The tale of Brazil The Tale of Colonial Brazil

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The tale of BrazilThe Tale ofColonial
Brazil
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Table of Contents

• Pre-European Colonization
• Pre-European life continued
• Brazil Independence
• Initial contact with natives
• Influence on Natives
• Government
• Economy
• Rainforest
• Economy After Colonization

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Pre-European Colonization

• The original inhabitants of Brazil were
  hunter-gatherers.
• Sedentary agriculture developed in lower Amazon.
• Experts believe that there were no more than 1
  million people.
• Spain and Portugal became immediate rivals for
  the new land. Portugal's claim was established by
  a papal bull of Pope Alexander VI and by the
  Treaty of Tordesillas, which awarded to Portugal
  all territory 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde
  Islands.
• In 1500 the Portuguese admiral Pedro Alvares
  Cabral formally claimed the land for the
  Portuguese crown. He brought back red dyewood
  which was washed up on the shore, the name of
  this wood was pau-brasil which is where the name
  Brazil came from.
• http//www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Brazil
  -HISTORY.html

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Pre-European life continued
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Brazil Independence

• Brazil became and independent nation in 1822 and
  a republic in 1889, following three centuries of
  rule under Portugal.
• Brazil overcame more than half a century of
  military intervention in the governance of the
  brazil, until 1985 when military regime
  peacefully gave power to civilian rulers.
• Vast natural recourses and large labor pool helps
  it remain independent.
• Highly unequal income distribution.

There flag as they gained independence
https//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/prin
t/br.thml
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Initial contact with natives

• Brazils Amazon rain forest has been known as the
  lungs of the earth as it produces sixty percent
  of our life gas. It is a country of vital
  importance to our natural planet. Before European
  involvement, these aspects were all that bolded
  this reliable land. Thanks to the treaty of
  Tordesillas, Portugal was left with plenty of
  space to explore. By 1500, Brazil was just
  beginning to be surveyed. One of the biggest
  finds was Brazil wood. Aside from chopping up
  forests, they acquired the natives to do so for
  them. Because of such a small population density,
  traders brought over African slaves as well.

A brazil native boy
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Influence on Natives

• General vibes between most natives and superior
  foreigners you could say were not exactly
  splendid. Any suppressing reactions would
  normally consist of fatal combat followed by
  cannibalism. However, everyone has there break
  point-mentally and physically and within 50 years
  since its discovery, Brazil had begun to be
  colonized. Common and everyday people can
  without difficulty, go as far to guess that
  schools or institutes for higher learning did not
  exist before the launch of imperialistic
  Portugal. Schools were introduced in the late
  1500s, most consisting of pushy Jesuits trying
  to convert the natives to Catholicism. However
  they were eventually driven out along with the
  rest of the French fleets. Schooling has brought
  Brazils literacy rate to 86 from evidently
  less.

A school house the Europeans introduced
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Government

• Government wasnt exactly implemented in
  pre-Europe possession. They mostly consisted of
  tribes with leaders and wise elders while the
  rest of the group followed and listened to them.
  Government today consists of a federative
  republic. A basic and nice set of government set
  for the people. Though governed for a people
  friendly state, Brazil has been left with a hefty
  debt to the rest of the world. A staggering 1020
  billion dollars in public debt at one point. 
  Brazil can thank Europe for excavating most of
  its prime resources.

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Economy

• Though governed for a people friendly state,
  Brazil has been left with a hefty debt to the
  rest of the world. A staggering 220 million
  dollars at one point.  Brazil can thank Europe
  for excavating most of its prime resources.
  Along with a ridiculous debt, the Europeans
  gave the land a whole new fresh batch of diseases
  which most werent immune to. However todays
  health in Brazil is exceeds that of your average
  3rd world country. With a stable life expectancy
  rate and normal infant mortality rate, Brazil is
  able to maintain a steady, sanitary wellbeing.

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Natural Resources

• European exploration of Brazil lead to new
  resources being found which would help to run the
  Brazilian Economy
• The Portuguese led by Pedro Cabal began
  exploration in Brazil. At the time the only
  valuable resource available was the Brazil Wood
  Tree (Caesalpinia echinata). This tree created a
  prized red dye from its trunk. However due to
  over-exploitation, the species nearly became
  extinct creating a need for new resources to be
  found
• A valuable resource which was found shortly
  after was sugar. Sugar came from plantations of
  Sugar Cane. These plantations were located on
  the northeast coast of Brazil and were run by
  African slaves as well as Brazilian natives. Soon
  sugar became the base of Brazilian economy and
  society

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Natural Resources cont.

• In the 1690s gold was found in south-central
  Brazil. Shortly after in the 1700s gold and
  diamonds were found in Minas Gerais. This began
  the gold cycle and lead to occupation and
  immigration of settlers into central Brazil.
• In 19th century coffee became the most important
  trade in Brazil. The boom in coffee production
  brought nearly one million settlers.

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Rainforest

• More than 40 of the rainforest in Brazil is gone
• Between May 2000 and August 2005, Brazil lost
  more than 132 000 square kilometers of forest, an
  area larger than Greece.
• Rich Europeans in brazil clear out the rainforest
  for cattle pastures.
• There are 5 main reasons for clearing it
• Clearing for cattle pasture
• Colonization and subsequent substance agriculture
• Infrastructure improvements
• Commercial agriculture
• Logging
• http//www.mongabay.com/brazil.html

A Birdseye view of the rainforest destruction
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Economy After Colonization

• Economy outweighs all other South American
  countries.
• Well developed mining, manufacturing, and service
  sectors.
• Timber is Exported but most of it is illegally
  harvested.
• The three pillars of the economic program are a
  floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting
  regime, and tight fiscal policy.
• The economy however is still in very poor shape
  because of the length of Portugal rule.
• Brazil has many exports such as
• Soybeans
• Sugarcane
• Bananas
• Tobacco
• Sheep
• Brazil is the worlds largest exporter of
• Coffee
• Citrus Fruits such as oranges
• https//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/prin
  t/br.html

The Brazilian GNP
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Summary

• It is fair to comment that Brazil was a land of
  change after European settlement.
• Brazil received both results of good and bad.
• They gained knowledge with European technology
  and culture but for a price and a large burden on
  Her back economically however, one thing
  invading settlers couldnt steal was the country
  noble spirit which is still present to this day