Brazil (Russian America)


Flag	Coat of Arms
Location Brazil

Motto
Ordem e Progresso (Portuguese)
("Order and Progress")

Anthem "Brazilian National Anthem"

Capital Brasília

Largest city São Paulo

Language
official Portuguese

others German, Italian, Japanese

Religion
main Roman Catholics

others Protestants, Spiritists

Demonym Brazilian

Government Federal presidential republic

Legislature National Congress

President Marina Silva (PSU)

Independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves

declared 7 September 1822

recognized 29 August 1825
15 November 1889 (republic)
18 September 1946 (current)

Currency Real (R$) (BRL)

Time Zones UTC−02:00 to -4:00

Driving Side Right

Calling Code +55

Internet TLD .br

Organizations Mercosur
United Nations

Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil), officially the Republic of the United States of Brazil is a sovereign state located in South America. Brazil is the world's fifth-largest and sixth-most populous country, composed of 27 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas.

The Brazilian territory was established as a colony of the Portuguese Empire, following the Treaty of Tordesillas and the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral. In 1808, the Portuguese court was transferred to Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the Portuguese Empire. In 1815, the country was elevated to kingdom. In 1822, Brazil achieved independence with the creation of the Empire of Brazil. The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress. The country became a presidential republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état.

The Old Republic was dominated by oligarchies, being overthrown by the Revolution of 1930 which placed Getúlio Vargas in power, who resigned in 1945. Since 1946, Brazil is considered a stabilising democratic country, but sometimes a de facto three-party state. Still, in 1964, a dissidence of the Brazilian Army tried to overthrow the Brazilian government, being defeated by forces loyal to João Goulart.

Brazil is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and has a large coastline. It covers roughly half of South America's landmass, and borders all other countries in the continent except Ecuador and Chile. Currently, Brazil is considered a regional and an emerging great power in international affairs.

History[]

Main article: History of Brazil (1964–present)

See also: History of Brazil, Fourth Brazilian Republic, 1964 Brazilian Coup d'État Attempt

Reconstruction era[]

After defeating an insurgency against the government, João Goulart, in a negotiation with the Brazilian Armed Forces and the remaining opposition to his government, launched the Compromisso de Maio agreement, where Goulart was indirectly re-elected. The agreement comprised the implementation of several measures from the Reformas de base (such as land reforms, expropriations, infrastructure and education reform), and Brazil declared neutrality in the Cold War by joining the Non-Aligned Movement. A purge in the Armed Forces was done, in addition to the arrest of several anti-democratic elements in the National Congress and public figures, ensuring the stabilization of the country and the respect for democratic values, the institutions, and the constitution.

In 1966, Juscelino Kubitschek was re-elected in the first presidential election in six years, proceeding with his plano de metas focusing on agriculture, the mechanization of agriculture, the further investments in food industry, merging some aspects of João Goulart's reformas de base. Although JK was relatively popular, the developmentalist policies of his government ended up giving economic problems to the administration, now adding to the already growing inflation and external debt, Kubitschek would lose the re-election to Petrônio Portella, who campaigned over a economically liberal discourse, winning the presidential election (at the time, plurality voting was used instead of the two-round system, implemented in 1978).

Petrônio Portella's government was the first time when the National Democratic Union won an election, starting with a minority government. One of his first actions was conceding a pardon to most politicians from his party who supported the previous rebellion. Portella also began to implement the first free trade policies in Brazil, opening the market, privatizing and closing state companies, while the currency fluctuation was controlled, trying to stabilize the economy, which did, commencing the Brazilian economic miracle, although no welfare programs were invested in that period. The withholding of balances of savings accounts was considered a controversial plan to the public, panning the government's reputation along with the Meningitis epidemic. Portella would lose to Tancredo Neves, from the Social Democratic Party, in 1974.

