Brazil

Largest country of S. America, rudely triangular in form, with an area of 3,210,000 sq. m. It lies e. of the Andes; most of it is a low plain, covered with tropical forests, and drained by the Amazon and its tributaries. S. of this region the land rises to a plateau-like divide, upon the s. slopes of which head branches of the Rio de la Plata. The e. part is somewhat broken by a series of mountain and hill ranges, trending parallel to the Atlantic coast, 5,000 to 6,000 ft. in height. Its rivers are the Amazon, the largest in the world, the Paranahiba, the San Francisco, and the upper courses of the Parana and Paraguay. The climate of the Amazon basin is tropic in temperature, with a heavy rainfall. Further s. it becomes more temperate, and in the s. interior semi-arid. The chief products of the country are coffee, sugar, cotton, and tropic fruits, diamonds are found in some localities. Coal is mined to some extent in the s., and gold is found in placers in the e. mountains. There are more than 6,000 m. of railroad. The government was a hereditary monarchy, limited by a legislature. The capital is Rio Janeiro. Other important cities are Pernambuco and Bahia. B. was discovered by Pinzen 1499, and was subject to Portugal till 1822. On Napoleon's overthrow of the House of Braganza, John VI. fled with his court to B. 1808. On his return in 1821 he left his son, Pedro, as regent. Independence was declared 1822, and Pedro became emperor. In 1823 he succeeded by right to the Portuguese throne, but resigned it to his daughter, Donna Maria. He abdicated 1831 in favor of his son, Dom Pedro II., who reigned through a regency until 1841, and in person till 1889, when a republic displaced the empire. Slavery had been abolished 1888; federal constitution was adopted Feb. 24, 1891; the first president, Fonseca, was deposed in Nov. 1891, and succeeded by Peixoto. An insurrection of the navy was brought to an end March 1894. Pop. ab. 16,500,000, In 1890 the imports amounted to $71,500,000, and the exports to $87.400,000.