Brazil's History and Government

The first settler in Brazil was a Portuguese navigator named Pedro Alvares Cabral who reached the shores of Brazil on April 22, 1500. Brazil got its name from braziliwood which was a redwood tree found along the Brazilian coastline. When more Portuguese settled in Brazil they reported that they found seven million native Indians. Brazil never fought many wars, the last one was in the 1800s against Paraguay. Brazil became independent from Portugal in 1824 following the independence war which lasted from 1822 to 1823. Also, Brazil became a Republic on November 22, 1889 following their monarchy rule.

A lot of events happened in the 1900s, I will talk about some of them. In 1931, women who could read were granted the right to vote. In 1941, soccer was declared the national pastime of Brazil. Twenty years later the capital of Brazil was moved from Rio de Janerio to Brasilia. Also, in 2003 a land reform in Brazil gave land to 400,000 poor families. Later that decade in 2007, a Brazilian oil company stated that they discovered a massive offshore oil field that could turn Brazil into a major oil producer.

Today, Brazil is a federative republic which means that all 26 states govern themselves. Every state elects their own governor but, for some things the federal government has all the power. If you are ages 19-70 then you are required to vote, it’s a law. Even though many people say religion shouldn’t play a role in politics, the Catholic Church has a large influence on them in Brazil

President of Brazil: Dimla Rouseff