In power, Tancredo Neves continuing with a few policies from his predecessor, such as keeping opened the Brazilian market for foreign investment. Neves also started paying the debt to the IMF and reaffirmed the Brazilian neutral stance on foreign policy. In the wake of the epidemic, Neves also established a provisional universal healthcare system to combat the meningitis. He also oversaw the emancipation of the state of Maracaju from Mato Grosso, the end of the economic miracle, the legalization of the communist parties, and the general strikes of 1978–80. His government also encouraged the mass production of ethanol and the fight against pollution following the Vale da Morte controversy.

Welfare era[]

The Welfare era, also known as Labour era is referred to the sixteen-year period that the Labour Party ruled with Leonel Brizola and Alceu Collares as presidents. Generally this period is seen by its highs and lows such as economic stabilization, advancement on welfare programs, but also the emergence of anti-corruption consciousness among the population. It reached its peak with the election of Alceu Collares and the first time a party was re-elected for a third time consecutively, after a break with the Social Democratic Party. It would eventually fall with the emergence of several corruption scandals, the most reminiscent one the Escândalo dos cheques, and the mass mobilizations of the people against Collares and the Labour Party.

The presidency of Brizola is recognized by the wide advancement of welfare programs, the mass investment on healthcare and environmental issues, such as the centralization of the healthcare system, the closure of several industrial complexes throughout his tenure, and the creation of park ranger commands in order to report illegal operations in the Amazon rainforest and the Mata Atlântica. During his government, Brizola enacted one of the largest land reforms in Brazil, expropriating several lands and encouraging the immigration westwards. He is also regarded as widely controversial due to the intervention in appropriate mass media, such as television channels, radio programming, and newspapers, and also the Police reform crisis.

In contrast, Alceu Collares was chosen as Brizola's successor. Collares adopted a more moderate stance than Brizola's, introducing new welfare programs and investing mostly in environmental issues, and reconciling with the Western world after the Cold War. Despite the social progress, his presidency is mostly remembered by the Escandâlo dos cheques and accusations of nepotism that ended up mobilizing the population and approving a impeachment trial that ultimately failed to pass. Even though the Labour Party managed to get to the run-offs, the candidate Miro Teixeira would lose to Orestes Quércia, who would become the first president outside the tripartite PTB, PSD and UDN in 38 years.

Current era[]

During Quércia's term, there was a large infrastructure reform on roads, highways and railroads, and the initial development of waterways outside the Amazon, altogether with the federal program of depollution of national rivers. He also realized land reforms in São Paulo, creating the Farm-to-Family Program, similar to Brizola, thus being highly approved in the Brazilian countryside. Still, Brazil was facing social and economic problems at the time, symbolized by the Blackout crisis, controversial nominations, and allegations of Quércia's activities when he was Minister of Industry under Alceu Collares. Quércia would become the first president to not be re-elected since Petrônio Portella.

Considered a member of the Social Democratic center-left, Roberto Requião avoided privatization, inserting money in the BNDES and giving subsidies to small businesses, and adapted welfare programs from his home state to national level, including the Programa Panela Cheia. He also put forward the implementation of free softwares in public institutions as a way to modernize the educational system. During his administration, Requião would oversee the inauguration of projects such as the Port of Paranaguá and the Belo Monte Dam. Despite the economy growing considerably, the financial crisis of 2008 caused economic problems in Brazil, while the right-leaning factions of the Social Democratic Party seceded, forming the Democratic Republican Party. His successor, Chico Mendes, would lose to udenista Luís Magalhães.

Magalhães was characterized as a neoliberal and more 'socially progressive' than his party, being considered between a compassionate conservative and a national liberal. Most of the programs were economically liberal-oriented, diminishing the budget for welfare programs, investing in the secondary sector, privatizing and opening the market to foreign companies. However, his tenure would be affected by the dam disasters in Nova Lima and Itatiaiuçu respectively, and the general strikes of 2017-18, after the attempt to introduce labor reforms. His policy was generally inclined to the Western world, although developing relations with emerging powers. His successor would lose to Marina Silva.

