Brazil (Triangles and Crosses)

Federation of Brazilian States Federação de Estados Brasileiros Brazil Timeline: Triangles and Crosses OTL equivalent: Brazil, Guyanas and Uruguay
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  Libertas quæ sera tamen ("Freedom albeit late")
Anthem:  Brazilian National Anthem
Localization of Brazil.
Capital		Trindade
Largest city		São Paulo
Other cities		Rio de Janeiro Santo Amaro Salvador
Official languages		Portuguese Nheengatu
Regional languages		Guarani, Spanish, Hindi, and others
Religion		Secular state
Demonym		Brazilian
Government		Federal constitutional semi-presidential republic
-	President	Joaquim Barbosa
-	Vice President	Luiz Antônio Lopes
-	Consul	André Figueiredo
-	House Speaker	Aloizio Mercadante
Legislature		General Assembly
-	Upper house	National Senate
-	Lower house	House of Representatives
Establishment		Independence
-	Declaration	April 21, 1791
-	The League	September 9, 1793
-	Treaty of Ilhéus	June 5, 1795
-	Sabinada Revolution	November 6, 1837
-	Brazilian Civil War	August 1, 1865
-	Current constitution	August 25, 1839
Area
-	Total	9,314,132 km2  3,596,206 sq mi
Population
-	2019 estimate	247,821,638
GDP (PPP)		2020 estimate
-	Total	4.104 trillion (7th)
-	Per capita	22,971 (62nd)
GDP (nominal)		2020 estimate
-	Total	3.257 trillion (5th)
-	Per capita	21,683 (39th)
Gini (2018)		42.6 (medium) (57th)
HDI (2018)		0.842 (very high) (45th)
Currency		Brazilian cruzeiro (₢$) (BRC)
Time zone		UTC-3 to -5
Date formats		dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on the		right
Internet TLD		.br
Calling code		+55

Brazil, sometimes the Brazilian Federation, or the Federation of Brazilian States (pt.: Federação de Estados Brasileiros) is a sovereign nation in Latin America. With ten million square kilometers and over 247 million people, Brazil is the world's third-largest country by area and fifth-largest country by population. The capital of Brazil is Trindade, while the most populated city is São Paulo. It is one of the two nations that speak Portuguese in the Americas besides Newfoundland. It borders every country in South America, except for Chile and Patagonia.

Brazil is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It is home to varied ecological systems, including the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest. It is one of the Megadiverse countries, and is one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to the strong immigration during the 19th and 20th century. Brazil is also known for the open defense of Indigenous rights with proper jurisdiction and administrative divisions established during the presidency of San Tiago Dantas.

After the proclamation of the Free State of Brazil, three languages were widely spoken in Brazilian territory, the Portuguese language and the Nheengatu in national level, and Guarani, spoken in southern states, but no language was official, although Portuguese is prioritized, being de facto mandatory in the educational system, and still is to "preserve the national identity", according to the Brazilian constitution. Still, there are several Nheengatu-speaking centers in Brazil mostly spread throughout the countryside, and a few Central and Northern states are considered part of the Nheengatu Belt.

The nation is one of the world's major breadbaskets, being the largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years. It is classified as an upper-middle-income economy by the World Bank and an industrialized country, which holds the second-largest share of global wealth in the Americas. The country has international recognition and influence, is also classified as a global power. Brazil is a founding member of the Society of Nations, the Amazon Merchant Region, G20, the Pan American League, Organization of Iberian States, and the Lusophone Commonwealth.

History

Main article: History of Brazil

Politics and government

The form of government of Brazil is a semi-presidential democratic federative republic with a president-parliamentary system. The President is the head of state, being elected for a six-year term, while the Consul is the head of government. The current president is Joaquim Barbosa while the previous president was João Vicente Goulart. The President appoints the Consul and the Ministers of State, who assist the government, while the Consul is the representative of the Consulate and political leader.

