BRAZIL HISTORY TODAY 

For more than five centuries, Brazil has been a place of escape, a literal tropical paradise unlike any other place in South America.  From the depths of the Amazon to the colorful celebrations, Brazil has and still is a land of mystery and intrigue.  The Brazilian Indians were known for developing a very, centralized civilization.  However, with the rough terrain of the jungle and the challenge of the humid and hot weather, very little was left behind for future generators to study.  Even so, the few things that have been found include shell mounds, pottery, and even skeletons, each providing a small glimpse into the lives of these aboriginals. 

Experts estimate that this first community within Brazil lived some six million years ago.  Interestingly, today less than 100,000 people live in the jungle areas of Brazil, most deep into the interior where they are hard to reach and even harder to connect to.  By 1500, a man by the name of Pedro Alvares Cabral sailed with 13 ships and 1,200 crewmembers from Lisbon to India.  However, they accidentally arrived on the Brazilian coast close to today’s Porto Seguro.  The interesting thing is that some people believe this was their intended target all along but regardless, the discovery was reported back to the King Joao III of Portugal who in 1531 sent the first settlers to this new country. 

By 1534, with worry that other European countries would come, the coast was divided into 15 hereditary captaincies, all given to friends of the Crown.  Over time and through various attempts, it was discovered that the land of Brazil was perfect for growing sugar cane.  To meet the high demands of labor, the Indian population was enslaved, although many resisted.  Soon, one of the most lucrative trades for the Brazilians was the sale of salves.  These poor Indians were hunted down like animals in the interior and by the mid-1600s, they had been pushed as far as the Peruvian Andes in an attempt to avoid being captured. 

Unfortunately, with the control of slaves and the exploits of the Brazilians, a large part of the interior of South American had gone over to Portuguese Brazil.  From that time until the 17^th century, the Indian slaves were replaced with African slaves who also resisted.  Finding they were not nearly as vulnerable to European diseases, they were a better choice but even so, they too lived short lives.  Soon, a community of runaway slaves called Ouilombos was created, which usually consisted of small groups that would hide deep in the forest. 

Then in the late 17^th century, another discovery was made in Brazil – gold.  Once word leaked out, people came from all around, flooding the Brazilians and Portuguese.  To help work the mines for gold, many African slaves were forced to dig, often dying in the mines through such long hours and harsh labor.  Marching into Lisbon in 1807 was Napoleon Bonaparte and just two days after invading, Prince Regent, the Portuguese prince who one-day would become Dom Joao IV, left for Brazil.  Arriving in Rio de Janeiro, the country of Brazil soon became the only New World colony serving as a European monarch seat. 

The prince’s son, Pedro, was left behind but when his father returned in 1822, the son drew his sword, and cried out, “independence or death”.  Prince Regent was a tired man and too weary to fight with his son, Brazil became an independent empire with no man ever losing his life.  By the 19^th century, a new crop was discovered, coffee, which soon replaced sugar cane as the primary export.  Before long, coffee plantations were everywhere, again with slaves used for doing the hard labor.  However, in 1888 when slavery was abolished, the work was taken over by European immigrants eager to work the estates. 

Unfortunately, Brazil’s economy had weakened by 1929.  With the government getting their hands into the plantations, opposition arose.  However, trying to win the Liberal Election in 1930, they lost at which time the military took power, creating a new leader in Getulio Vargas.  Although he remained in office for 24 years, he was forced out of office in 1954.  From that time forward, changes were made and the economy began to rebuild.  New leadership was appointed, land reform was established, education improved, and other changes were made but even so, many of the Brazilians today remain exceedingly poor. 

When visiting Brazil, you will notice the vast diversity, one of the many things that make this such as fascinating country.  One of the aspects of this country that pulls the diversity together is the love of music.  For example, you will hear the Samba.  Although it was at its greatest in the 1930s, the Samba is again a popular genre.  A newer form of music hailing from the Caribbean is the Lambada, a beautiful, sensual rhythm that has become internationally popular.  Literature is also an important part of the Brazilian culture, with many famous writers having written journals and books about the life of slavery. 

However, when in Brazil, the greatest treat is the food.  The people here live on Arroz, which is white rice, Feilao, black beans, Farinha, manioc flour, coupled with fish, chicken, or beef, usually a thick, juicy steak.  Other dishes to try include Moqueca, a mouth-watering seafood stew that has been specially flavored with coconut milk and dende oil.  Then there is okra and a variety of other vegetables mixed with onions, peppers, and shrimp, truly a magnificent dish.  Other favorites include Feioada, bean, and meat stew, and Acaraje, which are beans that have been mashed with salt and onions, fried in the dende oil, and finally filed with manioc paste, dried shrimp, seafood, tomato sauce, and pepper – truly delicious. 

As the largest country in the world, Brazil takes up about 50% of South America.  This country borders Ecuador and Chile, and is a densely populated country.  What you find there is four distinct regions that include the Atlantic seaboard, or the coastal ranges, the highland known as Planalto Brasileiro, the great depressions to the south with beautiful forest areas, scrubland, and low woods, and then finally, the massive Amazon Basin to the north, comprised of dense forest.  Because of its diversity, you will enjoy the richness of the culture, which is seen in the architecture, the food, the dress, the festivals, and the people.