1. By Shaunt Petrossian Brazil Nation Report

3. It is the economic leader of South America, with the ninth largest economy in the world, and a large iron and aluminum ore reserve.

6. People cont. The ethnic compositions of Brazilians is not uniform across the country, the Southern region has a large white majority composing of 80% of its’ population as opposed to the north which has a large number of Africans as a result of African slaves working in sugar cane engenhos. The second largest ethnic group in Brazil is actually that of mixed race, and there have been subdivisions for each distinct mixing e.g. Mulatto(Black and White) Cafuzo(Black and Indian) and even Ainocó (White and Japanese). Though ethnically diverse, all Brazilians share a sense of unity and equality for each other and as a result make their culture and history very vibrant as a nation!

8. Brazilians are known for many things such as their fervent culture and it has bred a multitude of dances such as the Samba and the CapoeiraRio Carnival

10. Along with soccer, Brazilians are famous for their martial arts, specifically Brazilian jiujitsu which is a form of grappling and wrestling. Pele(right) with Ronaldo

11. History Brazil was first discovered by a Spanish navigator that accompanied Christopher Colombus on his trip to the American Continent. In April 1500, Brazil was claimed by Portugal on arrival of the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral Until 1530 Portugal had very little interest in Brazil, mainly due to the high profits gained through commerce with India, China, and Indonesia. This lack of interest led to several "invasions" by different countries, and the Portuguese Crown devised a system to effectively occupy Brazil, without paying the costs. Cabral

12. Recent History On September 7, 1822, the country declared its independence from Portugal and became a constitutional monarchy, the Empire of Brazil. A military coup in 1889 established a republican government. The country has seen a dicatorship (1930–1934 and 1937–1945) and a period of military rule (1964–1985). Today, Brazil is a political and economic leader in Latin America. However, social and economic problems prevent it from becoming an effective global power.