The political-administrative organization of the Federation of Brazilian States comprises the Union, the states, the Federal District, the comarcas, and the municipalities. The Union, the states, the Federal District, and the municipalities, are the spheres of government. The federation is set on five fundamental principles: sovereignty, citizenship, the dignity of human beings, the social values of labor and freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism. The classic tripartite branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial under a checks and balances system) are formally established by the Constitution. The executive and legislative are organized independently in all three spheres of government, while the judiciary is organized only at the federal, state, comarca, and Federal District spheres.

All members of the executive and legislative branches are directly elected. Judges and other judicial officials are appointed after passing entry exams. During the early years, until 1930, Brazil had the first-past-the-post voting system, which was replaced by the Party-list proportional representation variant of the closed list. In 1905, the Electoral College was abolished, adopting the direct elections system. 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.

Together with a few smaller parties, four political parties stand out: the center-left Progressive League and Socialist Party, centrist Republican Party and the center-right Conservative Party, as well as the new rising right-wing populist Alliance of the Union. All twelve national-level political parties are represented in the General Assembly. Almost all governmental and administrative functions are exercised by authorities and agencies affiliated to the Executive.

Presidency

President

Main articles: President of Brazil

Joaquim Barbosa, the 41st President of Brazil.

The 41st and the current president is Joaquim Barbosa, being sworn in March 12th, 2021. As a semi-presidential system, the President leads the executive branch along with the Consul, representing the country abroad, appointing the Consul, choosing and dismissing the cabinet, overseeing the defense, foreign, and sometimes, the domestic policies. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

Constitutionally, Presidents of Brazil have significant lawmaking powers, exercised by either proposing laws (except for amendments and bills) to the Federal Consulate, instead of the General Assembly or by using the provisional measures (Medidas Provisórias), an instrument with the force of law that the president can enact in cases of urgency and necessity except to make changes to some areas of law (such as criminal law or electoral law). A provisional measure comes into effect immediately, before the Assembly votes on it, and remains in force for up to 60 days unless the Assembly votes to rescind it. If the Assembly, on the other hand, votes to approve the provisional measure, it becomes an actual law, with changes decided by the legislative branch.

Vice President

Luís Antônio Lopes, the 34th Vice President of Brazil.

The 37th and current Vice President of Brazil is Luís Antônio Lopes, from the Republican Party. The official name of the office is President of the General Assembly ("Presidente da Assembleia Geral"), since the vice president is the President of the National Senate, therefore, President of the General Assembly. The office of Vice President was created after the Sabinada Revolution, being inspired by the Appalachian and Columbian political systems. The Vice President is the first ranked in the line of succession and the second-highest officer in the executive branch.

Defined by the constitution, the main function of the vice president in the executive branch is to temporarily take over the presidential powers and duties while the President is abroad, or otherwise temporarily unable to carry out his or her duties, and replace the president on the event of his or her death, resignation, or impeachment. In the legislative branch, the main role of the vice president is to preside over the Brazilian Senate, but may not vote except to cast a tie-breaking vote. The vice president also presides over the joint sessions of the Assembly.

Consulate

Main article: Consul of Brazil, Federal Consulate

André Figueiredo, Consul of Brazil.

The official title of the head of government can be either President of the Federal Consulate ("Presidente do Consulado Federal"; used in the most formal occasions) and Consul. It is the equivalent of a Prime Minister.

The current Consul of Brazil is André Figueiredo, appointed by João Vicente Goulart and kept by Joaquim Barbosa to secure a coalition with the Progressive League. According to the Constitution, the Consul leads the executive branch along with the President, being the head of government and the second-highest office. The Consul is appointed by the President and approved by the Federal Consulate, and the main function is to lead the cabinet appointed by the current president.

According to the Constitution, the Consul "shall direct the actions of the Government", oversee the presidential actions, present bills and amendments to the Assembly on behalf of the cabinet, be the moderator between the executive and legislative branches, and oversee the domestic and economic policy. The term of the Consul is two years, being either reappointed or being replaced by another person by the president and the Consulate.

Law

Brazilian law is based on the civil law legal system and civil law concepts prevail over common law practice. Most of the Brazilian law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part, playing a complementary role. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are seldom binding on other specific cases. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have a strong influence on law creation and in law cases.

