Brazil (Parallel Brazil)

Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Kingdom of the United Provinces of Brazil (Portuguese: Reino das Províncias Unidas do Brasil) or just Kingdom of Brazil, is a pluricontinental sovereign state, the largest country in the Americas, the second largest in the world in land area, and the seventh most populous in the world. It is the only portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest one, as well as being one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations. That ethnic diversity and great equality between the different ethnic groups is remarkable. Brazil is the most ethnically egalitarian among the developed countries. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and has two exits to the Pacific to the west, also having an exit to the Baltic Sea by the enclave of Zenith and the East China Sea by the Insular Province of Jeju. It is bordered to the north by Venezuela and Colombia; west by Peru and Bolivia; southwest by Argentina and Paraguay; north of New Scandinavia Province by Chile; It has two enclaves in Spain and Germany.

Several archipelagos form its territory, such as the Atol das Rocas, the archipelagos of São Pedro and São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade and Martim Vaz, Galapagos and the Marquesas Islands, Mangareva and the eastern portion of the Tuamotus Archipelago (Brazilian Polynesia).

Its Constitution, formulated in 1824, defines Brazil as a federative constitutional monarchy, a unique form of government. The Brazilian monarchy is different from other monarchies for their institutions of republican and federalist influence. It consists of 49 Federal Units (42 Provinces, 2 Insular Provinces, 2 Autonomous Cities, 2 Insular Territories, a Federal District), all with full citizenship and Brazilian nationality; It provides for separation of powers and a bicameral legislature (the Senate and the Magisterium).

The territory that today form Brazil, for the most part, was found by Europeans in 1500, during the Portuguese expedition led by Pedro Alvares Cabral. The region, which until then was inhabited by Amerindians divided into thousands of languages ​​and ethnic groups, became a colony of the Portuguese Empire. Though Brazil had high autonomy, and was more like a vassal state than an actual colony, the colonial bond was broken only in 1808 when the Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Rio de Janeiro due to the Napoleonic Invasion of Portugal. In 1815, Brazil was elevated to the condition of kingdom united to Portugal under King John of Braganza. The political independence, proclaimed by the prince and general Pedro de Alcantara (second king of Brazil), took place in 1821. After independence, Brazil has expanded in South America by military conflicts against its Hispanic neighbors. Part of the current Brazilian territory had been autonomous nations like the provinces of Uruguay and Ecuador and the province of Patagonia (former Confederation of the United Free Cities). Brazilian expansion also extended to other continents, continuing and accelerating its colonial expansion started already in the 1570s by the Trading Company of the Overseas (Portuguese: Companhia de Comércio do Ultramar, or just, COU), making Brazil a remarkable colonial empire. In a period of 15 years after independence, the CIsplatine War (1823-25) and the Great Latin-American War (1829-35) did confirm Brazil as a military power and hegemonic nation in the Americas. The late War of Portuguese Succession (1842-44) and Anglo-Brazilian War (1848-53) reassert Brazil, now as a Great Power and one of the most influential nations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Most Brazilian colonies became independent during the 20th century, but Brazil maintained great financial and diplomatic influence. It can be seen on most continents in the language and culture of their former colonies. Its colonial empire was the 5th largest empire in history by extension.

Brazil is a developed nation, having the third largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest nominal GDP per capita. It is also the largest exporter and the fourth largest importer in the world, besides being the only Latin American member of the G8 and the only one from the Southern Hemisphere. The nation has a modern and extensive military force, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Brazil has a very high standard of living (3rd highest HDI), with the fifth highest life expectancy in the world (according to estimates by the UN and WHO) and the eighth lowest infant mortality rate. It was the second nation to start its Industrial Revolution and a Great Power from the beginning of its history as an independent state. It remains a world power with great influence in the political, economic, military, cultural and technological fields. It is acknowledged possessing nuclear arsenal and has the third largest military spending in the world. Brazil is at the top of national performance rankings, including transparency of government, civil liberties, economic competitiveness and human development.

Brazil is also the best example of "green nation" in the world, responsible for much of the development and deployment of new clean technologies, with unparalleled levels of sustainability. Over the decades of 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010, Brazil has developed and implemented revolutionary technology in many fields, as aerospace, environmental and energy production. Because of that and many other economic, social, cultural and technological issues, Brazil is considered the most sustainable nation on the planet.

The Brazilian people can boast of a long tradition of excellence in the arts, as well as a known spirit of technological innovation, having significant achievements as the first plane and the first war submarine. Its standard of education, the best in the developed world, is considered one of the causes of its high technological production. Brazil has one of the most advanced aerospace and military technologies in the world, being rival to Russia and the USA in innovation.

It is is a member of the United Nations (UN), G7, G8, G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Union of Latin American Nations (ULAN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Luso-Brasilic Union of Nations (ULBRAN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Also, Brazil is one of seven permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Etymology
The etymological roots of the term "Brazil" are difficult to rebuild. The philologist Adelino José da Silva Azevedo postulated that it is a word of Celtic origin (a legend that tells about a "land of delights" called HyBrazil), but also warned that the earliest origins of the term could be found in the language of the ancient Phoenicians. In colonial times, chroniclers of the importance of João de Barros, Friar Vicente do Salvador and Pero de Magalhaes Gandavo showed consistent explanations about the origin of the name "Brazil". According to them, the name is derived from "brazil wood", the name given to a type of wood used in fabric dyeing. At the time of discovery, it was common to explorers carefully keep the secret of all that thought or conquered in order to exploit it advantageously, but it was quick to spread in Europe that it was discovered certain "Brazil island" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where there were brazil wood (ember colored wood). The tree name, in turn, derive from the Latin terms brasa (ember), and the suffix il (a short version of ilium or iculum). Before the popularization of the current appointment, the new lands were designated: Monte Pascoal (when the Portuguese sighted first land), Island of Vera Cruz, Land of Santa Cruz and New Lusitania. Cabralia and Brazilia Regina are also popular names used in songs, poetry and patriotic nation's personifications.

The official name of the country, the Kingdom of the United Provinces of Brazil, was chose from a number of suggestions, including Kingdom of the Federated Provinces of Brazil and United Kingdom of Brazil. The chosen name aimed to emphasize that Brazil would be a kingdom formed by several equal and autonomous units, in fact a federation of republican semi-autonomous entities, united under the Crown.

The natural inhabitants of Brazil are called brazilians.

There are also other officially recognized designations that refer to the cultural heritage of the current Brazilian people as Pindorama, or "Land of Palm Trees" in Guaraní, and Al'tera, or "Corner of the Ancients" in altotih, the manowan language.

Background of European Colonization
When discovered by the Portuguese in 1500, it is estimated that the current territory of Brazil (the Brazilian territory of just after the independence), was inhabited by 1 million indigenous people, from north to south, plus 1 million of manowan people.

The Amerindian population was divided into large indigenous nations composed of various ethnic groups among which stand out the great Tupi-Guarani groups, Macro-Je, Arawak, and Manowan. The former were subdivided into Guaraní, Tupiniquins and Tupinambas, among countless others. The Tupi spread of the current Southern Rio Grande to current Northern Rio Grande. According to Luís da Câmara Cascudo, the Tupi were "the first indian race that had contact with the colonizer. The Tupi influence occurred in food, language, agricultural processes, hunting and fishing, in superstitions, customs, folklore of the brazilians. As the manowans, they were a commercial kingdom developed and advanced that inhabited the Southwestern Amazon between 700 BC and 1632 AD.

On the European side, the discovery of Brazil was preceded by several treaties between Portugal and Spain, establishing limits and dividing the world already discovered and the world still to be discovered. These agreements signed distance of the allocated land, the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) is the most important for defining the portions of the globe that would fit to Portugal in the period in which Brazil was a Portuguese colony. In the current territory of Brazil, the line crossed from north to south, the present city of Belém, Pará, to the current Laguna, Santa Catarina.