Marina Silva's first policies were focused on socially-inclusive environmental programs and the return of many welfare programs discontinued by Magalhães, protecting the native population and rubber tappers, and overseeing the reconstruction of the devastated cities in Minas Gerais. Marina also leads the Coronavirus Extraordinary Committee creating measures to combat the pandemic in the country by investing in healthcare programs.

Government and politics[]

The form of government is a democratic federative republic, with a presidential system. The president is both head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a four-year term, with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. The current president is Marina Silva, and the previous president was Luís Eduardo Magalhães. The National Congress is the Federation's bicameral legislature, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. Judiciary authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively.

For most of its democratic history, Brazil has had a multi-party system, proportional representation. Voting is compulsory for the literate between 18 and 70 years old and optional for illiterates and those between 16 and 18 or beyond 70. However, from 1961, until the late 20th century, Brazilian politics was dominated by the pro-Vargas parties, Labour Party and Social Democratic Party, while the National Democratic Union was for most of its time the main opposition party, thus becoming a de facto three-party system. Still, this system was challenged by the rise of new political entities, such as the populist Progressive Democratic Party, which elected Orestes Quércia in 1998, ending a 52-year period of the system, and by the victory of Marina Silva in 2018 under the United Socialist Party banner, even though this is questioned since both parties made coalitions with the Social Democratic Party.

Besides the three major parties, a few other parties stand out: the United Socialist Party (socialist), the Progressive Democratic Party (populist), the Communist Party (communist), the Labour Renewal Movement (nationalist variant of Trabalhismo), and the Liberal Democratic Party (liberal). It is common for politicians to switch parties, and thus the proportion of congressional seats held by particular parties changes regularly.

Presidency[]

President Marina Silva — The 33rd President of Brazil, Marina Silva.

The president of Brazil (Portuguese: Presidente do Brasil) is both the head of state and the head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

Brazil grants significant powers to the president, who entirely controls the executive branch of government, representing the country abroad, appointing cabinet members and members of the Supreme Federal Court (with the Senate's approval). Presidents of Brazil also have significant lawmaking powers, by proposing laws to the National Congress and using the provisional measures in case of urgency. The president can also grant pardons and award decorations and honorary distinctions to their citizens or foreign authorities.

The current president is Marina Silva. She was elected in the 2018 presidential election under the United Socialist Party and sworn in 2019 as the 33rd President. Before João Goulart, the election of president and vice president were separated, the president was elected in a single round, with a single five-year term. This was changed in the Compromise of May to secure the stability in the executive office, resembling the American system.

Foreign policy and economy[]

The main principle that guides Brazilian foreign policy is the Política Externa Independente (translit. "Independent Foreign Policy"), effectively written in the Constitution following the ratification of the Compromise of May. The policy stands for non-intervention, self-determination, international cooperation, national interests and national security. Opposing to take sides between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War, Brazil joined the Non-Aligned Movement, reaffirming its neutral stance "to protect the national sovereignty".

Brazil's foreign policy is a by-product of the country's position as a regional power in Latin America, a leader among developing countries, and an emerging world power. Brazilian foreign policy has generally been based on the principles of multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, and non-intervention in the affairs of other countries. An increasingly well-developed tool of Brazil's foreign policy is providing aid as a donor to other developing countries. This is in addition to humanitarian assistance and contributions to multilateral development agencies. The Brazilian South-South aid has been described as a "global model in waiting".

Generally, Brazil is considered the bastion of developmentalism. Parties that followed Getúlio Vargas' ideals — the Social Democratic Party and the Brazilian Labour Party — called for a strong welfare state, with major investments on industry, infrastructure and agriculture, with the state intervening on the economy. Both parties yet diverge, while the social-democrats are more leaning towards opening the Brazilian market to foreign investment, the Labour Party is staunchly protectionist, defending the maintenance of a strong national economy. Known opponents to developmentalism are the National Democratic Union, which supports free market policies instead.

Administrative Divisions[]

The Republic of the United States of Brazil is a federation that is comprised of 27 states (Portuguese: estados), one federal district (distrito federal), and one federal territory (território federal).