The legal system is based on the current Constitution, promulgated on 25 August 1839, and the fundamental law of Brazil, and is the fifth oldest codified Constitution in the world. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules. States have their constitutions, which must not contradict the Federal Constitution. The highest legal court is the Supreme Federal Court.

Throughout history, there were several amendments to the Constitution, and some of them changed several concepts in the original Constitution, such as the Amendment of 1870, 1934, 1969, and 1976. The General Assembly is the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms. Jurisdiction is administered by the judiciary entities, although in rare situations the Federal Constitution allows the Federal Senate to pass on legal judgments. There are also specialized military, labor, and electoral courts.

Foreign policy

Itamaraty Palace, the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Brazil's international relations are based on Article 4 of the Constitution, which establishes non-intervention, self-determination, international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of conflicts as the guiding principles of Brazil's relationship with other countries and multilateral organizations.

According to the Constitution, the President has ultimate authority over foreign policy, while the Consulate is tasked with reviewing and considering all diplomatic nominations and international treaties, as well as legislation relating to Brazilian foreign policy.

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 world power. Brazilian foreign policy has generally been based on the principles of multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, non-intervention in the affairs of other countries, making the country widely regarded as one of the most diplomatic countries in the world.

Diplomatic missions in Brazil.

Brazil is a founding member state of the Lusophone Commonwealth, known as The Lusophonia, an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across five continents, where Portuguese is an official and/or co-official language. The Lusophone Commonwealth is widely based on the Commonwealth of Nations and currently consists of 15 member states and 18 associate observers.

Military

The armed forces of Brazil are the largest in Latin America by active personnel and the largest in terms of military equipment, and the second-largest in the Americas, behind the United States. It consists of the Brazilian Army (including the Army Aviation Command), the Brazilian Navy (including the Marine Corps and Naval Aviation), and the Brazilian Air Force.

Numbering close to 1,419,864 active personnel, the Brazilian Army has the largest number of armored vehicles in South America, including armored transports and tanks. Brazil's navy, the second-largest in the Americas, operates some of the most powerful warships in the world. It is the only navy in Latin America that operates an aircraft carrier, PHM Atlantico, and one of the ten navies of the world to operate one.

Brazil has not been invaded since the Acre War, in 1899, against the Andine Confederation. Historically, Brazil held many territorial disputes with its neighbors, and nowadays they have a dispute with the West Indies over the sovereignty of the island of Barbados. Brazil does not have any rivalries with its neighbors. The Brazilian military has tried to intervene military in the government two times, the first successfully, with the Sabinada Revolution, and the second unsuccessfully, with the 1956 Coup d'état attempt. The country also has the tradition of participating in UN peacekeeping missions such as in Timor, Tibet, and Madagascar. Brazil signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Crime

The Brazilian constitution establishes seven police agencies for law enforcement: the Federal Police Department, the Highway Police; Railroad Police; Hidroway Police, affiliated with federal authorities, the State Police; subordinated to state governments, the Comarca Police, subordinated to the authorities from the comarca, and the Forest Police, subordinated to the Brazilian Army. All police forces are the responsibility of the executive branch of federal and state powers, except for the Forest Police. The Public Security Force was established in 1981, acting in public disorder situations arising anywhere in the country.

The country still has little above-average levels of violent crime and particularly high levels of gun violence and homicide. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of 11 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while the tolerable number is 10 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Still, there are differences between the crime rates in the Brazilian states, Santa Catarina in 2013 registered 2.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while the state of Tapajós registered 20.4 deaths per 100,000.

Administrative divisions

Main article: List of states and regions of Brazil

The administrative divisions of continental Brazil, 2020.

The Federation of Brazilian States is divided into 31 states, three commune (including the Autonomous City), and three islands. States have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes, and receive a share of taxes collected by the Federal government. These are divided into subdivisions of comarcas (Brazilian equivalent on counties) and cities. However, differently from the United States, no municipalities lie in multiple counties, instead, they are organized inside the comarca. Distinctively from the states, the commune, city, and the islands do not have any comarca, instead, they work as a unified jurisdiction (formally called a state-comarca).