The Kingdom of Manowan
For centuries the origins of the Manowan Civilization were shrouded in mystery. Manowan was an amazonian pre-Columbian kingdom that would see its rise and fall over a period of 2300 years between approximately 700 BC and 1630 AD.

The manowan were more advanced than any other american civilazation in various aspects. They had a developed naval knowledge, phonetic alphabet and iron weapons. Their mathematics, base 10 like ours, knew zero. Their language, Altotih, was mysteriously unlike anything in any american language families. While the origins of their civilization and its development are now known, the origins of the people and the ethnic manowan themselves are still one of the greatest mysteries of mankind.

Between 800 and 850 BC, the manowan people would arise in history by unifing its 14 tribes under a confederation. In 700 BC, however, an unexpected phenomenon would change the course of the manowan development. A small Phoenician fleet, five ships lost in the Atlantic and carried by winds, appears at the mouth of the Amazon River. Exploring further the interior of the continent, the dying Phoenicians would be found by the manowans near the tribe of the manowan leader Eliandor.

Seeing the Phoenicians as beings coming from the gods, the manowan took care of their needs and hosting them. By living with the natives for years, the sailors teached the Old World techniques to them. Hiram, a wise Phoenician who lived and was welcomed among the sailors, wrote throughout his life Hiram Diaries, in which narrates its maritime epic, discovery and relationship with the manowans. The diaries, written in Phoenician, would be hiding in the Palace of Niss until its discovery in 1933 and would throw light on the mystery of the Manowan Civilization.

In 550 BC, the manowan had assimilated the Phoenician knowledge and established thier kingdom; they had developed agriculture and trade, its own phonetic alphabet, and their cities were grandiose. The king, called Bal, had large administrative powers, controlling agriculture and food distribution, and lived in the capital, Eliandor. With internal development, the ports of Niss and Degoun (or Daegun) became springboards for manowan trade.

The Manowan Kingdom's territory itself did not expand since its founding, and the population was be controlled by cruel, but effective measures. With the emergence of great empires in the Andes, as the Tiwanaco-Huari, the manowan created a protective network of independent kingdoms which would be known as the Manowan Protectorate. Among the most important civilizations in manowan protection were the Moche, Chimu and the Chachapoyas.

The kingdoms under the Protectorate remained indenpendent, but did pay tributes to the Manowan Bal and had the right to protection by manowan troops. The manowan greatest military work would be the Andean Line, a set of more than 40 fortresses that manned much of manowan troops and protected the kingdom from andine incursions.

For many centuries, Manowan was a rich kingdom. Its ships traveled from Florida and Mexico to southeastern Brazil, were a web of fortified comercial points (like the portuguese factories) flooded with trade goods. Its trade routes connected the rich Andean and Mesoamerican regions. In the early 15th century, however, the Manowan Civil War, a conflict between two royal lines for the throne, devastates the kingdom for 73 years. After the war, the new Bal executed the comercial and mercantile elite and isolated the nation. The last kingdoms under the protectorate was be conquered and one of the manowan largest sources of income was cut and the kingdom isolated. During and after these episodes, the manowan found the rising Incas as their biggest rivals. The protectorate was conquered, and the Incas just could not break into the Manowan Kingdom itself. After hundreds of invasion attempts, Manowan were fated to the Inca conquest. But, with the arrival of the Spaniards and the end of the Inca Empire, the manowan were saved from conquest.

A poor kingdom at the time, Manowan not caught the attention of Spanish. With the founding Manaus in 1524, the Luso-Brazilian made contact with the decadent manowan civilization. Despite the peaceful relations, exchanges of knowledge, manowan immigration in Luso-Brazilian villages, and even the assimilation of customs and European techniques, the manowan was exterminated in the Supremacy War of 1632. The manowan cities was be occupied, and Niss and Daegun become again important ports in the western Amazon. Eliandor was be rebuilt, but the buildings of the manowan capital was be preserved in the King Endor Park, and today tumbled as the World Heritage Site.

Today, Manowan is a province in the Kingdom of Brazil and its capital is Eliandor. As for the manowan people, remnants of their culture are still visible in manowan-european descendants in the Amazonic region. Eliandor, founded in 600 BC, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas.

The Brazilian Medicis
During the early colonial period, Brazil's history can be confused with the Brazilian Medicis' history, a branch of the Florentine dynasty that flourished in the New World after the coming of Giuliano of Medici to Brazil.

One of the most important figures of the early Brazilian history, Giuliano of Medici was born in Florence, inside one of the wealthiest families in Europe. Known for their business as bankers, the Medicis amassed power and wealth, but Giuliano, had the interest to create their own business empire. In 1478, 24 years, he gathers all his possessions, wealth and heritage and went to Portugal, settling in Lisbon, where he met the love of his life.

Maria Rita Castro Gomes was a wealthy widow of 23 years and one of the richest person in Portugal. She came from an aristocratic family and married the gold and ivory trader Afonso Henrique Castro Gomes when she was 16, but he died when she was 19, letting her to  assume her deceased husband's business. Soon, she tripled his fortune. Its beauty and wealth attracted many suitors, all of them rejected. When administering the deceased's business, she ceased to trade only gold and Ceuta ivory and expanded to s alt   form the south of Portugal, Madeira sugar; she invested in textile production in Flanders and bought extensive vineyards in France, in addition to financing the Crown and the Portuguese maritime expansion. Giuliano met her in 1479, shortly after arriving at Lisbon. It is said that they "fell in love at first sight" and soon became lovers, marrying after 4 months. Giuliano invested his fortune to create a banking house in Lisbon and with his  wife's  contacts, founded the new bank branches in various cities in Europe. In 1490 was born their first son, Sebastian.

In 1502, Giuliano and Maria Rita already had a large and rich bank very influential in southern Europe, with branches in major European cities and headquartered in Lisbon. The Bank of Medici (not the old italian Medici Bank) took advantage of the decline of traditional banking families in Italy, filling the vacuum left by them. That company gave him not only wealth but also influence the on the the European countries politics, especially Portugal and Spain. He was a close friend of the Portuguese king and the royal family and had great influence on the Portuguese politics, besides being one of the largest financiers of the Crown.

Exploratory Expeditions
During the voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral's fleet to India, which had left Lisbon on March 9, 1500, the winds carried the two caravels and 13 ships for an unknown land. They landed on 22 April in where is now Porto Seguro and they took possession of the land for king Manuel I.

In 1501, a large exploratory expedition, the first reconnaissance fleet, with three ships, found as exploitable resource only Brazil wood, reddish and valuable wood used in European dyeing, but did a survey of the coast. Led by Gaspar de Lemos, the journey began on May 10, 1501, and would end with the return to Lisbon on September 7, 1502, after crossing the coast and naming the major landforms. In 1501, on November 1, it was discovered the Bay of All Saints, in the current Bahia, a place that would later be chosen by King John III to house the headquarters of the colonial administration, and also the Bay of Camamu, where would be founded New Florence.

The expedition of Giuliano of Medici in 1502, established the village of New Florence, first city in Brazil. In 1503 there was another expedition, now led by Gonçalo Coelho, establishing settlements as the village of São Vicente, Sao Paulo and Bethelem of Brazil. It was organized on the basis of a contract between the king, group of merchants from Lisbon and the Bank of Medici for extracting Brazil wood. It carried Americo Vespucci and six ships. He left in  Lisbon in  May, being in August in Fernando de Noronha island and there sank the flagship, dispersing the armada. Vespucci may have gone to Bahia and spent six months at Cabo Frio, where he explored 40 leagues inland. There, he would have left 24 men with provisions for six months. Coelho, it seems, have stayed in the region where it would be found the city of Rio de Janeiro, possibly for two or three years.

On that occasion, Vespucci, on service for Portugal, returned to the largest natural harbor of the Brazilian coast, the Bay of All Saints.

