazil before the Portuguese

Before 1500, the territory of present-day Brazil was inhabited by numerous Indigenous peoples.

No single state or empire controlled the entire region. Its inhabitants had different social structures, languages and economic activities.

Groups belonging to the Tupi and Macro-Jê language families lived along the coast, while many other societies inhabited the interior and the Amazon.

These populations practised agriculture, fishing, hunting, gathering and trade. Some managed and transformed their environment through sophisticated agricultural and forestry practices developed over generations.

The arrival of Pedro Álvares Cabral

In 1500, the Portuguese expedition led by Pedro Álvares Cabral reached the coast of present-day Brazil.

The Portuguese Crown claimed the territory, although European settlement remained limited during the first few decades. Portugal was initially more interested in its African and Asian trade networks.

One of the first resources to be exploited was pau-brasil, a tree used to produce a red dye. The country’s name derives from this resource.

Portuguese colonisation

Portugal intensified its colonisation of Brazil during the 1530s.

The territory was initially divided into hereditary captaincies, large land grants entrusted to individual proprietors. Many struggled to survive, while a limited number of coastal settlements prospered.

In 1549, the Crown established a general government in Salvador to strengthen colonial administration.

Sugar production became the centre of the colonial economy, particularly in the Northeast. Plantations required large quantities of land and labour.

Slavery and the Atlantic slave trade

The history of colonial Brazil is inseparable from slavery.

The colonisers initially subjected numerous Indigenous peoples to forced labour. Over time, however, the forced transportation of enslaved Africans became increasingly important.

Millions of people were taken to Brazil through the Atlantic slave trade and forced to work on plantations, in mines, cities, private homes and workshops.

Enslaved people resisted in various ways, including escape, rebellion, the preservation of cultural traditions, the creation of community networks and the organisation of quilombos, settlements established mainly by people who had escaped slavery.

The most famous was the Quilombo dos Palmares, which developed in the Northeast during the 17th century.

The sugar economy

Sugar was one of colonial Brazil’s most important products during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Plantations were concentrated mainly along the north-eastern coast. Processing took place in complexes known as engenhos, which included land, machinery and residential buildings.

The wealth generated by sugar strengthened landowning elites but depended on an extremely unequal system based on slavery and concentrated land ownership.

The Dutch occupation

During the 17th century, the Dutch West India Company temporarily conquered parts of north-eastern Brazil.

Dutch rule reached its most significant stage under John Maurice of Nassau, whose administration was associated with the urban and cultural development of Recife.

After years of conflict, Portuguese forces regained the occupied territories.

Gold and mining in Minas Gerais

Major gold deposits were discovered in the interior, particularly in Minas Gerais, between the late 17th and 18th centuries.

The gold rush attracted people, capital and economic activity inland. Towns such as Vila Rica, now Ouro Preto, developed and expanded.

The growing importance of mining also contributed to the transfer of the colonial capital from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro in 1763. Rio was better positioned to administer and control the gold routes.

The Portuguese court in Rio de Janeiro

In 1807, Napoleonic forces invaded Portugal. Protected by the British fleet, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil and arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1808.

The transfer of the court radically transformed the colony.

Brazilian ports were opened to international trade, while administrative, financial and cultural institutions were created or strengthened. Rio de Janeiro became the centre of the Portuguese monarchy.

In 1815, Brazil was elevated to the status of a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.

The court’s presence made a return to Brazil’s former colonial status increasingly difficult.

The independence of Brazil

King John VI returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving his son Pedro in Brazil.

Portuguese authorities attempted to reduce the autonomy Brazil had acquired during the court’s presence. Sections of Brazil’s local elites opposed that project.

On 7 September 1822, Pedro proclaimed independence and became Emperor Pedro I. Brazil therefore separated from Portugal while retaining a monarchical system.

Brazilian independence differed from many Spanish American independence processes because it did not result in the territory breaking up into several republics. Brazil maintained considerable territorial and political continuity, despite regional uprisings and conflicts.

The Empire of Brazil

The Brazilian Empire had two principal reigns:

• Pedro I, from 1822 to 1831;
• Pedro II, from 1840 to 1889.

