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A Brazilian Food Journey

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Governments:

The land of Brazil remained a colony of Portugal until 1808 when King Joao VI established the royal court in exile in Rio de Janeiro. The Portuguese royal court in exile spanned 14 years, ceasing in 1822 with the creation of the Imperial government of Dom Pedro, son of King Joao. The first Republic of Brazil was founded in 1889 and ended in 1930 with the Vargas Dictatorship. Since 1930 Brazil has had both military and elected forms of government. The most recent democratic government was established in 1984.

Immigrants:

Prior to 1808 the Portuguese and Africans were the most prominent groups to find their way to Brazil. For a short time in the 1600's the Dutch establish a colony, which served as a have for Jews fleeing the Inquisition. Emperor Dom Pedro I, who married Austrian Archduchess Leopoldina, promoted permanent European settlements and in 1818 immigrants from Switzerland and the Rhineland came to Bahia. German immigration has continued through the present time. Americans also came to Brazil in the 1800's. Some 20,000 who were upset with the result of the Civil War in the United States founded the town of Americana in the state of Sao Paolo.

Slavery was abolished in 1888 and with its demise and an increasing need for laborers, many immigrants traveled to Brazil. There had been nominal Italian immigration to Brazil since the 16th century but the years between 1820 and 1930 saw approximately 1.5 million more arrive. Other prominent immigrant groups include: Spanish, Japanese and Arabs.

References:

United Nations Statistics Division: http://www.un.org/Depts/unsd/social/population.htm

The Brazilians. Joseph A. Page. Addison-Wesley: Reading, Mass., 1995.

A Concise History of Brazil. Boris Fausto, translated by Arthur Brakel. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Spotlights

People of Brazil