The Settler Period (1500-1548)
In 1501 Giuliano of Medici received from the king the right to "found a town, anywhere in the new land". Next year, he founded with his wife the settlement of Madona di Nuova Firenze (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora de Nova Florença, English: Our Lady of New Florence), first city in Brazil, on the banks of the Camamu Bay. 10 years later the city had more than 5000 inhabitants, all employed in agricultural and artesanal activities. The city becomes a small center of ships production and attracted migrants from across Europe. In 1526 he founded the Medici's College, now Medici University, first higher education center of the american continent. In 1528, New Florence became the headquarters of the Company of the Bank of Medici (just called Medici Bank after 1552), which included all of the Brazilian Medicis' banks and business in the world, paving the way to become a powerful and influential   city. At that time, the Brazilian branch of the Medici family was one of the five richest families in the Western world.

The Medici Bank helped to finance the Spanish expeditions to the Aztec and Inca empires achieving high profits, besides having business with many governments. the Medicis also built in New Florence a large palace where they kept rare artifacts, today America's History Museum, and hold one of the largest collections of Aztec and  Incas   artifacts in the world, thanks to Sebastian and Gabriel of Medici, who personally participated in the Spanish expeditions at the Aztec and Inca empires respectively. In 1560, city growth required the transposition of the Igrapiúna and Orojo Rivers, reducing the flood in the lower parts of the city.

Society and Economy
One of the most profitable activities in the period was the extraction of Brazil wood, native wood of great reddish color for carpentry and where was extracted a good purple dye for fabrics. To explore the wood, the Crown adopted the policy of offering to the private sector in towns and cities of the colony and the metropolis concessions of Brazil wood under certain conditions: dealers should send their ships to discover 300 leagues of land, install strongholds in the land discovered and keeping them for three years; than to bring the wood to the kingdom, they would pay nothing the first year, the second they would pay a sixth and the third they wolud pay one-fifth. The ships docked on the coast, a few dozen of sailors, disembarked and recruited Indians to work in cutting and loading of logs, in exchange for small goods such as clothes, necklaces and mirrors (practice called "barter"). Each ship carried an average of five thousand logs of 1.5 meters in length and 30 kg. People migrated to Brazil in droves, and enriched with that trade. Soon most of Flanders and England fabric were dyed with Brazil wood. In addition, the feathers of tropical birds, fur and medicinal roots extracted in the colony roamed Europe.

Seeing that Brazil wood was a lucrative product, English and French privateers started to use force to control that trade and to capture Indians.

Thus the Luso-Brazilian (Portuguese and other europeans living in Brazil and the Brazilian-born people), who had enriched with that activity, began to invest in other activities such as manufacturing and trade. The land structure of the colony was diverse with family farming in small and medium properties side by side with monoculture latifundia. Across the economy, shipbuilding and manufactures have grown, as well as the agriculture of cassava (to produce flour), corn, and native fruits and vegetables. Shipbuilding led to the growth of trade with other regions. That phenomenon occurred throughout eastern Brazil, Ceará to Paraná.

Portugal, checking that the coast was visited by corsairs and foreign adventurers, as well as its concerns in the East Indies, little cared about the economic growth and freedom that prevailed in their colony and decided to send military expeditions to defend the land. They were called Bodyguard expeditions, wich the most recognized was the both commanded by Christopher Jacques, from 1516-1519 and 1526-1528. His expeditions were basically of military nature, with the mission to imprison the French ships that, without paying taxes to the Crown, withdrew large amounts of Brazil wood. The initiative had few practical results, considering the immense stretch of coastline and, as a solution, Jacques suggested the Crown to initiate a more intensive settlement in the land of Brazil.

The colony was predominantly rural, but had a nascent urban life, an economy in diversification and a middle class of small and medium owners, traders and professionals. During that period, in addition to New Florence, other major cities were founded as Heraclion, Salvador and Belém. Some towns were founded in the Spanish side of the Tordesillas line, as Afrodisia, Manaus and Curitiba. But all this had only been possible because until 1530 the Portuguese authorities had all its attention on the East, making Brazil a land free of the metropolitan authority.

Life in the villages was simple. In the core there was always the City Hall, where the people gathered to discuss politics and where the elected prefect (mayor) worked; the School, where the children were educated, being financed by the taxes collected and generous people's donations; and the Church, where Catholics gathered. In the cities the trade was intensive, the streets, wider than in European cities were almost always paved. The cities were connected by paved roads. Plenty of space allowed spacious and organized  cities   with wide streets and squares.

The colonial subsistence at the time was based mainly on cassava, corn, tropical fruits that the settlers soon learned to cultivate, and the farming of chicken and ema, a large  native   bird easily tamed, and the fishing of various seafood; after a while, many kinds of sweets appeared. The most consumed beverages were the rum and fruit liqueurs. Wind and water mills were built in Brazil to grind cassava and corn. Corn bread and tapioca flatbread were consumed by everyone, rich or poor. Soon,   cattle  was brought from Europe, which began to be farmed in the Sertão. Leather and meat became trade goods. The population began to consume milk and cheese.

Culture

Demography
The brazilian population was 171.346.000 inhabitants (16.5 / km²) in 2015, as recorded by the census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), with the proportion of men and women of 0.96:1. In 2015, 81% of the population (138.790.260) was urban and 19% (32.555.740) was rural. The twenty largest urban areas in Brazil focused 77.225.551 inhabitants. Of the total Brazilian population, approximately 3.641.000 lived in the overseas federative units in 2015.

Brazil is the seveth most populous nation after China, India, USA, Indonesi, Pakistan and Nigeria, and is one of the only developed countries, with the United States, where there are prospects of increase in much of the population. With a birth rate of 13.9 per thousand, 30% below the world average, its population growth rate is 0.98%, significantly higher than in Western Europe, Japan and South Korea and similar to the USA.

The largest urban areas of Brazil are the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro (10.280.702) and Belo Horizonte (8.829.923). Almost all the capitals are the largest cities of its provinces, with exceptions such as Iconia, capital of Corrientes, Florianópolis capital of Santa Catarina, and Quito, capital of Ecuador. There are also non-capital metropolitan areas, such as Campinas (São Paulo) and Steel Valley (Minas Gerais) in the Southeast; Serra Gaucha (Rio Grande do Sul) and Itajaí Valley (Santa Catarina) in the South; Petrolina (Paraíba) and Upper Ribeira (Piauí) in the Northeast.

Religion
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits any kind of religious intolerance. Church and state are officially separated, being Brazil a secular country.

In a 2010 study, 56% of Brazilians said religion has a role  "very important in their lives", a much number larger than most developed nations.

The Catholic religion is the country's largest, with 42% of the population; 40% of the population is Protestant, following traditional denominations (Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.) and neo-Pentecostals; 9% does not follow any religion or do not know; 2.2% are Jews; 2.1% follow other religions (Buddhism, traditional indigenous beliefs, Ra'iauahi, Islam, Hinduism, etc); 1.9% follow the Orthodox Christian Church. 1% follow the African-Brazilian traditional religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda; 0.9% are Kardecists.

Religion is an important part of Brazilian culture. Brazil is one of the countries with the larger Catholic population (70,2 millions), but the province of Santa Sofia, which was greatly influenced by Greek and Russian settlers, is predominantly Orthodox. Indigenous religious traditions are well preserved among minorities of the population of the Brazilian Polynesia (Ra'iauahi), as well as in some regions of Manowan and Ecuador and among indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Brazil has the 3rd largest population of Jews in the world with 3,7 million throughout the country. Since the beginning of colonization, Brazil was seen as a refuge for jews fleeing persecution. Despite, or perhaps because of this, Brazil was less exposed to anti-semitism. It is known that anti-semitism was discouraged in Brazil since the colonial period, at the forefront of other nations at the time, and today is almost nonexistent even among Muslim populations in the country. Actually, religious tolerance is quite a cultural trait in Brazil, as it was cultivated since the Holy Chart of Rights of 1548, and some religious conflicts in the 16th century.