Between the two reigns, a regency period was marked by instability and regional rebellions.

Under Pedro II, Brazil consolidated its institutions, expanded coffee production and fought in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay.

Brazilian society nevertheless remained deeply unequal and dependent on enslaved labour.

The abolition of slavery

Brazil was the last country in the Americas to formally abolish slavery.

Abolition took place gradually through several laws. The final step came on 13 May 1888, when Princess Isabel signed the Golden Law, or Lei Áurea.

Abolition legally freed the enslaved population but was not accompanied by land redistribution, compensation or a comprehensive inclusion programme.

Many formerly enslaved people and their descendants therefore continued to experience poverty and discrimination. The consequences remain visible in contemporary social and racial inequalities.

The establishment of the republic

In 1889, a military coup ended the monarchy and proclaimed a republic.

The Constitution of 1891 established a presidential and federal system, transforming the former provinces into states.

The early republican period was dominated by powerful regional oligarchies, particularly elites associated with coffee production.

São Paulo and Minas Gerais played a central role in national politics, while large sections of the population remained effectively excluded from political participation.

Getúlio Vargas and the Estado Novo

Getúlio Vargas came to power in 1930 after a political and military crisis.

Vargas promoted the centralisation of the state, industrialisation and labour legislation that would have a lasting effect on Brazilian society.

His government went through several phases. In 1937, he established the authoritarian Estado Novo, dissolving political parties, closing Congress and restricting political freedoms.

Vargas remained in power until 1945 and later returned to the presidency through elections in 1951. His legacy continues to divide historians, combining modernisation and labour rights with authoritarian rule and political control.

The construction of Brasília

During the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, from 1956 to 1961, Brazil launched an ambitious modernisation programme.

The construction of Brasília became the symbol of this period. The new capital was inaugurated on 21 April 1960.

The project expressed the idea of a modern, industrial Brazil capable of developing its interior.

The military dictatorship

In 1964, the armed forces overthrew President João Goulart.

The military dictatorship lasted until 1985. During this period, Brazil experienced phases of rapid economic growth but also censorship, persecution, arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of political opponents.

Repression became particularly intense in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Journalists, students, campaigners and political opponents were subjected to state surveillance and violence.

Economic crisis, social protests and internal divisions within the regime contributed to a gradual political opening.

The return to democracy

Civilian government was formally restored in 1985.

A new Constitution was adopted in 1988 and remains the foundation of Brazil’s democratic system. It expanded civil and social rights, fully restored representative institutions and strengthened the country’s federal structure.

The democratic period has included social progress, economic crises, mass demonstrations, political scandals, impeachment proceedings and growing polarisation.

Despite these tensions, Brazil retains a constitutional system based on competitive elections, separation of powers, federalism and political pluralism.

How does Brazil’s political system work?

Brazil is a federal presidential republic.

The president serves as both head of state and head of government. Legislative power is exercised by the National Congress, consisting of:

• the Chamber of Deputies;
• the Federal Senate.

The judiciary includes several institutions, with the Federal Supreme Court at the top of the federal system.

The federation comprises 26 states and the Federal District. States have their own governments and legislative assemblies, while municipalities have mayors and municipal councils.

The Constitution of 1988 defines Brazil’s current institutional framework and guarantees a broad range of political, civil and social rights.

How is the president elected?

The president is directly elected by the population.

If no candidate obtains the required majority in the first round, the two leading candidates compete in a run-off.

Governors, mayors, deputies, senators and local representatives are also chosen through elections.

Brazil has a highly fragmented multiparty system. To govern, presidents generally need to build broad parliamentary coalitions, a mechanism commonly described as coalition presidentialism.

Economy of Brazil

Brazil has the largest economy in Latin America and one of the largest in the world.

Its diversified economy includes:

• agriculture;
• livestock farming;
• industry;
• mining;
• oil and energy;
• services;
• finance;
• technology;
• trade.

Brazil has a vast domestic market, a developed financial system and internationally competitive sectors. It nevertheless faces challenges associated with productivity, infrastructure, public debt, administrative complexity and regional inequalities.

Agriculture and livestock farming

Brazil is one of the world’s leading agricultural producers and exporters.

