BRAZIL A Diverse Cultural Region CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Connection

BRAZIL A Diverse Cultural Region

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Connection between Europe and Brazil Portuguese were first Europeans to land in Brazil, est. colony at Salvador da Bahia in 1549. Bandeirantes (Portuguese flag-bearers) initially exploited land for brazilwood (tree) and later used indigenous people to work on sugar cane plantations. Later exploited minerals such as gold, silver and diamonds which were sent back to Europe. The Mercantilist system dictated that natural resources in Brazil be exploited by the local people and the resulting wealth be sent to Europe. African slave trade provided labourers to meet Portuguese demands. African slaves replaced indigenous slaves.

BRAZIL Europe can be seen as being partly developed by the “blood, sweat and tears” of Brazilian and African slaves. In 1888, slavery abolished in Brazil, approx. 4 million Africans had been brought to Brazil. This explains Brazil’s current cultural and ethnic diversity. Like all countries, Brazil’s natural environment has shaped indigenous cultures found in the Amazon. Destruction of the Amazon is now threatening human systems and cultural survival

TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

CULTURAL SNAPSHOT Create a cultural country snapshot of Brazil by using CIA World Factbook Include the following in your snapshot: Capital City Population Languages Religions Birth Rate, Death Rate, Net Migration Rate Population Growth Rate Life Expectancy Current social issues Current environmental issues

MAPPING BRAZIL As you know, in order to understand the culture of a country, it is important to know about its basic physical geography Use the map provided to identify Brazil’s states and major cities