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With an estimated 183 million inhabitants Brazil has the largest
population in Latin America and ranks sixth in the world. The
majority live in the south-central area which includes the
industrial cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.
Urban growth has been rapid: by 2000 80% of the total population
were living in urban areas. Rapid growth has aided economic
development but has also created serious social environmental and
political problems for major cities.
Four major groups make up the Brazilian population: the Portuguese
who colonized in the 16th century; Africans brought to Brazil as
slaves; various other European Middle Eastern and Asian immigrant
groups who have settled in Brazil since the mid-19th century; and
indigenous people of Tupi and Guarani language stock. Intermarriage
between the Portuguese and indigenous people or slaves was common.
Although the major European ethnic stock of Brazil was once
Portuguese subsequent waves of immigration have contributed to a
diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.
From 1875 until 1960 about 5 million Europeans emigrated to Brazil
settling mainly in the four southern states of Sao Paulo Parana
Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Immigrants have come mainly
from Italy Germany Spain Japan Poland and the Middle East. The
largest Japanese community outside Japan is in Sao Paulo. Despite
class distinctions national identity is strong and racial friction
is a relatively new phenomenon.
Indigenous full-blooded Indians located mainly in the northern and
western border regions and in the upper Amazon Basin constitute less
than 1% of the population. Their numbers are declining as contact
with the outside world and commercial expansion into the interior
increase. Brazilian Government programs to establish reservations
and to provide other forms of assistance have existed for years but
are controversial and often ineffective.
Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas.
Approximately 80% of all Brazilians belong to the Roman Catholic
Church; most others are Protestant or follow practices derived from
African religions.
Brazil was claimed for Portugal in 1500 by Pedro Alvares Cabral. It
was ruled from Lisbon as a colony until 1808 when the royal family
having fled from Napoleon's army established the seat of Portuguese
Government in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil became a kingdom under Dom Joao
VI who returned to Portugal in 1821. His son declared Brazil's
independence on September 7 1822 and became emperor with the title
of Dom Pedro I. His son Dom Pedro II ruled from 1831 to 1889 when a
federal republic was established in a coup by Deodoro da Fonseca
marshal of the army. Slavery had been abolished a year earlier by
the Regent Princess Isabel while Dom Pedro II was in Europe.
From 1889 to 1930 the government was a constitutional democracy with
the presidency alternating between the dominant states of Sao Paulo
and Minas Gerais. This period ended with a military coup that placed
Getulio Vargas a civilian in the presidency; Vargas remained as
dictator until 1945. From 1945 to 1961 Eurico Dutra Vargas Juscelino
Kubitschek and Janio Quadros were elected presidents. When Quadros
resigned in 1961 he was succeeded by Vice President Joao Goulart.
Goulart's years in office were marked by high inflation economic
stagnation and the increasing influence of radical political
elements. The armed forces, supported by the USA government, alarmed
by these developments staged a coup on March 31 1964. The coup
leaders chose as president Humberto Castello Branco followed by
Arthur da Costa e Silva (1967-69) Emilio Garrastazu Medici (1968-74)
and Ernesto Geisel (1974-79) all of whom were senior army officers,
and all of them brought a government of terror, known as Ditadura
(dictatorship). Geisel began a liberalization which was carried
further by his successor Gen. Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo
(1979-85). Figueiredo not only permitted the return of politicians
exiled or banned from political activity during the 1960s and 1970s
but also allowed them to run for state and federal offices in 1982.
At the same time an electoral college consisting of all members of
congress and six delegates chosen from each state continued to
choose the president. In January 1985 the electoral college voted
Tancredo Neves from the opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement
Party (PMDB) into office as President. However Tancredo Neves became
ill in March and died a month later. His Vice President former
Senator Jose Sarney became President upon Neves' death.
Brazil completed its transition to a popularly elected government in
1989 when Fernando Collor de Mello won 53% of the vote in the first
direct presidential election in 29 years. In 1992 a major corruption
scandal led to the impeachment and ultimate resignation of President
Collor. Vice President Itamar Franco took his place and governed for
the remainder of Collor's term culminating in the October 3 1994
presidential elections when Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected
President with 54% of the vote. He took office January 1 1995.
President Cardoso has sought to establish the basis for long-term
stability and growth and to reduce Brazil's extreme socioeconomic
imbalances. His proposals to Congress include constitutional
amendments to open the Brazilian economy to greater foreign
participation and to implement sweeping reforms--including social
security government administration and taxation--to reduce excessive
public sector spending and improve government efficiency.
In 2002, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva took office as President of the
Republic. Lula, as he is best known, was a metal worker and union
leader for several years. He ran for Presidency in three occasions,
before being elected. Lula's ascension to Presidency was seen as
evidence that Brazil is a democracy, where people from lower classes
can reach the Power.
Contradicting the expectations of many, particularly those of Lula's
party (Worker's Party), the new President maintained most of the
Economic politics of his predecessor. On the social side, Lula
directed more budgetary funds to benefit of the poorer families;
during Lula's first term, the minimum wage raised from R$200 to
R$350, and most poor families received the Bolsa Familia (Family
Dole), a kind of minimum income programe. In 2006, Lula was
re-elected for a second term, from 2007 to 2010. |
