Brazil

A short history

Pre - Colonial

• Brazil developed culturally over many centuries

• Two theories of how the first people arrived in Brazil:– Migrated from Asia across the Bering Straight

approximately 10,000 to 20,000 years ago– Arrived by raft from islands in the South

Pacific or Asia

Indigenous People - Culture

• Indigenous people developed cultures that allowed them to live securely within their environments

• Example: Amazon groups combined hunting & gathering with shifting agriculture

• The people were nomadic, often picking up and moving when they needed more and better sources of food

• Large settlements sprang up along the main Amazon river because the river provided an abundance of food and was suitable for permanent farming

The Arrival of the Portuguese

• The Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500• Many indigenous people were enslaved and

many died as a result of European diseases• Portugal was mainly interested in Brazil’s

brazilwood to be sent to Europe• In order to stave off claims to Brazil from rival

nations, Portugal established a colony in Brazil• Portuguese people inhabited the colony and a

capital city was built in Salvador da Bahia in 1549

The Arrival of the Portuguese

• Portuguese people adopted aspects of indigenous languages, agricultural practices, foods, medicines, and culture.

• Bandeirantes (flag bearers) made their way into the interior of Brazil and extended Brazil’s borders

• 1690: bandeirantes searched for gold and other minerals

Brazil Becomes Industrial

• 1690s: bandeirantes found gold in the mountains of Minas Gerais. This set off the gold rush and sparked Brazil’s industrial development

• 1729: diamonds discovered in the same area

• 1760: Brazil was the leading supplier of gold and diamonds

Slavery Abolished

• 1889: Brazil abolishes slavery. Slaves brought over from West Africa and Angola contributed to the emerging ethnic diversity that came to characterize Brazilian culture

Current Era: Population Patterns

• By the 1900s, the following population patterns emerged:– Population was a mix of African, Portuguese,

Indigenous– Portuguese immigrants inhabited the South,

while African immigrants inhabited the North East

– Indigenous people were ravaged by disease, took refuge in the interior of Brazil

Current Era: Population Patters

• By the 1900s, the following population patterns emerged:– The centre of power and commerce had

moved from the North East to the South East, as a result, the capital moves from Salvador to Rio de Janiero

– Most people settled along the coastal lowlands

– Agriculure and mining were the main economic forces