A History of Brazil Flashcards
Brazil is Latin America’s largest country and the _____ most populated in the world.
Fifth.
The arrival of explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500 led to a legacy of Portuguese colonisation, while other parts of Latin America were mostly claimed by the _________.
Spanish.
When the indigenous tribes failed to meet the needs of the colonists, the new land owners brought in African slaves to work the mines and plantations. Brazil - which achieved independence in 1822 - was one of the last countries to abolish slavery, in ________.
1888.
Republican democracy was stifled a number of times in the 20th century by coups and __________.
Dictatorship.
The last period of military rule ended in ______ and in 1989 Fernando Collor became Brazil’s first democratically elected president for 25 years. He was impeached three years later on corruption charges.
1985.
In a modern tale of rags to riches, former shoe-shine boy Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - known as ____ - became president in 2002 - the first left-wing leader of Brazil in 40 years.
Lula.
Brazil has Latin America’s __________ economy with a GDP of $795.7bn and GDP per capita of $8,458. There has been steady growth under Lula but millions still live in poverty.
Largest.
The wealth is based in the south and south-east - the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and the southern areas heavily settled by ___________ immigrants.
European.
President Lula was elected in _______. His victory for the Workers’ Party (PT) - at the fourth attempt - put a left-wing government in power for the first time in more than 40 years.
2002.
The vast country - with a population of ____ million - is also home to extreme contrasts of wealth and poverty.
180
Around __% of the population live in urban environments - where poverty and violence are rife.
84%
Many residents of the slums or shanty towns of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo live with the constant threat of gun violence from heavily armed drug traffickers. More than ________ are killed by the police every year, says Amnesty International.
2,000
Around 73% of the population claim to be _____ _________ - a legacy of the Portuguese rule - and in the Catholic calendar the period of Lent is preceded by carnival.
Roman Catholic.
City of God and Elite Squad are set in ________
Brazil.