The subdivisions of Brazil are generally grouped into six regions: the Northwestern region (Acre, Cunani, Guiana, Madeira, Roraima, Solimões, and the Island of Barbados), Northeastern region (Ceará, Maranhão, Palmares, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande, and São João), Eastern region (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Guanabara, Minas Gerais, Piratininga, Rio de Janeiro, São Francisco, São Paulo, Triângulo, and the Autonomous City), Western region (Araguaia, Corumbá, Cuiabá, Guaporé, and Juruena), Southern region (Iguaçu, Missões, Santa Catarina, São Pedro, and Uruguai), and the Atlantic region (Fernando de Noronha, and Ilha de Ascenção).

Each state have a governor and a unicameral or bicameral legislative body elected directly by their voters. Generally the bicameral states are the most populous ones. The comarcas, as the states, have autonomous administrations, collect their own taxes, and receive a share of taxes collected by the Union and state government, and the Court of Law is generally organized in the comarcas, encompassing many municipalities. Each municipality has a mayor and an elected legislative body. The comarcas doesn't have elections, and instead, the legislative bodies of each municipality inside votes to appoint the administrator.

Infrastructure

Transport

Brazil has two main carriers of freight and passenger traffic, the roads and railroads. The first investments in road infrastructure have given up in the early 1820s, during the administration of José Bonifácio in the Eastern provinces, and then, Zacarias de Góis, who was complained by the governors of Northern and Westernmost states about the lack of government investment for infrastructure in the regions.

The first railroad to be inaugurated in Brazil was a railroad connecting the Port of Mauá to Raiz da Serra, in 1854. Eventually, many other railroads would sporadically be built, such as the Estrada de Ferro de São Paulo, linking the countryside of the state to the Port of Santos. In the 1880s, the event known as the Railway Explosion happened, lasting until the 1920s. This event multiplied the kilometers of railroads in Brazil, reaching the cities of Assunção, by the Estrada de Ferro Central, Belém, by the Estrada de Ferro Natal–Belém, and Montevideo, by the Estrada de Ferro Rio–Montevideo.

Media

See more: Television in Brazil

Brazil has one of the largest media and communication systems in the world. The Brazilian press first started with the foundation of the Gazeta da Sociedade da Guanabara, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. The newspaper began to circulate on 8 May 1802. Currently, the largest newspapers are Folha de S. Paulo, A Sentinela (formerly Sentinela da Liberdade), O Globo, and Correio Soteropolitano.

Television in Brazil started officially on 03 August 1948, with the foundation of TVN Brasil, the state-owned television of Brazil, and one of the largest television networks of the country. Since then, Television has grown in the country and became one of the largest means of communication after the Internet, creating large commercial broadcast networks such as Tupi, Globo, REI (Rede de Emissoras Independentes), and Bandeirantes. It is one of the most important social factors in Brazil since about 3/4 of the general population sees television as an important form of communication in the country.

Demographics

Population
Year	Million
1950	56.3
2000	203.5
2019	247.8

The population of Brazil, last recorded by 2015 EDN, was of approximately 247 million people, with 73.45% of the population defined as urban, while 26.65% defined as rural. Most of the population is concentrated in coastal regions, mostly in the East, Northeast, and recently, in South regions. The North and West regions are the two most extensive regions, though they are the less populated regions.

The first census of Brazil was recorded in 1815, though researchers calculate that before the year 1800 Brazil had about 4 million people at the time. During the First Age of Enlightenment, it is estimated that 2.5 million Europeans arrived in the country, most of them were French and/or Portuguese. In two distinct periods, the Brazilian population rapidly increased, the first one between 1870 and 1900, because of the end of the Brazilian Civil War, and the second one between 1940 and 1970, due to a decline in the mortality rate.

As of 2015, the illiteracy rate was 4.13%, while the highest was mostly concentrated in rural regions of the Amazonian region (8.33%), North (6.17%), Northeast (6.01%), and West regions (5.98%). Among the youth (ages 15–19), the rate is very low, less than 1%.

