History of Brazil

by | Mar 21, 2013

The treaty of Tordesillas settled the questions of possession of the new lands between Spain and Portugal. It was agreed that territories lying East of a meridian 370 leagues West of the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Portugal, the lands to the West of Spain.
This imaginary line from pole to pole, cut through the Eastern most part of the South American continent and constituted Brazil’s first frontier, although the formal discovery by Pedro Alvares Cabral did not take place until six years later in 1500. Brazil is the largest of the Latin American countries covering half percent of the continent of South America. It occupies an area of 3.286.170 Sq. miles, it is the fifth largest country in the world after the Russian Federation, Canada, China, and the U.S.

Average annual temperatures

Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, more than 60% of the population live in areas where altitude ,sea winds or cold polar fronts moderate the temperature.
There are five climatic regions in Brazil, equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Plateau cities such as Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and Bello Horizonte have very mild climates averaging 66”F, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador on the cost have warm climates balanced by a constancy of the trade winds. In the southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts of the U.S. and Europe with frosts occurring with some frequency. In this region temperatures in winter can fail below freezing.

Seasons

Seasons in Brazil are the reverse of those in U.S. and Europe.
Spring: September 22 to December 21
Summer: December 22 to March 21
Autumn: March 22 to June 21
Winter: June 22 to September 21

Races

There are three basic racial sources for the Brazilian people. To the original inhabitants (Indians) were added successive waves of European mainly Portuguese and Africans from the sub-Saharan West coast.

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil except for the languages spoken by Indian tribes living in remote reservations. Portuguese is the only language of daily life. There are no regional dialects. Brazil is the only Portuguese speaking country in Latin America.

Religion

The Brazilian constitution guarantees absolute freedom of religion. With the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, Brazil ceased to have an official religion, although in 1989 nearly 90 percent of the population declared themselves to be Roman Catholic. Recently Protestant groups in Brazil have been growing in number.
Read The Next Part – Relationships in Brazil

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