Brazil (Differently)

Brazil, officially the Empire of Brazil, is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, at 8.7 million square kilometers and with over 215 million people. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the only monarchy in South America. The culturally and ethnically diverse Empire is composed of a union of 30 provinces.

Brazil borders six Spanish-speaking republics to the west, the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) to the north and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east. It is a megadiverse country, with a vast wildlife and a variety of ecological systems and natural resources. Brazil's climate is mostly tropical and subtropical, but there are also some areas with semi-arid and mountainous climates.

At the time of discovery by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, the region of present-day Brazil was home to thousands of different Amerindian peoples. Portugal established and maintained a colony in the country until 1808, when the two countries formed a union. The Portuguese presence in Brazil led to the Brazilian War of Independence, with the country becoming a separate sovereign state in 1825. Since then, Brazil became a prosperous local power and has played a major role in international politics. There were numerous internal wars in the 19th century, but the country achieved stability in the 1920s.