Ethnicity

According to the EDN of 2015, about 105 million people (42.27%) described themselves as White; 95 million people (38.20%) as Pardo (a broad term for mestizos, cafuzos, caboclos); 28 million people (11.50%) as Black; 8 million people as Asians (South Asians and East Asians in general; 3.39%) 6 million people as Indigenous (2.49%), and 5 million people (2.08%) as Indians. 0.07% of people did not declare their race. Thereby, Brazil is considered a melting pot as many other areas of settlements (such as Argentina, the United States, and Australia).

Historically, the Brazilian society was marked by a high-income disparity, an issue that was widely dealt with during the Populist Era, primarily during the two presidential terms of Getúlio Vargas and Santiago Dantas. Still, the presence of racism and classism is very significant nowadays, mainly in regions with a whiter population, such as the South region and parts of the East region. Socioeconomic factors also play a role, because socially significant closeness to one racial group is taken into account more based on appearance rather than ancestry.

A higher percent of Afro-Brazilians and Pardos are found in the East, Northeast, North, and Amazonian regions. Most of them spread from Bahia and Northeastern states to many other states in Brazil, mostly concentrated in the state of São Paulo and the Amazonian region during the Regional diaspora in the 20th century, most of them looking for better opportunities in other states.

Immigration

The history of immigration in Brazil started in the National Construction period with the arrival of Portuguese immigrants, but the first period was between the First Age of Enlightenment when ca. 2.5 million people immigrated to Brazil, mostly from France and Portugal, to Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo; although the presence of Italians and British people was also documented. The immigration from neighboring countries was also reported, for the most part were fugitive slaves and illegal immigrants.

The first period of immigration was followed by a serious fall between the Stagnation Years and the end of the Brazilian Civil War. The second wave of immigration started in 1870 and reached its peak in 1900, in the presence of Italians as the largest group, followed by Germans, East Asians, and Columbians. These people reached the state of São Paulo and the Southernmost portions of Brazil.

During the second wave of immigration, it was also reported the immigration of East Europeans from the regions of Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Followed by a third wave, people from the Middle East also arrived in the country, mostly from Lebanese and Syrian ancestry. These waves of immigration would cease in the early 1930s.

From the mid-20th century to the early 21st century, occurred the Indian diaspora, most precisely between the years of 1940 until 2000, when most of the Indians concentrated in the states of Guiana and Cunani (related to the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean), and the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, becoming the largest Indian community outside of India, with more than 4 million people.

Religion

Religion is regarded as an important aspect of understanding Brazilian society. It was originally formed by the meeting of the Catholic Church with the religious traditions of enslaved African peoples (such as traditional religions and Islam) and indigenous peoples. Through Brazilian history, Religious pluralism was increased, mostly in Afro-Brazilian and immigrant communities. The Protestant community has also grown, with the tendency to grow more in the coming years.

Roman Catholicism is the country's predominant faith. Brazil has the world's largest Catholic population and also is the country with the largest Muslim population in the Western world. According to the 2015 National Studies by Households, 64.63% of the population followed the Roman Catholicism; 10.32% Islam; 6.91% Protestantism; 2.64% Afro-Brazilian religions; 2.37% Hinduism; 2.07 Amerindian religions; 1.82% Kardecist spiritism; 0.73% Buddhism; 0.81% Other Christians; 0.67 Other religions, or undeclared, and 7.03% have no religion.

Urbanization

According to IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), urban areas already concentrate 73.45% of the population, while the East region remains the most populated one, with over 103 million inhabitants. The largest cities in Brazil are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Santo Amaro – all in the Eastern Region – with 16.7, 12.3, and 5.1 million inhabitants respectively.

Language

Portuguese, or Brazilian Portuguese, along with Nheengatu, are the de facto national languages of Brazil. There is no language at an official level, although most of the laws standardize and prioritize Portuguese. It is widely spoken, with 23 states making Portuguese as the official language, being used on television, radio, newspapers, and for business. Along with Newfoundland, they are the only two Portuguese speaking-nations in the Americas, distinguishing them from their Spanish-speaking and English-speaking neighbors.

