Brazil

             The purpose of this paper is to discuss the geographical concepts of Brazil such as the culture, history and its importance, language, trade, etc and how they compare to those of the United States. Brazil is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and has the support of a vast wealth of natural resources. The country has a rich heritage and is considered by its people to have character of both the South American and European cultures. .
             Portuguese explorers arrived in South America in the late fifth-tenth century, and Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil in the name of Portugal in 1500, who fled to Brazil escaping from Napoleon. He made Brazil an equal part of the kingdom of Portugal and Brazil, that is it no longer had the status of a colony. When he returned to Portugal as King John in 1822 his son Pedro was proclaimed emperor of Brazil. Pedro was overthrown by a military coup in 1889 after which Brazil became a federal republic. Thus Brazil fought no war of independence. The groups of people that had initial contact with Portuguese explorers displayed curiosity and a willingness to exchange goods, but they were also extremely adept at defending their communities. Tens of thousands of Native Americans, including whole tribes, were killed off by European diseases to which the people had no immunity. The Portuguese viewed the Brazilian people as slaves from the outset. It is interesting to read about the country and how they view themselves, which according to this writer is "proud of their European heritage while all the while carrying a chip on their shoulder about the thought of being founded out of slavery- (Bryce Jenkins, of United Press International). I do not know if the situations are exactly comparable or not, but it reminded me very much of the current relationship of the Native Americans in the U.S. and their .
             feelings toward the government. The similarities include the traits of a hostile takeover of both a country and a people, and slavery was the wage that both civilizations collected.