Its major products include:

• soya beans;
• coffee;
• sugar;
• maize;
• beef;
• poultry;
• oranges;
• cotton;
• pulp;
• tobacco.

Modern Brazilian agriculture uses large farms, advanced technology and logistics networks connected to international markets.

Its expansion has also contributed to land conflicts, pressure on ecosystems and deforestation, particularly along the agricultural frontier.

Industry

Brazil has a diverse industrial sector.

Its main products include:

• motor vehicles;
• aircraft;
• steel;
• chemicals;
• processed food;
• machinery;
• textiles;
• paper and pulp;
• pharmaceuticals;
• consumer goods.

São Paulo is the leading industrial and financial centre, although major manufacturing activities are also found in Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia, Pernambuco and Amazonas.

Mining and natural resources

Brazil contains extensive mineral resources.

The principal extracted resources include:

• iron ore;
• bauxite;
• gold;
• manganese;
• niobium;
• copper;
• tin.

Mining is a significant source of export revenue but can have serious environmental and social consequences.

Illegal operations in Indigenous territories and Amazonian regions are a particularly sensitive issue.

Oil and energy

Brazil has significant oil reserves, including deep-water deposits in the Atlantic Ocean.

The country also obtains a substantial share of its energy from renewable sources. Hydroelectric power has historically played a central role, while wind, solar and biofuels have grown in importance.

Ethanol produced from sugar cane is an important component of Brazil’s transport system.

This combination creates opportunities for the energy transition, although Brazil must balance production and energy security with the protection of rivers and affected communities.

The service sector

Services account for the largest share of the Brazilian economy.

They include:

• banking and finance;
• trade;
• telecommunications;
• technology;
• healthcare;
• education;
• tourism;
• transport;
• public administration;
• creative industries.

São Paulo is the country’s main financial centre, while other cities have developed as technological, administrative, port or tourist hubs.

Economic inequality

Brazil combines substantial productive capacity with severe inequality.

Opportunities vary considerably between regions, urban and rural areas, and social groups. The South and Southeast generally have better infrastructure, incomes and services than many areas of the North and Northeast.

Racial and gender inequalities also restrict access to education, formal employment, income and leadership positions. Significant differences remain between regions and between white, Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous and female populations.

Brazilian culture

Brazilian culture developed through interactions among Indigenous, African and Portuguese traditions and successive waves of migration.

There is no single, uniform Brazilian culture. Music, cuisine, festivals, accents, religions and traditions vary widely between Bahia, the Amazon, the Northeast, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and the southern states.

Brazilian music

Brazil has produced musical genres recognised around the world.

The most important include:

• samba;
• bossa nova;
• choro;
• forró;
• frevo;
• maracatu;
• sertanejo;
• axé;
• funk carioca;
• Brazilian popular music, or MPB;
• Tropicália.

Samba is closely associated with Rio de Janeiro and Carnival, although it has Afro-Brazilian roots and numerous regional forms.

Bossa nova emerged in the late 1950s and introduced a new combination of samba and jazz to international audiences.

Brazilian Carnival

Carnival is one of Brazil’s best-known celebrations.

Rio de Janeiro is famous for samba school parades at the Sambadrome. Salvador is known for large musical processions led by trios elétricos, while Recife and Olinda are associated with frevo, maracatu and street celebrations.

Carnival is therefore not a single, identical tradition throughout Brazil. Each region interprets it through different music, costumes and forms of participation.

Religion in Brazil

Catholicism has exerted a powerful influence since the colonial period.

In recent decades, evangelical churches have grown considerably. Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda are also practised, alongside Spiritism, Indigenous religions, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and other traditions.

Candomblé developed primarily through African and Afro-descendant communities and is particularly associated with the history of Bahia.

Despite Brazil’s cultural and religious syncretism, religions of African origin continue to face discrimination and intolerance.

Brazilian literature

Brazilian literature includes a wide variety of authors and movements.

Some of its best-known writers are:

• Machado de Assis;
• Clarice Lispector;
• Jorge Amado;
• João Guimarães Rosa;
• Carlos Drummond de Andrade;
• Graciliano Ramos;
• Carolina Maria de Jesus;
• Paulo Coelho.