Most of the Brazilian population uses Portuguese as the primary language, around 83%, while 14% uses Nheengatu, being also spoken as the second language by 33% of the population, while the remaining 3% speak other languages. The teaching of Nheengatu is mandatory in some states (where most of them have Nheengatu as a co-official language), while it is optional in remaining states, but the Federal government always stipulated that the language should always be present in schools, as it was considered a native and the first national language. Until the early XX century, Nheengatu was the most common language used in Roman Catholic rites outside urban areas.

In many states, other languages are co-official with Portuguese, and most of them are Indigenous languages, especially Nheengatu. The Nheengatu Belt, formed by Solimões, Madeira, Tapajós, Juruena and Guaporé, consists on state where Nheengatu is still widely spoken, mostly in outside urban centers. In Rio Grande, Iguaçu and Santa Catarina, the Riograndenser Hunsrückisch is a recognized language. The states in the Northern regions, aside from Nheengatu, recognize more than ten Native languages.

The sign language law legally recognized in 1984, (the law was regulated in 1987) by the use of the Brazilian Sign Language, more commonly known by its Portuguese acronym LIBRAS, in education and government services. The language must be taught as a part of the education and speech and language pathology curricula. LIBRAS teachers, instructors, and translators are recognized, professionals. Schools and health services must provide access ("inclusion") to deaf people.

Culture

Sports

List of second most practiced sports in Brazil, after football.
Orange: Basketball
Green: Cricket
Blue: Rugby
Red: Volleyball
Yellow: Baseball

The most popular sport in Brazil, considered the national sport, is football. The Brazilian national team is ranked among the best in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings and has won the World Cup tournament a record five times with the men's national team (1946, 1962, 1970, 1982, 2002), and two times with the women's national team (2007, 2015). Brazilian football is also known for the exportation of the players to international football, generally Europe, such as Pelé, Romário, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Neymar, and many others.

Basketball, cricket, rugby, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large audiences. Volleyball is a sport that lately has been rising in Brazil, becoming the second most popular sport in many states, such as Goiás, Guanabara, Minas Gerais, and Triângulo. The baseball popularity is highly concentrated in the state of São Paulo (with a large Japanese descendency), and the states of Roraima and Solimões (with a large Venezuelan diaspora). In the northern states, mainly the Guyanas and Cunani, with a large Indian population, the popularity of Cricket is wide compared to Football.

In basketball, the Brazilian national team is generally ranked as one of the best in the world, winning the world title championship four times (1959, 1963, 1986, and 1998). On cricket, the Brazilian team won once (1983). On rugby, the Brazilian team generally just won regional tournaments, and rivals with Argentina and Patagonia. In auto racing, four Brazilian drivers won the Formula One championship ten times (Ayrton Senna won four times: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994; Nelson Piquet won three times: 1981, 1983, 1988; Emerson Fittipaldi won twice: 1972, 1974, Rubens Barrichello won once in 2004, and more recently, Felipe Massa in 2008).

Brazil has hosted several high-profile international sporting events, like the 1946 FIFA World Cup, and recently will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will host the 2020 American Cup (suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The São Paulo circuit, Autódromo José Carlos Pace, hosts the annual Grand Prix of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro organized the IV Pan American Games in 1963, and Salvador hosted the XV Pan American Games in 2007. Brazil also hosted the Olympic Games twice, on São Paulo in 1992, and Dirceópolis in 2016.

National holidays

Date	Local name	Name	Observation
1 January	Confraternização Universal	New Year's Day	Beginning of the calendar year
8 February	Sabinada	Sabinada Day	The day that President Paes de Barros resigned, following the Sabinada Revolution
21 April	Independência	Independence of Brazil	Proclamation of Independence against Portugal
1 May	Dia do Trabalhador	Labor Day	Tribute to all workers
25 August	Constituição	Constitution Day	Promulgation of the Constitution
12 October	Nossa Senhora Aparecida	Our Lady of Aparecida	Patroness of Brazil
2 November	Finados	All Souls' Day	Day of remembrance for the dead
25 December	Natal	Christmas	Traditional Christmas celebration

External links