Brazil - Revision history

46.161.41.184: hAxuEi Hey, thanks for the article.Thanks Again. Fantastic.

46.161.41.184 — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 21:42:56 GMT

hAxuEi Hey, thanks for the article.Thanks Again. Fantastic.

←Older revision		Revision as of 21:42, 24 October 2013
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	==Politics==		==Politics==
-	~~===Presidency===~~	+	hAxuEi Hey, thanks for the article.Thanks Again. Fantastic.
-	~~[[Image:Flag President of Brazil.png\|thumb\|right\|200px\|Brazilian Presidential Standard.]]~~	+
-	~~The President of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Republic of the United States of Brazil. The presidential system was established in 1889~~, upon the proclamation of the republic in a military ''coup d’état'' against the Emperor Pedro II. The President is indirectly elected by the Electoral College (''Colégio Eleitoral'') to a five-year term.	+
-		+
-	~~As a presidential republic, Brazil grants significant powers to the President. He effectively controls the government, represents the country abroad, and appoints the Cabinet and judges~~ for the ~~Supreme Federal Tribunal~~. ~~The president is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces~~.	+
-		+
-	Presidents in Brazil also have significant lawmaking powers, exercised either by proposing laws to the National Congress, or by using the instrument of the ''Decretos-Lei'', a decree that becomes binding after 30 days if the Congress "does not have the time" to vote on it.	+
-		+
-	~~The Constitution determines that the President shall have the exclusive power to:~~	+
-		+
-	~~#Appoint and dismiss the Ministers of State;~~	+
-	~~#Exercise, with the assistance of the Ministers of State, the higher management of the federal administration;~~	+
-	~~#Start the legislative procedure, in the manner and in the cases set forth in the Constitution;~~	+
-	~~#Sanction, promulgate and order the publication of laws, as well as to issue decrees and regulations for the true enforcement thereof;~~	+
-	~~#Veto bills, wholly or in part;~~	+
-	#Provide, by means of decree, on organization and structure of federal administration, in the cases where there is neither increase of expenses nor creation or extinction of public agencies; and extinction of offices or positions, when not held;	+
-	~~#Maintain relations with foreign States and to accredit their diplomatic representatives;~~	+
-	~~#Conclude international treaties, conventions, and acts;~~	+
-	~~#Decree the state of defense and the state of siege;~~	+
-	~~#Decree and enforce federal intervention;~~	+
-	~~#Upon the opening of the legislative session, send a government message and plan to the National Congress, describing the state of the nation and requesting the actions he deems necessary;~~	+
-	~~#Grant pardons and reduce sentences, after hearing the entities instituted by law, if necessary;~~	+
-	~~#Exercise the supreme command of the Armed Forces, appoint the commanders of Navy, Army and Air Force, to promote general officers and to appoint them to the offices held exclusively by them;~~	+
-	#Appoint the Justices of the Supreme Federal Court and those of the superior courts, the Governors of the territories, the Attorney-General of the Republic, the President and the Directors of the Central Bank and other civil servants;	+
-	~~#Appoint the Justices of the Federal Court of Accounts;~~	+
-	~~#Appoint judges in the events established by the Constitution and the Advocate-General of the Union;~~	+
-	~~#Appoint members of the Council of the Republic;~~	+
-	~~#Call and preside over the Council of the Republic and the National Defense Council;~~	+
-	~~#Declare war, in the event of foreign aggression, and decree full or partial national mobilization;~~	+
-	~~#Award decorations and honorary distinctions;~~	+
-	~~#Permit, in the cases set forth by supplementary law, foreign forces to pass through the national territory, or to remain temporarily therein;~~	+
-	~~#Submit to the National Congress the pluriannual plan, the bill of budgetary directives and the budget proposals set forth in the Constitution;~~	+
-	~~#Render, each year, accounts to the National Congress concerning the previous fiscal year, within sixty days of the opening of the legislative session;~~	+
-	~~#Fill and abolish federal government positions, as set forth by law;~~	+
-	~~#Issue provisional measures, with force of law;~~	+
-	~~#Perform other duties set forth in the Constitution~~	+

	===National Congress===		===National Congress===

70.56.168.220 at 04:44, 10 April 2012

70.56.168.220 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:44:37 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 04:44, 10 April 2012
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	Economic reforms have transformed Brazil into a great power. The country is a founding member of the League of Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.		Economic reforms have transformed Brazil into a great power. The country is a founding member of the League of Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.
-
-	~~y6F82n I loved your blog post.Really thank you! Cool.~~

	==States of Brazil==		==States of Brazil==

192.162.19.21: y6F82n I loved your blog post.Really thank you! Cool.

192.162.19.21 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:42:02 GMT

y6F82n I loved your blog post.Really thank you! Cool.