Language
Brazil's official language is the Portuguese, that is spoken by the whole population and is virtually the language most used in media, business and administrative purposes. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country America and the language has become an important part of national identity. Brazilian Portuguese has had its own development, influenced by Amerindian languages, African and other European languages. As a result, this variant is a little different, especially in phonology and wealth of vocabulary, to the European Portuguese. In 1990, the Portuguese Authority (ALP), which includes representatives from all the countries where Portuguese is the official language, reached an agreement on the spelling standardization of language, in order to reduce the differences between the two variants. To all countries of the ALP was given the deadline until 2000 to adapt to necessary changes.

The Brazilian Portuguese was also the basis for other variations. In addition to the varieties found in nuclear Brazil, igg gave rise to the dialects: Minority languages ​​are spoken throughout the country, along with Portuguese. The 2010 census counted 305 indigenous groups in Brazil that speak 274 different languages. Between indigenous with five or more years, 23.4% spoke an indigenous language, and the Portuguese. There are also significant communities of German speakers (mostly Hunsrückisch, a high German dialect) and Italian (mostly the Talian, of Venetian origin) in the South, which are influenced by the Portuguese language. In Brazilian Polynesia, 13.1% of the population speaks Polynesian dialects, which are co-oficial. In Jeju, korean is cooficial and is spoken by a few nativist remaining. Several municipalities co-oficialized other languages, such as São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in the province of Amazonas, where it officiallized Nheengatu, Tukano and Baniwa, which are Amerindian languages. Other cities, such as Santa Maria de Jetibá (Espirito Santo) and Pomerode (Santa Catarina) also co-oficialized other foreign languages, such as German and Pomeranian. The states of Santa Catarina and Southern Rio Grande also have the talian as official linguistic heritage, while Espirito Santo, since 2011, included in its constitution the Pomeranian, along with German as their cultural heritage.
 * Baltic Portuguese - spoken mainly in Zenith, and minorities in northern Germany and Latvia.
 * Canadian Portuguese - primarily spoken in the Canadian province of Terra Nova and Labrador and in communities in Ontario and British Columbia.
 * Polynesian Portuguese - primarily spoken in Brazilian Polynesia.
 * Bengali Portuguese - co-official language spoken by 60% of the Bangladeshi population.
 * Cingalese Portuguese - co-official language spoken by 80% of the Sri Lankan population.
 * Malay Portuguese - co-official language spoken in by most of Singapore citizens and some Malaysian minorities.
 * Hellenic Portuguese - co-official language spoken by 72% of the inhabitants of Cyprus; and regional recognized language spoken by 30% of the inhabitants of Crete, Greece.
 * Portuguese of Weihai - spoken as a first language for almost half of Weihai citizens.
 * Malagasy Portuguese - spoken by almost all Malagasy as co-first language.
 * Arabic Portuguese- co-official language spoken by 43% of the UAE population as first language and a total of 72% of the population. It is the primary lingua franca in the UAE.
 * Jejuan Portuguese - spoken in Jeju.

Despite that variety, the scope of Brazilian education in Portuguese, as well as integration policies throughout the 19th century, took Portuguese to be spoken by the entire population. Other languages ​​are spoken normally only within the context of these communities, and have their own publications and even radio and television channels. Still, local schools offer teaching of these languages ​​and the teaching of culture and history of these regions is part of the compulsory curriculum in these locations.

Ethnic Composition
As a predominantly mixed nation, the Brazilian statistical system uses the skin color and distinctive ethnic features as a research base, without seeking racial purity values. So a person can be classified as White even having recent ancestors of other ethnicities. Such a system is for mere value of study and does not seek to discriminate against any groups or research their ancestry. The census classifies primarily by ethnic appearance. Such groups are: According to the IBGE Census 2015, 50.71% of Brazilians were White (about 86.8 million), 33.13% were Mixed (about 56.7 million), 12.07% were Black (about 20.6 million), 3.09% were Asian (about 5.2 million), 0.43% were Amerindians (about 736,000), and 0.2% were Polynesians (about 352,000). A unique Brazil's feature among other developed countries is the lack of racial enclaves. Unlike countries like the US, where blacks and whites typically have their own separate neighborhoods, or France and the United Kingdom, where Muslim communities or African descent have their neighborhoods of whites, in Brazil that is, if not non-existent, at least rare. Brazilian culture is usually more welcoming and that racial integration, for example with Muslim communities, is " crucial to public policy and integration of immigrants in Brazilian society", says Gilberto Montagner, sociologist, who explains the rarity of problems with the integration of immigrants in Brazil, unlike European countries, for example. " Brazilian society is more tolerant and welcoming. " He says. However, like any society, there are racism and xenophobia in Brazil, and it is being debated by studants and teachers in Brazilian education system.
 * White - people with predominantly Caucasian features.
 * Black - people with predominant features of sub-Saharan African origin.
 * Mixed - the most diverse group, characterized by those who have mixed characteristics of other ethnicities.
 * Amerindians - people with characteristics predominantly from Native Americans and pre-Columbian civilizations.That group is difficult to distinguish from some types of Mixed people.
 * Asians - people with East and Southeastern Asian ancestry, mostly Japanese and Korean, and Eastern features. Some groups of different characteristics as Indian and Middle Eastern and Arabic are included here. Despite the stereotype of pulled black eyes and straight black hair, it is common exhibit, due to miscegenation, characteristics most common to other ethnic groups, such as blue eyes, dark skin and curly hair.
 * Polynesians - people descending mainly from the original inhabitants of the Brazilian Polynesia.

Government and Politics
The Brazilian nation is formed by the federated and indissoluble union of four distinct types political entities: the insular and mainland provinces, the autonomous cities, the insular territories and the Federal District (the District of Planalto), and also the municipalities, which are subdivisions of the provinces. Its based on the Real Constitution of 1824. The Union, the provinces, the autonomous cities, the Federal District and the municipalities are the "spheres of government". The classic tripartite branches of government (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary under the control and balances system) are officially created by the Constitution. The Executive and Legislative are organized independently in all five levels of government, while the Judiciary is organized only at the federal level and the federative units spheres. All members of the Executive and the Legislature are directly elected. Judges and other judicial officers are appointed after passing entry exams. Voting is voluntary, exercised by citizens over 16 years. Almost all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive.

The form of government is Federative Semi-Presidential Constitutional Monarchy. Constitutionally, the Monarch, unlike most other monarchies, is not sovereign, but a servant of sovereignty, which belongs to the people. It is the head of state and shares the leadership of the Union Government with the Chancellor, who is elected by the Congress. Nevertheless, the monarch's executive powers are now almost as limited as that of other constitutional monarchs, though their participation in the government is active. However the monarch has some powers given by the Constitution, even if nowadays it is more a symbolic function. The Chancellor is responsible for the appointment of Ministers of State, who assist in government. The current king is Marco II of Braganza and Hohenzollern, crowned in 2002, and the current Chancellor is Maia Grimaldi de Castro, elected in 2005. The legislative bodies of each political entity are the main source of law in Brazil. The National Congress is the bicameral legislature of the Union, composed by the Magisterium (Lower House, chaired by magistrates) and the Senate (Upper House, chaired by senators). Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively. Almost all political parties are represented in Congress. It is common for politicians to switch parties and thus the proportion of seats held by parties changes regularly.

The Insular and Mainland Provinces legislatures are the Provincial Chambers (unicameral, chaired by provincial deputies), the Autonomous Cities legislatures are the Metropolitan Assemblies (unicameral, chaired by metropolitan deputies), the Insular Territories legislatures are the Territorial Assemblies (unicameral, chaired by territorial deputies), and Municipalities legislatures are the Municipal Councils (unicameral, chaired by councilmen). The leaders of Executive, in each federative units, are the directly elected Provincial Governors (Insular and Mainland Provinces), Metropolitan Prefects (Autonomous Cities), Territorial Governors. In the municipal level, there are the directly elected Prefects.

Law and Crime
Brazil has a civil law system based on Roman law with references to Brazilian Colonial Law (based on the Holy Chart of Rights). The Supremo Tribunal Federal (Federal Supreme Tribunal) is the Brazilian Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review.

