Name of GM

The great diversity of fauna observed in Brazil can be attributed to the country's large size, as well as the wide variation in the types of its ecosystems. Data on the diversity of fauna are highly dependent on the source - both due to the fact that even taxonomists sometimes disagree on the classification of species, and due to a lack of information, and sometimes due to incomplete or outdated information. New species are constantly being identified, while others continue to die out.

Brazil has the largest number of primate species among all countries - about 77, as well as the largest number of freshwater fish species - more than 3000. And in terms of the number of species of amphibians, birds and reptiles, it takes the second, third and fifth places, respectively. At the same time, many species are under threat, especially those living in ecosystems that are now largely destroyed, such as the Atlantic forest.

Brazil is dominated by forests on red lateritic (ferralite) soils (terra dew). Brazil ranks first in the world in hardwood reserves. Dense humid equatorial evergreen forests - giley or selva, with valuable tree species (over 4000 species) occupy the western part of the Amazon; podzolic laterite soils are widespread beneath them.

Lowlands are located in the east. On the low hills that frame the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands, due to the presence of the dry season, deciduous-evergreen forests are widespread, and in the soils, the podzolization process is less pronounced and unstable. Similar types of soils and vegetation, but with a manifestation of altitudinal zonality, are characteristic of the eastern, windward and high hills and massifs of the Brazilian Highlands; their western slopes are covered mainly with seasonally moist forests. The central part of the plateau is occupied by savanna (pampa) on red laterite soils, in places with bark - kango: the most common shrub small-tree savannas - campos serrados; gallery forests stretch along the rivers, in which the especially valuable wax palm of carnauba grows.

All rivers of the Brazilian Highlands (except for the rivers of the far north) have sharp fluctuations in water discharge with significant floods (usually in summer), have rapids and waterfalls (including Iguazu falls on the tributary of the same name Parana, Urubupunga and Seti-Kedas - on Parana, Paulo Afonso - to San Francisco). The rivers of the plateau have large reserves of hydropower, but are navigable only in short stretches, with the exception of Parnaiba and São Francisco. Also Abuna - a river in northeastern Brazil - with a full length of 375 km, navigable for 320 km.

The river network is very dense. The entire Amazon, southern Guiana and northern Brazilian Highlands are irrigated by the Amazon River system; the south of the Brazilian Highlands - by the systems of the Uruguay and Parana rivers, the west - by a tributary of the Parana - the Paraguay River, the east belongs to the basin of the São Francisco River, the northeastern and eastern borders of the plateau are irrigated by short rivers that flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean (the largest river Parnaiba). Only the Amazon, with its western and eastern tributaries, is full-flowing throughout the year and navigable.

Brazil has a hot climate. The average monthly temperature ranges from 16 to 29 ° C; only in the high eastern massifs the average July temperature is from 12 to 14 ° C; frosts are possible. But the precipitation regime and the types of climate are different. In the west of the Amazon, the equatorial humid climate (precipitation 2000-3000 mm per year, the amplitude of average monthly temperatures 2-3 ° C), in the east of the Amazon and the adjacent gentle slopes of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus - subequatorial with a dry period of up to 3-4 months (precipitation 1500 —2000 mm, on the coast about 3000 mm per year). In the center of the Brazilian Highlands and the Pantanal, there is a subequatorial humid climate (precipitation 1400-2000 mm per year) with large temperature ranges (especially extreme ones - up to 45-50 ° C); in the northeast of the plateau, the amount of precipitation decreases to 500 mm or less per year, and it rains extremely irregularly: this is an area of ​​frequent and prolonged droughts. On the eastern border, the climate is tropical trade wind, hot and humid, with a short dry season. In the south, the plateau has a constantly humid climate, tropical in the Parana plateau and subtropical in the elevated eastern regions to the south from 24 ° S latitude.

