History of Brazil

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History of Brazil
Terra Brasilis, Miller Atlas, 1519
Pre-Cabraline Indigenous Peoples Luzia Kuhikugu Marajoara culture
Colonial Brazil Treaty of Tordesillas Pedro Álvares Cabral's voyage European discovery Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha Captaincies Brazilwood cycle [pt] Sugar cycle Slavery Slave trade State of Brazil France Antarctique Bandeirantes Jesuit missions Quilombo dos Palmares France Equinoxiale Dutch invasions Dutch Brazil Gold cycle War of the Emboabas Mascate War Vila Rica Revolt Spanish–Portuguese War (1735–1737) Treaty of Madrid Guaraní War Spanish–Portuguese War (1776–1777) Minas Gerais Conspiracy Transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil Opening of the ports [pt] Invasion of the Banda Oriental
United Kingdom with Portugal Pernambuco Revolt Conquest of French Guiana Conquest of the Banda Oriental Constituent Cortes of 1820
Independence Dia do Fico Declaration of Independence War of Independence Recognition of Independence
Empire of Brazil Reign of Pedro I 1823 Constituent Assembly Night of Agony 1824 Constitution Confederation of the Equator Cisplatine War Abdication of Pedro I Regency Period April Revolt 1834 Additional Act Malê Revolt Cabanagem Ragamuffin War Balaiada Declaration of majority of Pedro II Reign of Pedro II Liberal rebellions of 1842 Praieira revolt Coffee cycle Eusébio de Queirós Law Platine War Christie Affair Uruguayan War Paraguayan War Religious Issue Revolt of the Muckers Grande Seca Military Question Abolition of Slavery Post–abolition of slavery
Old Republic Proclamation of the Republic 1891 Constitution Republic of the Sword [pt] Encilhamento Navy Revolts Federalist Revolution Belle Époque Coffee with milk politics Coronelism Amazon rubber boom War of Canudos Annexation of Acre Vaccine Revolt Taubaté Agreement Naval arms race Revolt of the Lash Contestado War World War I Lieutenant revolts
Vargas Era Second Brazilian Republic Revolution of 1930 Constitutionalist Revolution 1934 Constitution Communist uprising of 1935 Estado Novo 1937 Brazilian coup d'état 1937 Constitution Integralist Uprising World War II Ousting of Getúlio Vargas
Populist Republic Lott's preventative coup Construction of Brasília Legality Campaign Plano Trienal
Military dictatorship 1964 Brazilian coup d'état Vacancy in the Presidency Institutional Acts Araguaia Guerrilla War March of the One Hundred Thousand Brazilian Miracle Redemocratization Diretas Já
New Republic Lost Decade 1988 Constituent Assembly 1988 Constitution Plano Collor Impeachment of Fernando Collor Mercosul 1993 Constitutional referendum Plano Real Mensalão Car Wash investigation Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff Coronavirus pandemic
By federative unit Acre Alagoas Amapá Amazonas Bahia Ceará Federal District Espírito Santo Goiás Maranhão Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Minas Gerais Pará Paraíba Paraná Pernambuco Piauí Rio de Janeiro Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Sul Rondônia Roraima Santa Catarina São Paulo Sergipe Tocantins
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Before the arrival of the Europeans, the lands that now constitute Brazil were occupied, fought over and settled by diverse tribes. Thus, the history of Brazil begins with the indigenous people in Brazil. The Portuguese arrived to the land that would become Brazil on April 22, 1500, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, an explorer on his way to India under the sponsorship of the Kingdom of Portugal and the support of the Catholic Church.

From the 16th to the early 19th century, Brazil was created and expanded as a colony, kingdom and an integral part of the Portuguese Empire. Brazil was briefly named "Land of the Holy Cross" by Portuguese explorers and crusaders before being named "Land of Brazil" by the Brazilian-Portuguese settlers and merchants dealing with brazilwood. The country expanded south along the coast and west along the Amazon and other inland rivers from the original 15 hereditary captaincy colonies established on the northeast Atlantic coast east of the Tordesillas Line of 1494 that divided the Portuguese domain to the east from the Spanish domain to the west.^[1] The country's borders were only finalized in the early 20th century, with most of the expansion occurring before the independence, resulting in the largest contiguous territory in the Americas.

On September 7, 1822, prince regent Pedro de Alcântara declared Brazil's independence from Portugal and so the Kingdom of Brazil became the Empire of Brazil. The country became a dictatorial republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état. An authoritarian military junta came to power in 1964 and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance and democracy resumed. Brazil is a democratic federal republic.^[2]

Due to its rich culture and history, the country ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[3]

Brazil is a founding member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Mercosul, United Nations, the G20, BRICS, Organization of Ibero-American States and the Organization of American States.