Jump to content

Portal:Brazil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National seal Welcome to the Brazil portal National seal

Main Indices   Projects  


Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest and easternmost country in South America and Latin America. It is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District. It is the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is an official language. Brazil is among the world's most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world.

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). Covering roughly half of South America's land area, it borders all other countries and territories on the continent except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil's Amazon basin includes a vast tropical forest home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats. This unique environmental heritage positions Brazil at number one of 17 megadiverse countries. The country's natural richness is also the subject of significant global interest, as environmental degradation (through processes such as deforestation) has direct impacts on global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

The territory of present-day Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. Subsequently claimed by the Portuguese Empire, Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808, when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. In 1815, the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Independence was achieved in 1822 with the creation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress. Slavery was abolished in 1888. The country became a presidential republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état. An authoritarian military dictatorship emerged in 1964 and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution, formulated in 1988, defines it as a democratic federal republic. Due to its rich culture and history, the country ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Brazil is a regional and middle power that is an emerging power and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Categorized as a developing country and ranking 89th on the Human Development Index, Brazil is considered an advanced emerging economy, having the eighth largest GDP in the world in both nominal and PPP terms—the largest in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere. Classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, and a newly industrialized country by the IMF, Brazil has the largest share of wealth and the most complex economy in South America. It is also one of the world's major breadbaskets, being the largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years. Despite its growing economic and global profile, the country continues to face high levels of corruption, crime and social inequality. Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations, the G20, BRICS, G4, Mercosul, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and also an observer state of the Arab League. (Full article...)

More about Brazil, its history and inhabitants
This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

Interesting articles – show another

The Rio–Niterói Bridge (in Portuguese: Ponte Rio-Niterói), officially the President Costa e Silva Bridge, is a box girder bridge spanning the Guanabara Bay, connecting the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is currently the second longest bridge in Latin America, after the Metro Line 1 bridge, and the 48th longest in the world in 2020. From its completion in 1974 until 1985 it was the world's second-longest bridge, second only to the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

It is 13.29 kilometres (8.26 mi) long – 8.836 kilometres (5.490 mi) over water and the bridge's 300-metre (980 ft) central span is 72 metres (236 ft) high in order to allow the passage of hundreds of ships entering and leaving the bay every month. At the time it was completed, the central span was the longest box girder in the world; it has since been surpassed by the 301-metre (988 ft) main span of the Stolma Bridge (1998) and the 330-metre (1,080 ft) main span of the second Shibanpo Bridge (2006). It carries over 150,000 vehicles daily, which pay a toll only when entering Niterói of R$6.2 (US$1.15) as of May 2024. It has 18 access points and eight overpasses. (Full article...)

List of interesting articles

Selected pictures

Selected quote

Here I can work and make money. In Brazil all I would do is study.

In the news

Good article – show another

This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

The State University of Campinas (Portuguese: Universidade Estadual de Campinas), commonly called Unicamp, is a public research university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Established in 1962, Unicamp was designed from scratch as an integrated research center unlike other top Brazilian universities, usually created by the consolidation of previously existing schools and institutes. Its research focus reflects on almost half of its students being graduate students, the largest proportion across all large universities in Brazil, and also in the large number of graduate programs it offers: 153 compared to 70 undergraduate programs. It also offers several non-degree granting open-enrollment courses to around 8,000 students through its extension school. (Full article...)

Selected biography – show another

Leal in 2024

Jhulia Rayssa Mendes Leal (born 4 January 2008) is a Brazilian professional skateboarder who won a silver medal in women's street skateboarding at the 2020 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (Full article...)

Did you know (auto-generated)

No recent additions

Categories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

More did you know? – show different entries

Island of Villegaignon
Credit: Rsabbatini

Selected panorama

Beach of Noiva do Mar, in the city of Xangri-lá, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.
Beach of Noiva do Mar, in the city of Xangri-lá, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.
Credit: Tetraktys

Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development Index (HDI). In the largest and most populous region of the state is the most southern city of the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. The mountain region, where the winter can be rigorous, has cities with European characteristics, such as Gramado and Canela.

More selected panoramasRead more...

General images

The following are images from various Brazil-related articles on Wikipedia.

Quality content

Extended content

2008 Brazilian Grand PrixAfonso, Prince Imperial of BrazilBrazilian cruiser BahiaEmpire of Brazil1937 Brazilian coup d'étatPedro Álvares CabralChagas diseaseCherry-throated tanagerDrymoreomysEuryoryzomys emmonsaeFôrça BrutaGiant otterGol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907Joaquim José Inácio, Viscount of InhaúmaJaguarHonório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Marquis of ParanáLundomysPrincess Maria Amélia of BrazilMaster SystemBrazilian battleship Minas GeraesMinas Geraes-class battleshipNoronha skinkNoronhomysUSS OrizabaJosé Paranhos, Viscount of Rio BrancoPedro I of BrazilPedro II of BrazilPedro Afonso, Prince Imperial of BrazilBrazilian battleship São PauloLuís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of CaxiasSonic After the SequelManuel Marques de Sousa, Count of Porto AlegreSouth American dreadnought raceSuicidal TourThalassodromeusTeresa Cristina of the Two SiciliesUruguayan War2014 FIFA World Cup final

2016 Summer Olympics medal tableList of World Heritage Sites in BrazilList of international goals scored by PeléList of municipalities in Rio Grande do NorteSepultura discography

Good articles

1986 João Câmara earthquake1995 Brazilian Grand Prix2000 Brazilian Grand Prix2000 Rio 2002010 Brazilian Grand Prix2010 São Paulo Indy 3002012 Brazilian Grand Prix2014 Brazilian Grand Prix2015 Brazilian Grand PrixA Puro DolorActinote zikaniRebeca AndradeArchaeological interest of Pedra da GáveaArise (Sepultura album)Clube Atlético MineiroAzure-shouldered tanagerBomba PatchDisappearance of Bruno BorgesBrainstorm (2000 film)Brazil v Germany (2014 FIFA World Cup)Brazil at the 1994 Winter OlympicsBrazil at the 1998 Winter OlympicsBrazil at the 2014 Winter ParalympicsBrazilian military junta of 1930Gisele BündchenCandombléCapybaraAdelir Antônio de CarliCarlos Bandeirense Mirandópolis hoaxHélio CastronevesDorival CaymmiCésar CieloClube Atlético Mineiro in international club footballCavalera ConspiracyDiego CostaPhilippe CoutinhoDejaría TodoDiptychophora galvaniFortress of HumaitáFruta FrescaGanga BrutaGilberto GilMaurício GugelminHilda HilstHurricane CatarinaJorge Ben (album)Josiane LimaMitsuyo MaedaRMS Magdalena (1948)Man of the HoleMango YellowMarquinhosLaura MatsudaThe Naturalist on the River AmazonsLegacy of Pedro II of BrazilEarly life of Pedro II of BrazilPeléBrazilian monitor PiauíPlatine WarPrince Bernhard's titi monkeyMarie RennotteRevolt of the LashRevolution of the GanhadoresRio de Janeiro bid for the 2016 Summer OlympicsSamba rockSarcófagoState University of CampinasTAM Airlines Flight 3054TV BahiaTaubaté pregnancy hoaxTectoyTransgender history in BrazilUmbandaAlessandra VieiraVinicius and TomMartha WattsWorld War II

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Discover Wikipedia using portals