Criminal and private laws are codified on the national level in the Código Penal and the Código Civil respectively. The Brazilian penal system seeks the rehabilitation of the criminal and the protection of the public.

In Brazil, the Constitution establishes three different police institutions thet are not subordinate to each other for the implementation of the law: the Federal Police, National Police, and the Coastal Police, all of them linked to the federal government. Also, according to the constitution, the provinces have the role of organizing their police, except for the District of Planalto and Insular Territories of Cozumel and Socotra, where the responsible police force is the National Police. All police forces are responsibility of the executive power in any of the federal or provincial governments.

According to the constitution  the Federal Police's  function is to deter and investigate crimes committed against the Union or have national or international concern such as terrorism, international drug trafficking, illegal immigration, embezzlement among others.

The function of the National Police is being ostensive police force, the maintenance of public order and the investigation of criminal offenses occurring in the territory of their jurisdiction, in addition to exercising the airport police function and border road and on federal highways. The National Police can also act in support of the provincial polices in public disorder situations arising anywhere in the country.

The Coastal Police has the function to play the role of maritime and customs police curbing and investigating criminal offenses committed in the exclusive economic zone and frontier rivers, such as: smuggling, embezzlement, illegal immigration and others as well as monitor and combat environmental crimes. The Coastal Police serves as an auxiliary and reserve Royal Brazilian Navy.

Also according to the constitution it is the provincial police function being the ostensive police and the maintenance of public order and the investigation of criminal offenses, as well as being close to the National Police, auxiliary power and reserve of the Royal Brazilian Army. In some provinces it is up to the police to organize and maintain the fire brigades

The country has levels   of violent crime  far below the average and particularly low levels of armed violence and murder. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of 0.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest intentional homicide rates in the world. The index considered tolerable by the WHO is ten homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Brazil is one of the developed countries with the lowest crime rate, second only to Japan.

Foreign Relations
Brazil has a strong economic, political and military  influence  worldwide. It is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Almost all countries have embassies in Brasilia and many consulates throughout the country. Likewise, nearly all nations host Brazilian diplomatic missions. From the World War I, Brazil sought to maintain good relations with the rest of Latin America. It is is a political and economic leader in Latin America and remains good relations with its former colonies, being a founder of the Luso-Brazilian Union of Nations (ULBRAN), based in Natal, RN. Brazil have strong and longstanding ties with Paraguay, Madagascar, Singapore, Angola, UAE, Japan, South Korea, Canada and most of Western Europe, as well as good relations with the other American nations. In 2008, Brazil spent $ 15.4 billion in net official development assistance in much of the world. Brazilian foreign policy has generally reflected multilateralism, the peaceful settlement of disputes and non-intervention in the affairs of other countries. Its relations with the United States have evolved a lot over the 20th century. What was an explicit hostility until 1867 become a friendly rivalry until the World War I and finally solid alliance after the conflict. Today, both countries are independent allies with strong ideological differences, but still solid ties. Brazil stands out as an emerging superpower, the only  individual   developed country to be considered as such and the only developed country in the group known as BRICS. As such, and given the rise of Eastern nations like China and India, Brazil has been called by many media channel of the "Bastion of the West." It  is a member of the United Nations (UN), G7 (USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil and Japan), G8 (G7 + Russia), G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Union of Latin American Nations (ULAN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Luso-Brasilian Union  of Nations   (ULBRAN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is one of the seven permanent   members  of the UN  Security Council (USA, UK, France, Brazil, Canada, Russia and China). Brazil is also one of the most beloved countries in the world. Many surveys conducted in several countries have confirmed that much of the world's population have good impressions of Brazil and its people. Brazil is known in the world as a country of natural beauty, beautiful and welcoming people, opportunities, innovation, freedom, tolerance, peace and culture. A small fraction of its territory (Autonomous Cities of Cadiz and Zenith) are distinguished members of the European Union (EU) since 2005, each one having the right to six (Cádiz) and eight (Zenith) seats among the 765 of the European Parliament. Their status as members, but part of a   nonmember  sovereign state, makes them two peculiar in their role inside the EU. Although citizens from Cadiz and Zenith can move in the territory of other member nations, it does not happen with other Brazilians; and citizens of other member nations can move freely in Cadiz and Zenith, but not in the rest of Brazil. The autonomous cities also do not participate officialy to the Eurozone, and, while Euro is currently acepted, Real still is the main and official currency. Due to that status 956.000 Brazilian citizens are also citizens of the European Union. The entrance of the autonomous cities for economic block was an unprecedented event. There are still issues to be addressed regarding the effect of the accession of Cadiz and Zenith to the EU. Some consider that the free movement of Europeans in the autonomous cities can, over time, dilute the Brazilian national identity among from   Zenith  and especially   Cadiz (still claimed by Spain). Between the Europeans, some see the acceptance Cadiz and Zenith as a threat to Europe, as these cities, even being members, are part of a foreign nation with its own interests. There are also more incontestable effects. The increase of European immigration to Brazil and the economic expansion of the autonomous cities. On one hand, with the crisis that hit Europe in 2008 and 2015 and unemployment, more and more Europeans try to emigrate to Brazil in search of opportunities. With accession, Cadiz and Zenith became more affordable and it is much easier for foreigners to get visas to Brazil from the autonomous cities, e legislation lack that are debate issue. It is estimated that between 2008 and 2015, approximately 312.000 Europeans have emigrated to Brazil due to less bureaucracy in the autonomous cities, mainly Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, French and Irish. The government still debate about the potential benefits and/or risks of allowing European immigration to Brazil.

Administrative Divisions


Although being a monarchy, Brazil is a federation with republican molds consisting of 49 Federal Units: 42 Provinces, 2 Insular Provinces,  2  Autonomous Cities, 2 Insular Territory and Federal District (republican inspiration). These are subdivided into municipalities, except for the Autonomous Cities and Insular Territories, which are subdivided into districts.

Besides these, Brazil is traditionally divided by two other systems that do not have administrative burden. The Caxias System divides Brazil into Nuclear or Metropolitan Brazil (popularly known as Mainland Brazil, including the contiguous Brazil, Patagonia and New Scandinavia) and Overseas Brazil. The Petrópolis System, officially used by the government, divides Brazil into 10 regions: the Southeast or Sudeste (São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Santa Sofia), Northeast or Nordeste (Ilhéus, Bahia, São Francisco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Northern Rio Grande, Piauí, Ceará and Maranhão), North or Norte (Pará, Carajás, Tapajós, Amapá, Roraima, Eastern Guyana, Suriname and Western Guyana), Northwest or Noroeste (Amazonas, Manowan, Acre, Ucayali and Ecuador), Center or Centro (Goyaz, Araguaya, Tocantins and District of Planalto), Center-West or Centro-Oeste (Rondonia, Northern Mato Grosso and Southern Mato Grosso), South or Sul (Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Corrientes and Uruguay), Far South or Extremo Sul (Patagonia and New Scandinavia) and Overseas (Brazilian Polynesia, Zenith, Cadiz, Jeju, Socotra and Cozumel)

Federative units and municipalities have corporate nature of public law, therefore, as anyone in the country (national or foreign) they have rights and duties established by the Brazilian Constitution of 1824. They have self-administration, self-government and self-organization, ie, they elect their leaders and political representatives and manage their public affairs without interference from other municipalities, provinces or the Union. In order to allow self-administration, the Constitution defines which taxes can be collected by each state and how funds will be distributed between them. Provinces and municipalities, given the desire of its people expressed in referendum, can divide or unite in new unities. However, they have not the right to become independent guaranteed by the constitution.

In addition to the federal units, Brazil has some territory in other countries through the Sovereign Bases. They are Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, Raoni Castro in Azores (Portugal), and Portland in England (while England has Victoria Sovereign Base in Natal). These areas, which include bases and some surrounding land were retained by Brazil whether by treaty or as remnants of colonial presence. Despite disputes and endless debates, the bases are still considered Brazil's sovereign territory, while not federal constituent units.