Machado de Assis is regarded as one of the central figures of Portuguese-language literature. His works examine 19th-century Brazilian society through irony, psychological insight and criticism of social conventions.

Brazilian cuisine

Brazilian cuisine varies considerably between regions.

Some of its best-known dishes and products include:

• feijoada;
• pão de queijo;
• acarajé;
• moqueca;
• brigadeiro;
• churrasco;
• tapioca;
• farofa;
• coxinha;
• vatapá;
• açaí;
• bobó de camarão.

Feijoada is made with black beans and meat and is often presented as Brazil’s national dish.

African influences are especially evident in the cuisine of Bahia, while fish, cassava, fruit and local ingredients are common in Amazonian cooking. Churrasco, associated with gaúcho traditions, is particularly important in the south.

Football and sport

Football occupies a central place in the Brazilian imagination.

Brazil’s men’s national team is one of the most successful in World Cup history. The country has produced internationally recognised players and is associated with a technical and creative style of football.

Brazilian clubs also have strong regional and popular identities. Some of the country’s best-known rivalries are found in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Salvador and Recife.

Volleyball, basketball, motor racing, surfing, martial arts and futsal are also popular.

Capoeira, historically developed by Afro-Brazilian communities, combines combat, music, singing and movement.

Brazil and the Amazon

The future of the Amazon is one of the world’s most important environmental questions.

The forest influences:

• biodiversity;
• rainfall;
• water availability;
• agriculture;
• climate;
• carbon storage;
• the living conditions of local populations.

The principal pressures include:

• deforestation;
• wildfires;
• extensive cattle farming;
• agricultural expansion;
• mining;
• infrastructure development;
• illegal occupation of land;
• criminal activity.

A considerable share of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions is associated with agriculture and changes in land use. Protecting the Amazon must therefore be accompanied by the protection of other crucial ecosystems, particularly the Cerrado.

Conservation policies must also consider the needs of Amazonian populations. The region contains large cities, Indigenous and traditional communities, and millions of people in need of income, public services and infrastructure.

The challenge is to create a model capable of preserving the forest, reducing illegal activities and generating opportunities through the bioeconomy, research, responsible tourism, sustainable resource management and greater productivity in areas that have already been developed.

Brazil in the world

Brazil’s territory, population, natural resources and economy make it one of the most important international actors in the Global South.

The country participates in organisations and groups including:

• the United Nations;
• Mercosur;
• BRICS;
• the G20;
• the World Trade Organization;
• the Community of Portuguese Language Countries;
• the Organization of American States.

Brazil is a founding member of Mercosur, together with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Its foreign policy has traditionally attempted to combine relations with the United States and Europe, Latin American cooperation, partnerships with Africa and Asia, and demands for greater representation for emerging countries in international institutions.

Brazil’s main challenges

Inequality

Income and opportunities remain very unevenly distributed.

Affluent neighbourhoods and areas lacking essential services may exist within the same city. Differences affect education, healthcare, public safety, transport, housing and employment.

Public safety

Urban violence, organised crime, drug trafficking, territorial control and violence by security forces are serious problems in certain regions.

Conditions vary considerably between states and cities, so Brazil cannot be accurately described as having a single security situation.

Environmental protection

Deforestation, wildfires, illegal mining, pollution and land transformation threaten the Amazon, the Cerrado, the Pantanal, the Atlantic Forest and other ecosystems.

Infrastructure

Brazil’s enormous distances make transport and logistics expensive.

Dependence on road transport, uneven infrastructure and the need to improve ports, railways, digital networks and urban services affect the country’s competitiveness.

Education and healthcare

Brazil has major universities, research centres and a national public healthcare system. However, the quality and accessibility of services vary considerably among regions and social groups.

Sustainable growth

Brazil must increase productivity and incomes without accelerating environmental destruction. Renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, the bioeconomy and innovation could become competitive advantages if accompanied by effective institutions and social inclusion.

Interesting facts about Brazil

It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America

The other independent South American countries primarily use Spanish, English or Dutch as official national languages.

It borders almost the entire continent

Brazil shares a border with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.

