Portal:Brazil/Intro
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Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest and easternmost country in South America and Latin America. It is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh most populous, with over 205 million inhabitants. It is the only country in the Americas to have Portuguese as an official language, and is by far the largest Lusophone country in the world. Brazil is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world. Brazil is a federation of 26 states and the Federal District, which contains the capital, Brasília. São Paulo is the most populous city in the country and outside Asia.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). It covers roughly half of South America's land area and borders all other countries and territories on the continent except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil contains the majority of the Amazon basin and its vast tropical forest, home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources. This unique environmental heritage positions Brazil as the first among 17 megadiverse countries, and is the subject of significant internationally interest, owing to the impact of environmental degradation on global issues like climate change and biodiversity loss.
The territory of present-day Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations for at least 11,000 years when Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived in 1500, claiming the land for the Portuguese Empire. Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808, when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. In 1815, the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Independence was achieved in 1822 with the creation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress. Slavery was abolished in 1888. The country became a presidential republic in 1889 following a military coup. A military dictatorship ruled from 1964 to 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution, formulated in 1988, defines it as a democratic federal republic.
Brazil is a regional and middle power, a major non-NATO ally of the United States, and an emerging global power. Categorised as a developing country with a high Human Development Index, Brazil is considered an advanced emerging economy, with its GDP being the world's eighth largest by PPP, ninth largest nominally, and the largest in Latin America by all metrics. Classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank and a newly industrialized country, Brazil ranks first in South America and 17th worldwide by share of global wealth. As one of the world's major breadbaskets, Brazil accounts for nearly one-fifth of the global grain market and is the top exporter of sugarcane, coffee, poultry, and beef. Despite its growing economic and global profile, the country nonetheless endures corruption, crime and social inequality.
Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations, the G20, BRICS, G4, Mercosul, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries; it is also an observer state of the Arab League. Due to its rich culture and history, including its global influence in music, sports, literature, dance, and the visual arts, Brazil ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Full article...)