Municipalities are a territorial area with legal personality and with certain administrative autonomy, and the smaller autonomous units of the Union. Each municipality has its own Organic Law that defines its political organization, but is limited by the Constitution. There are thousands of municipalities throughout the country, some with a population greater than that of many countries in the world (Rio de Janeiro with over 6 million inhabitants), others have less than a thousand inhabitants; some with an area larger than many countries in the world (Altamira in Tapajos, is almost twice the size of Portugal), others with less than four square kilometers.

Although called provinces and belonging to a monarchic nation, Brazilian administrative units are more similar to the federal states of modern republics than their monarchical peers. The very political structure of these units is de facto of republican nature and exemplifies the unique way that the Brazilian monarchy took over after independence.

The Brazilian states are also recognized through a system of acronyms that represents them. The Nuclear Brazil provinces have a abbreviation of two letters (eg SP), the insular provinces have the prefix PI (eg PI-JE), the autonomous cities the prefix C (eg C-ZE), and the territories the prefix T and the acronym with only the initial capitalized (eg T-Co).

Military
The King is de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Nevertheless, the Chancellor, as Regent-Commander of the Armed Forces, is the actual head of that the Brazilian Armed Forces. To the chancellor fits the appointment of its leaders, the Minister of Defense and the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence administer the Armed Forces.

Military service is voluntary (though conscription may occur in wartime), lasts three years and is released for men and women, women corresponding about 25% of the total effective military and having all rights, training and hierarchic positions as men. Brazil has dozens of military bases and facilities around the world, seconded personnel to more than 20 countries. It is a world leader in innovation in the military field, integrating new technologies constantly to its military. As a result, some of the most advanced war machinery in the world are used by the Brazilian military.The Armed Forces of Brazil have extremely ancient origins in the context of the former European colonies in the american continent. The Colonial Self-Defense Force (CSDF), founded by the Holy Charter of Rights in 1548 and under the direct command of the Magisterium, was the first organized military force in Brazil. Still, it became a true military force only during the Dutch Invasions in the mid 16th century. The Dutch-Portuguese War had the CSDF alligned to the Portuguese and it was reposible for the Reconquest of Angola and the Liberation of Brazil.

With a Colonial Ground Force and a Colonial Marine Force, the CSDF had police and defense functions and thus did act overseas in favor of Brazilian commercial interests, as in the Brazilian Intervention in

Nevertheless, the CSDF did not compare to the power the Trading Company of the  Overseas   (COU) military, specially on sea. An economic and military power, the COU rivaled the colonial powers on an equal footing, having greatly influenced world history. The current Brazilian Armed Forces was founded with the rise of Brazil to kingdom, united to Portugal. They were created on the foundations of the old CSDF, and developd during the continuous wars in which Brazil went after independence. The armed forces of the COU, was be integrated into their official counterparts in Brazil in 1835.

Today, the Brazilian Armed Forces comprise the Royal Brazilian Army, the Royal Brazilian Navy and the Royal Brazilian Air Force, and are the largest military force in Latin America, the second largest of all America and also one of the five   better prepared  armed forces. The provincial police are in accordance with the Constitution as auxiliary forces and army reserves, but under the control of each provinces and their governors.

Brazil is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and is a recognized nuclear capable nation since 1948. It signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation   Treaty. The annual military expenditure in Brazil in 2015 were more than $ 90 billion, 1.03% of GDP, behind only the United States and China. Brazil has major military industries, and one of the largest aerospace industry in the world. Its plants produced equipment such as the Condor and the Harpy fighters, the Tupan class aircraft carriers and Anhanguera class nuclear submarines. Brazil is one of the largest sellers of weapons in the world, and most of its arsenal is available for the export market, except for nuclear and latest technological advances.

The Royal Brazilian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, the largest air force in Latin America, with about 2,500 manned aircraft in service. It is the oldest independent air force created even 1914. It is responsible for SODAM system (Satélite Orbital de Defesa Antí-Míssel or Orbital Anti-Missile Defense  Satellite ) the only defense satellites system, deployed in 2010, able to change and correct its orbit and destroy transcontinental missiles and other tasks.

The Royal Brazilian Navy is the world's third largest in number of warships, with 292 active ships (excl. reserve), and tonnage, behind just the United States and China. Nevertheless, it is the most advanced and modern navy in the world. It is responsible for naval operations and for guarding Brazilian territorial waters. A blue waters navy with global reach, it has a force of marines with about 50,000 men. The Navy also has a group of elite specialized in resume ships and naval facilities, GRUMEC, unit specially trained to protect the Brazilian oil platforms along its coast. It's the only Marine in Latin America that operates aircraft carriers,6 of own manufacturing. The Navy also has a submarine force equipped with 54 submarines, 22 conventional propulsion and 32 nuclear-powered and of these, 6 are submarines equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Royal Brazilian Army is responsible for military operations on land, has the effective of about 650,000 active soldiers in addition to about 1 million reservists. It also has the largest number of armored vehicles of the american continent, plus armored vehicles for troop transport and main battle tanks. It features a large elite unit specializing in unconventional missions, the Special Operations Brigade, unique in Latin America, as well as a Strategic Rapid Action Force, formed by highly elite units mobilized and prepared (Special Operations Brigade, Infantry Brigade skydiver, 1st Jungle Infantry Battalion (Airmobile) and 12th Light Infantry Brigade (Airmobile) to act in any part of the nation, in short time, during a hypothetical external aggression.

Economy
Brazil has a mixed capitalist economy fueled by abundant natural resources and skilled labor, cooperation between government and industry, a deep work ethic, investments in high technology and mechanization and waste reduction and recycling of materials. The export of goods produced in Brazil is one of the main factors of Brazilian wealth. Brazil is the world 's second largest exporter with U$ 1.89 trillion exported in 2013. Brazilian exports are among the most diversified among the developed countries, including commodities ( sugar, oil, soy, etc.), processed products of low and high technology, chemicals, weapons, vehicles, aircraft, electronics and agro-industrial products. The economy is postindustrial, with the service sector contributing to 69.1% of GDP, although Brazil remains an industrial power. Brazil maintains the highest labor productivity in the world and a 3.3% unemployment. It is among the countries with the highest productivity in the primary sector, in spite of trade barriers and subsidy policies adopted by other countries.

A prosperous economy and well applied spending by Brazil greatly decreased their public and foreign debt over the 1990s and 2000s, Brazil is the least indebted among developed countries, just 9% of its GDP. The Brazilian tax burden is quite applied in income, and less heavily taxes consumption than, for example, in Europe.

Brazilian economic activities are well concentrated in the Southeast region (mainly in Minas Gerais), the Northeast and the West (in the Ecuador coast). However, they are well distributed, and even more distant regions of the country as Zenith, Cadiz and Jeju or less populated, like the Amazon, are economic centers of importance.

Brazil is a leader in the fields of scientific research, technology, machinery, medical, aerospace and sustainable development. Some of the most important current technological contributions of Brazil are found in the fields of electronics, machinery, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors, metallurgy and space technology.

Among the 500 largest companies traded on the stock exchange in relation to revenue, the Fortune Global 500, 39 companies are headquartered in Brazil. The five largest are Petrobras (oil and petrochemicals), the Montês Bank (bank), the Palmares (automobile and electronics), the Amazo (pharmaceutical and chemical) and the Corporation Globo (telecommunications, film and entertainment). In addition Bocayuva Brascorp, largest business conglomerate in the world, also has its headquarters in Brazil.

Tourism
Tourism is a key sector for the economy of many brazilian regions. Brazil received among 61 million foreign tourists in 2007, including overseas regions, and is classified in terms of international tourist arrivals, as the second largest tourist destination in the world, just behind France. Nevertheless, Brazil is listed first in revenue generated by tourism.