Its capital is not Rio de Janeiro

Many people associate Brazil with Rio, but Brasília has been the capital since 1960.

Its name comes from a tree

The name Brazil is connected to pau-brasil, a tree exploited by the Portuguese to produce a red dye.

It was an independent empire

After 1822, Brazil did not immediately become a republic. It became a monarchy led first by Pedro I and later by Pedro II.

It was the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery

Formal abolition came in 1888, slightly more than a year before the establishment of the republic.

A European royal court governed from Rio de Janeiro

The Portuguese court settled in Rio in 1808, transforming the city into the political centre of the Portuguese Empire.

It contains six major biomes

The Amazon, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa illustrate Brazil’s natural diversity.

Essential timeline of Brazilian history

Before 1500: the territory is inhabited by numerous Indigenous peoples.

1500: Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the Brazilian coast.

Around 1530: Portugal intensifies colonisation.

1549: Salvador becomes the seat of the general government.

17th century: the sugar economy expands and the Dutch temporarily occupy parts of Brazil.

Late 17th century: gold is discovered in Minas Gerais.

1763: the colonial capital moves from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.

1808: the Portuguese court arrives in Rio de Janeiro.

1815: Brazil is elevated to the status of a kingdom.

7 September 1822: independence is proclaimed.

1824: Brazil’s first Constitution is adopted.

1831: Pedro I abdicates.

1840: Pedro II’s effective reign begins.

13 May 1888: slavery is abolished.

15 November 1889: the republic is proclaimed.

1930: Getúlio Vargas comes to power.

1937: the Estado Novo begins.

1945: the Estado Novo ends.

1960: Brasília becomes the capital.

1964: a military coup removes President João Goulart.

1985: civilian government is restored.

1988: the current democratic Constitution is adopted.

Frequently asked questions about Brazil

What is the capital of Brazil?

The capital is Brasília, inaugurated in 1960. Rio de Janeiro was previously the capital, while Salvador served as the capital during the first part of the colonial period.

What is Brazil’s largest city?

São Paulo is Brazil’s most populous city and its principal economic and financial centre.

What language is spoken in Brazil?

Portuguese is the official language. Numerous Indigenous and community languages are also spoken.

Why is Spanish not spoken in Brazil?

Brazil was colonised by Portugal, while most other South American countries were colonised by Spain.

What is the population of Brazil?

Brazil has more than 200 million inhabitants. Population estimates vary according to the year and methodology used.

How large is Brazil?

Brazil covers more than 8.5 million square kilometres. It is the largest country in South America and one of the largest in the world.

Which countries border Brazil?

Brazil borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It does not border Chile or Ecuador.

When did Brazil become independent?

Brazilian independence was proclaimed on 7 September 1822 by Pedro, who became the country’s first emperor.

When was slavery abolished in Brazil?

Slavery was formally abolished on 13 May 1888 through the Lei Áurea, or Golden Law.

What is Brazil’s currency?

Brazil’s currency is the Brazilian real, represented by the symbol R$.

What are Brazil’s five regions?

The five regions are North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South.

How much of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil?

Approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest is located within Brazilian territory.

Is Brazil a federal republic?

Yes. Brazil consists of 26 states and the Federal District and has a presidential system.

Why is Brazil important?

Brazil is important because of its territory, population, economy, agricultural and mineral production, energy resources and the Amazon’s role in global climate systems.

Brazil: A Decisive Country for the Future of South America

Brazil cannot be reduced to football, Carnival or the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. It is an immense country made up of profoundly different regions and a society built through interactions among Indigenous, African, European, Asian and Middle Eastern populations.

Its history encompasses Portuguese colonisation, slavery, monarchy, republicanism, authoritarianism and democracy. Its economy combines agriculture, industry, mining, energy, finance and services, while its territory contains some of the planet’s most important ecosystems.

Its contradictions are equally significant: wealth and poverty, innovation and inadequate infrastructure, agricultural power and deforestation, democracy and political polarisation, global cities and territories lacking essential services.

Because of its size and these contradictions, Brazil is decisive not only for South America. The country’s choices regarding economic development, inequality, Amazon protection and energy will influence a significant part of the world’s environmental and political future.