Introduction to Brazil

1
Introduction to Brazil
2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
Population Distribution
5
Basic Themes

• Poverty and Inequality
• 12 year difference in life spans between
  Southeast and Northeast
• Regionalism
• Democracy as cause and effect

6
Basic Facts

• Government
• Federal Republic with 27 states
• President serves 4 year terms
• Assembly - 4 year terms
• Senate - 8 year terms (1/3 on alternate
  elections, 2/3 on others)
• Constitution (1988)

7
Demographics

• Population 160 million
• 75 percent live in cities
• 69.6 million with African ancestry

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Economy

• Previously dependent on Coffee
• 73 percent of exports in 1952
• Currently
• Automobiles, steel, soy, and iron ore

13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
Geography
16
Northeast
17
São Paulo
18
Sertão
19
Current Politics

• Fernando Collor de Mello wins Presidential
  elections in 1989 beats Lula in a runoff.
• Influence peddling, graft, etc., led to
  impeachment
• Congress voted to impeach. He resigned just
  before the Senate was to vote and convict him of
  official malfeasance

20
Current Politics contd

• Itamar Franco takes Collors place
• Appoints Fernando Henrique Cardoso as the Finance
  Minister
• July 1, 1992 - Beginning of the Plano Real
• When enacted, inflation was at 40 a month
• Fernando Henrique resigns to run for president

21
Current Politics contd

• Far behind in July, Fernando Henrique (FHC) wins
  by enough to avoid a runoff
• During first term
• Privatized railways, mining, electricity,
  telecoms, banks, ports, and more.
• Even Petrobras will lose its monopoly status
• Political Reforms if government payrolls take up
  more than 60 of revenue, governors can fire
  employees

22
Current Politics contd

• Despite heavy pressure on currency, Cardoso wins
  again in 1998
• Real devalued in January
• Cardoso keeps struggling to keep his coalition in
  congress together
• Reform in social security and the fiscal deficit
  desperately needed

23
Important Political Events

• Brazil discovered by Cabral in 1500
• Portuguese Crown takes up residence in Brazil
  (1810)
• Dom Pedro I declares Brazil independent (1822)

24
Important Political Events

• Dom João dies and Dom Pedro must return to
  Portugal
• Dom Pedro II takes the throne
• Two issues that dominated Brazil
• Republic vs. Monarchy
• Slavery

25
Important Political Events contd

• The first Republic 1889-1930
• Less than 5 percent of population got to vote
• Café com Leite
• Getúlio Vargas (1930)
• Estado Novo (1937)
• Commits Suicide in 1954

26
The Second Republic (46-64)

• Dutra 1946-1950
• Vargas 1950-1954
• Kubitschek 1956-1960
• Quadros 1961
• Goulart 1961-1964

27
Political Events contd

• Military takes over in 1964
• Castelistas (1964-1968)
• Linha Dura (1968-1973)
• Castelistas (1974-1985)
• Diretas Já
• Tancredo Neves
• Constitution 1988