The Best in Travel 2014, an annual ranking of the best destinations made ​​by travel guide Lonely Planet, ranked Brazil as the world's best tourist destination in 2015. In the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015, Brazil was in 4th place among the 141 countries assessed. Usually Brazilians are bilingual (83% of the population is fluent in a language other than Portuguese) or trilingual (51% of the population), making Brazil very welcoming in the view of foreign tourists. It is easy to communicate in other languages, especially English, Spanish, French and Japanese, foreign languages ​​most learned by Brazilians in schools.

Brazil has 39 sites classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO and features cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts in Patagonia, rainforests, historic ruins, shopping centers, places for sports and theme parks. The DisneyRio, founded in 1990, is the most popular theme park in Brazil and throughout Latin America. The newspaper O Globo research revealed that since its foundation, DisneyRio became more popular among Latin American tourists than their counterparts in the United States and is the 2nd most profitable Disney theme park in the world, after Tokyo Disney. Other theme parks in Brazil are a reference in the world, as the Beto Carrero World (7th most profitable) in Santa Catarina and Monica Park (8th most profitable) in São Paulo.

Education
Education in Brazil dates back to the early colonial period. The many towns and cities founded always had a school to educate the children of the people in reading, writing and calculation. Already in the early 17th century, these schools had evolved into large centralized local education centers, promoting the study of philosophy, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy and arts. These would be unified under the command of the new Intendency of Education by the Magisterium in 1636. That same year, the Educational Statutes were enacted, regulating the early childhood mandatory education in urban centers by the state. Meanwhile, in rural areas, education was less developed, relying more on basic grammar and calculation. Thanks to this system, it is estimated that in 1821, 75% of the population was literate.

Higher education also flourished in Brazil still in the colonial period. The foundation of the University of Medici, the first of the american continent in New Florence in 1531, followed seven other institutions founded before independence. Known as the Eight Houses or the Octodomi, and are today among the most prestigious in Brazil and the world.

Since the Educational Amendment of 1893, the Brazilian compulsory education includes Primary Education (between 5 and 8 years old), Fundamental Education (8 to 14 years old) and Middle Education (between 14 and 16 years). Finally, above the age of 16 thera are to the Higher or Academic Education.

The Brazilian education system is efficient and based on meritocracy. Students must study at least two foreign languages ​​throughout the school year, among which the most common are English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese. Because of this, and an extremely efficient educational system, most Brazilians are bilingual (83% of the population is fluent in a language other than Portuguese) or trilingual (51% of the population). The numbers of children out of school are derisory. Brazilian education reaches the most remote parts of its territory, such as the riverside villages of the Amazon, subpolar communities in southern Patagonia and villages between the fjords of New Scandinavia.

The curriculum provides traditional subjects such as History, Geography, Grammar, Math and Science, and Ethic and Civics education, Music and Arts. Boys and girls study technology and domestic science, many children still attend remedial classes in institutes. Among the extracurricular activities the schools provide acting classes, music, debate, public speaking, sports and programming. Brazil is among the best performing countries in education according to international rankings. With a 0.909 education index in 2013, the 4th position in the world, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranks the education in Brazil as the 4th best in the world in opportunities, efficiency and results. Brazil also remained between 2000 and 2015 among the top five in the PISA's performance rankings in science, mathematics and reading. In the same period, Brazil was the second biggest winner of the Mathematics Olympics. Also 17 Brazilian universities are among the 100 best in the world.

Health
In Brazil, health services are provided by national and local governments. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government commission. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. All the elderly are covered by insurance sponsored by the government. Patients are free to select doctors or facilities of their choice. Brazil has the 5th highest life expectancy in the world (83,6 years) and the 8th lowest infant mortality rate (3,17 per 1.000 births).

Although the Brazilians have the reputation of being one of the people with the lowest obesity rate among the developed countries, Brazil, like other developing countries, faces an increasing and recent epidemic of obesity, mainly because imports of unhealthy eating habits. However, Brazil's obesity rate is much lower than the USA and Europe (for example, obesity rate in Brazil is the same as the US was in the 1960s), but is now considered by the authorities as one of the main problems public health and is fiercely fought; childhood obesity rates are slowing in Brazil, while continuing to grow in other countries. The culturally ingrained habit in Brazil to make constant physical activity, which led to stereotyping, is considered by many the stronghold that keeps Brazil safe on the issue of obesity.

Energy
Brazil is the 4th largest consumer of energy in the world and the second largest in the Western Hemisphere, behind the United States. The Brazilian energy matrix is ​​based on renewable sources, especially hydro and solar, as well as non-renewable energy sources such as oil and natural gas. The Itaipu Dam, in Parana, is the second largest hydroelectric plant in the world for energy production.

In 2015, 41% of the energy came from hydroelectric plants, 20% from photovoltaic and thermal solar power plants, 16% from nuclear fusion plants of the Solaria Project, 10% from wind power plants, 7% from oil and other non-renewable sources, and 6% from biomass (sugar cane ethanol, etc.).

The wide availability of sun and abundant wind made Brazil the perfect field for the creation of large renewable energy parks. Brazil is praised worldwide for being the greenest nation in the world. With the Program of Energy Transition, started in 1980 and still in progress, Brazil was over 40 years responsible for major advances in this area, as the first commercially viable fusion reactor in 2010, considerably cheapening power generation by renewable sources, especially solar and fusion. In 2015 only 7% of the energy consumed in Brazil was non-renewable source.

The Northeastern Sertão and the South, the first bringing together the largest solar and wind farms, have become over these decades the major energy producing centers in Brazil. In these regions, thera are the Itaipú Dam in Parana, the second largest dam in the world, Cortesa Fusion Plant in Bahia, and the Blumenau Fusion Plant in Santa Catarina. During the 2000s, Brazil's advancements had decreased considerably costs of the energy production from solar and wind. Also, the advancements in nuclear fusion the Completed in 2014, Cortesa is the most productive plant in the world, generating annually 821 terawatt hours (TWh), since Blumenau is the second most productive, generating 634 terawatt hours (TWh). They use abundant and renewable energy source (deuterium extracted from water) and without generating pollution. In comparison, 3rd most productive plant, the Three Gorges Dam in China, generates annually only 98,8 terawatt hours (TWh). There are three large fusion power plants under construction in the Mainland Brazil and two medium plants in Zenith and Jeju. According to the Minister of Energy, Carla Morgado, in the British newspaper The Guardian: It is estimated that with the inauguration of Zenith's Plant in 2016 and Jeju's in 2017, Brazil will become the largest energy producer in the world, overtaking China by a wide margin.

Over the past three decades, Brazil has been working to create a viable alternative to gasoline, with its fuel from sugarcane as a major exponent. Pro-Alcool Project, which originated in the 1970s in response to the oil market uncertainties, took intermittent success. Still, most Brazilians use so-called "flexible fuel vehicles" that run on gasoline and alcohol (or gas and electricity. More a product for export, consumer countries like Japan and Sweden are importing Brazilian ethanol to help to meet its environmental obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Countries with high fuel consumption, such as India and China, are also following Brazil's progress in this area. According to the UN, Brazil was in 2005, the country with higher percentage of cars to ethanol and electric in the world with 68% market share. However, since 2005, Brazil had invested on the development of new and more efficient electric vehicles. In 2015, the major brazilian automotive companies had the biggest portion of the world's electrical vehicles market. Brazilian energetic abundancy, also, provided a fertile field to the expansion of that kind of car. In 2015, 68% of brazilian automotive vehicles (as cars and trucks) were electric, electric-gasoline or electric-ethanol powered.

Brazil has the second largest crude oil reserves in South America and is one of the oil producers that increased their production in recent years. Brazil has become a world power in oil production, with major discoveries of this feature in recent times in the Santos Basin.

Transportation
As a developed country, Brazil has an advanced transport infrastructure: 4,967,833 km of paved highways, 346,443 kilometers of railways and 51,009 kilometers of waterways.

In 2003, there were 574 automobiles per 1,000 Brazilians, compared with 472 cars per 1,000 inhabitants of the European Union the following year and 759 cars per 1,000 people in the United States. Two automobile Brazilian companies are among the 10 largest in the world: the Palmares and Autobras (company of the Bocayuva Brascorp group and possessor of the brand Tupan).