On September 7, 1822, the independence of Brazil from the metropolis was proclaimed. The son of João VI became the emperor of the Brazilian Empire under the name Pedro I. Emperor Pedro II, who succeeded him on the Brazilian throne, ruled until 1889, when he was overthrown by the military, and Brazil was proclaimed a republic (the official name is the "Republic of the United States of Brazil"). A year earlier, in 1888, slavery had been abolished in Brazil. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Brazil attracted more than 5 million European and Japanese immigrants.

In 1930-1934 and in 1937-1945 - the dictatorship of Vargas. In 1964, a military coup took place in the country again, as a result of which Marshal Humbert Castel Branco came to power. It was the third dictatorial regime in the entire history of Brazil. It lasted until 1985.

Following the 2010 elections, Dilma Rousseff became the first woman to be elected president.

The first people appeared on the territory of Brazil, according to various theories, between 17 thousand and 6 thousand years BC. NS. The level of development was not high, the population of Brazil remained at the Neolithic stage. Around 800-1400. n. NS. on the island of Marajo, the agricultural culture of Marajoara existed. At the beginning of the colonization of Brazil by Portugal on its present territory, the indigenous population was 7 million people [18], who mainly led a semi-nomadic lifestyle. They lived off hunting, fishing, and farming.
For Europeans, Brazil was discovered on April 24, 1500 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvaris Cabral. In 1533, the Portuguese colonization of Brazil began, the coast of which was divided into 15 captaincies. Over the next three centuries, this area was inhabited by the Portuguese and became an important exporter, first of decorative woods, then sugar cane, coffee and finally gold. Slaves were an important source of labor resources: first, Indians, and after 1550, predominantly Negroes. In 1549, the Portuguese possessions in Brazil were directly subordinated to the king of Portugal

The territories of the New World, annexed to Portugal by the navigator Pedro Alvaris Cabral, were named by him the Land of the True Cross (port of Terra de Vera Cruz), then these territories began to be called the Land of the Holy Cross (port of Terra de Santa Cruz). However, a little later, another name was assigned to this country - Terra do Brasil (in Russian spelling - Brazil).

This name, according to one of the versions, is associated with the discovery of hedgehog cesalpinia trees on the coast, the wood of which began to be exported in large quantities to Europe. The Portuguese called this tree pau-brasil (port. Pau-brasil - brazil tree): they believed that they had found a place from which Arab traders took the so-called brasil (port. Brasil, from the Portuguese word brasa - "heat", "hot coals" ) Is a valuable redwood that came to Europe since the 12th century and was used for the preparation of paints, as well as for the manufacture of furniture and musical instruments (in fact, the Arabs supplied the wood of a related but different plant growing in Southeast Asia to Europe).

Brazil was a Portuguese colony from the moment Pedro Alvaris Cabral landed on the coast of South America in 1500 until independence was declared in 1822 in the form of the Brazilian Empire [9]. Brazil became a republic in 1889, although the bicameral parliament, today called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified. [9] The current constitution defines Brazil as a federal republic, which is a union of the Federal District, 26 states and 5564 municipalities [13] [14].
Brazil has the ninth largest nominal GDP economy in the world [15] and the seventh in terms of GDP calculated at purchasing power parity [16]. Economic reforms brought the country international recognition [17]. Brazil is a member of such international organizations as the UN, G20, WTO and MERCOSUR, and is also one of the BRICS countries.

Brazil (port. Brasil [bɾaˈziw]), officially - the Federal Republic of Brazil [7] or the Federal Republic of Brazil [8] (port. República Federativa do Brasil, listen (inf.)) Is a sovereign state in South America. Area - 8 515 767 km² [3] (equivalent to 47.3% of South American territory). As the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area and the sixth in terms of population (with more than 207 million inhabitants) [9] [4], Brazil is the largest country in South America in terms of both territory and population. The only Portuguese-speaking country in all of America, and also the largest lusophonous country on the planet.
The capital is Brasilia.