The civil aviation industry is completely private, while most major airports are publicly owned. Three of the 15 largest airlines in the world in passengers are Brazilian: Varig, Cruzeiro, and AeroBras. The Natal International Airport is the largest and busiest in the southern hemisphere and the second of the american continent.

The transport of goods and passengers by railways is extensive. The mass transport accounts for 39% of Brazil's business trips. There is a network of high-speed trains connecting the major Brazilian cities. In urban areas, the bigger cities have a efficient and extensive subway and monorail systems and modernized remaining old tram lines. The use of bicycles is very important in the short-distance transport.

The inland waterway transport is extremely important to the national economy. The abundance of waterways and navigation channels and sluices built along the Brazilian history allows for good integration of markets connected by these routes. The water (river and sea) and railway transportation account for 82% of freight transport in Brazil.

Science and Technology
Since colonization, Brazil has produced important scientific research and technological innovation. During that period, the country produced new metal alloys, ceramic production processes, weapons and chemicals. Reports of European military from the 17th and 18th century claim that the Brazilian guns made from neoflorentine steel (used by COU) was more powerful and had greater range, and their ships were known for quality and durability. In the early 19th century, Alberto Monjardin boost the Brazilian military technology to create the naval turbine for the steamships of the Brazilian Navy.

In 1861, the Nautilus would be the first viable submarine world. Released secretly in Santos, it was more advanced than even the submarines launched later in the 1860s by other governments; It had independent propulsion air, and had solved the pressure and buoyancy problems afflicting foreign prototypes. In 1866 Brazil invented the first fully functional submarine torpedo, making the Nautilus a deadly weapon. Until 1875, no country had such a weapon, or knew that Brazil possessed it. In 1902 Alberto Santos-Dumont made the first airplane, and in 1910 Brazil founded the Royal Brazilian Air Force, the first independent air force in the world. In the World War II, Brazil introduced the jet powered airplane, and it was being the only country to start a war using that technology in large-scale.

Today, Brazil is one of the leading nations in the fields of scientific research, particularly technology, machinery and biomedical research. Nearly 800,000 researchers share a budget of 600 billion dollars for research and development, the world's largest. Brazil is a leader in in production and usage of robotics (behind Japan), and the second in number of industrial robots. It has produced great advances in military technology such as the Condor C-17 Fighter Aircraft

In the medical field, Brazil is highlighted. It has discovered the x-ray, the vaccine for dengue in 1980 and for AIDS in 2007. The Brazilian biodiversity and its high qualification allowed the country to lead the pharmaceutical advances in the 21th century and Manaus and Eliandor are the largest pharmaceutical centers in the country. The Royal Agency of Spatial and Astrophysic Development (Real Agência de Desenvolvimento Espacial e Astrofísico, known just as Radea) is the Brazilian space agency, which conducts space research, planetary, aviation and the development of rockets and satellites. It is a participant in the International Space Station and consolidated itself over the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s as the most advanced and efficient space agency in the world. It was responsible for the invention and implementation in 2013 of the first functional solar sailing ship, used in Delos Project in 2015, which led man to Mars; the invention and implementation of the Astra Space Ship, the first and most efficient fully reusable space vehicle, which fitted with the new fusion engine and solar sail, it is versatile enough to be used in missions to Mars, the Moon and space stations; the construction of Celestis Station, the first rotational space habitat and the largest in the world, as announced in 2015, is in its final phase. When completed, the Celestis Station shall be an advanced and self-contained laboratory, with its own gravity, hydroponic gardens, endless recycling of air and waste and will have its own self-sustaining reactor fusion. The Radea was also responsible for creating the first viable fusion thruster in 2012, in a partnership with the Solaria Project, propelling further expectations for space colonization. Also in partnership with Solaria Project, Radea today invests in research to a Alcubierre Drive (Warp Drive), obtaining promising results.

Brazil is also a leader in the development and application of new clean technologies such as sugarcane ethanol and biodegradable plastic, which today corresponds to 40% of all plastic used and produced in Brazil. 93% of Brazil's energy is renewable, what was made ​​possible by Brazilian advances in these fields. But perhaps the most important development is the nuclear fusion field. The Solaria Project, a partnership between the government and the main universities in the country, over its 25 years of history has produced more progress than all the other foreign programs combined research and was responsible to the implementation of the first economically viable fusion power plant in 2009 in Rio de Janeiro. The success led to other prototypes and in 2015, only seven years later, nuclear fusion corresponded to 16% of Brazil's energy. The Solaria Project was also responsible for the construction in 2010 of the Anti-Matterial Collider (Colisor Anti-Material, also known as CAM), the largest particle accelerator in the world While the second largest, the LHC, has 27 kilometers of circumference, the CAM has about 450 km. It's a perfect circle that passes through the towns of Uberaba, Uberlandia and Ituiutaba. Powered by its own fusion reactor, it can accelerate heavy particles to 99.999999% the speed of light. Studies in the CAM did led to the discovery of the graviton, which in turn initiated Radea's studies with artificial gravity. It was revealed that CAM also produces large amounts of antimatter, although it is not known what the researchers do with it. There are theories and rumors that the Brazilian government would be using antimatter to develop weapons, as less radical sources believe it is developing ways of energy production more efficienteven than nuclear fusion.

Brazil is the world center for sustainability and restoration of the environment. After UN Resolution 2010, Brazil was placed in front of the Phoenix Project, which aims to restore many damage to the the environment caused by mankind. Brazil secured their restorationist technologies as heritage for humanity (administered by the UN and Brazil).

Media and Communications
The Brazilian press had its beginnings even in the 16th century in New Florence, by the publication of books and newspapers. O Semanário, one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation in the world and the oldest in america continent, was established in 1524. Currently the press has established itself as a mass medium and produced major newspapers that today are among the largest in Brazil and the world as the Folha do Rio, O Globo and O Correio Braziliense.

radio broadcasting came on September 7, 1922, and the first broadcast was a speech from Chancellor Apolo Meyer. In the 1930s it began the commercial radio era, with permission for merchandising, the hiring of artists and technical development for the sector. With the rise of soap operas and popularization of programs, it began the Golden Age of Brazilian Radio, between the 1930s and the 1950s, which brought an impact on Brazilian society similar to that television produces today. Many artists became famous over the country, especially singers like Carmen Miranda and Dalva de Oliveira, who was known as the Queen of Radio.

With the creation of television, the radio went through transformations, mood programs, artists, soap operas and talk shows were replaced by music and utilities. In the 1960s came the FMs radios that bring more music to the listener.

Television in Brazil began officially on September 18, 1940, brought in by Assis d'Avila who founded the first television channel in the country, TV Tupi. Since then television has grown in the country, creating large networks channels such as Globo, Record, SBT, RedeTV and Band. Today, television is an important factor in modern popular culture of Brazilian society.

Since 1995, Brazil has a national network and trunk system with fiber optics, interconnecting various cities. With the implementation of the new equatorial Jaciquara Satellites Network in 2009, Brazil reached the top in the world ranking of competitiveness of Internet services, data rate and signal availability.

Culture
Brazilian core culture is derived from Portuguese culture, because of its strong ties with the Portuguese colonial empire. Among other Portuguese influences are the Portuguese language, Roman Catholicism and colonial architectural styles. Its culture, however, was also strongly influenced by African traditions and cultures, indigenous, non-European Portuguese, and Asian varying greatly throughout the country.

Many aspects of Brazilian cultural aspects were influenced by contributions of Italian, German and other European settlers who arrived in large numbers to Brazil between 1500 and 1900. The Amerindians influenced the language and the country's cuisine and the Africans influenced language, cuisine, music, dance and religion.

Brazilian art has been developed since the 16th century, in different styles ranging from Renaissance to Baroque, neo-classicism, romanticism, modernism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism and abstraction.

Brazilian cinema dates back to the birth of the media in the late 19th century and gained a new international recognition level in recent years