←Older revision		Revision as of 16:42, 8 March 2012
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	Economic reforms have transformed Brazil into a great power. The country is a founding member of the League of Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.		Economic reforms have transformed Brazil into a great power. The country is a founding member of the League of Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking, and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.

-	~~==History==~~	+	y6F82n I loved your blog post.Really thank you! Cool.
-	~~===Origins===~~	+
-	~~[[Image:Debret37~~.~~jpg\|left\|thumb\|Brazilian natives, by Jean-Baptiste Debret.]]~~	+
-	Within Brazil's current borders, most native tribes who were living in the land by the year 1500 are thought to have descended from the first wave of migrants from North Asia (Siberia), who are believed to have crossed the Bering Land Bridge at the end of the last Ice Age, around 9000 BC. At the time of European discovery, the territory of modern Brazil had as many as 2,000 nations and tribes, an estimated total population of nearly 3 million Amerindians. A somewhat dated linguistic survey found 188 living indigenous languages with 155,000 total speakers. On 18 January 2007, Fundação Nacional do Índio reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this addition, Brazil is now confirmed as having the largest number of uncontacted peoples in the world, even more than the island of New Guinea. When the Portuguese arrived in 1500, the Amerindians were mostly semi-nomadic tribes, living mainly on the coast and along the banks of major rivers.	+
-		+
-	Unlike Christopher Columbus who thought he had reached the East Indies, the Portuguese, most notably by Vasco da Gama, had already reached India via the Indian Ocean route when they reached Brazil. Nevertheless, the word ''índios'' ("Indians") was by then established to designate the peoples of the New World and stuck being used today in the Portuguese language, while the people of India are called ''indianos'' in order to distinguish the two peoples. Initially, the Europeans saw the natives as noble savages, and miscegenation of the population began right away. Tribal warfare, cannibalism, and the pursuit of brazilwood for its treasured red dye convinced the Portuguese that they should civilize the Amerindians.	+
-		+
-	~~===Colonization===~~	+
-	~~[[Image:Brazil-16-map.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Map of Brazil issued by the Portuguese explorers in 1519.]]~~	+
-	Initially Portugal had little interest in Brazil, mainly because of high profits gained through commerce with Indochina. After 1530, the Portuguese Crown devised the Hereditary Captaincies system to effectively occupy its new colony, and later took direct control of the failed captaincies. Although temporary trading posts were established earlier to collect brazilwood, used as a dye, with permanent settlement came the establishment of the sugar cane industry and its intensive labor. Several early settlements were founded across the coast, among them the colonial capital, Salvador, established in 1549 at the Bay of All Saints in the north, and the city of Rio de Janeiro on March 1567, in the south. The Portuguese colonists adopted an economy based on the production of agricultural goods that were exported to Europe. Sugar became by far the most important Brazilian colonial product until the early 18th century. Even though Brazilian sugar was reputed as being of high quality, the industry faced a crisis during the 17th and 18th centuries when the Dutch and the French started producing sugar in the Antilles, located much closer to Europe, causing sugar prices to fall.	+
-		+
-	During the 18th century, private explorers who called themselves the Bandeirantes found gold and diamond deposits in the state of Minas Gerais. The exploration of these mines were mostly used to finance the Portuguese Royal Court's expenditure with both the preservation of its Global Empire and the support of its luxury lifestyle at mainland. The way in which such deposits were exploited by the Portuguese Crown and the powerful local elites, however, burdened colonial Brazil with excessive taxes. Some popular movements supporting independence came about against the taxes established by the colonial government, such as the Tiradentes in 1789, but the secessionist movements were often dismissed by the authorities of the ruling colonial regime. Gold production declined towards the end of the 18th century, starting a period of relative stagnation of the Brazilian hinterland. Both Amerindian and African slaves' man power were largely used in Brazil's colonial economy.	+
-		+
-	In contrast to the neighboring Spanish possessions in South America, the Portuguese colony of Brazil kept its territorial, political and linguistic integrity due to the action of the Portuguese administrative effort. Although the colony was threatened by other nations across the Portuguese rule era, in particular by Dutch and French powers, the authorities and the people ultimately managed to protect its borders from foreign attacks. Portugal even had to send bullion to Brazil, a spectacular reversal of the colonial trend, in order to protect the integrity of the colony.	+
-		+
-	~~===Empire===~~	+
-	~~[[Image:Fala do trono.jpg\|right\|thumb\|Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil in 1873.]]~~	+
-	In 1808, the Portuguese court, fleeing from Napoleon’s troops who had invaded Portugal, established themselves in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which thus became the seat of government of Portugal and the entire Portuguese Empire, even though being located outside of Europe. Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Portuguese empire from 1808 to 1815. After then the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (1815-1825) was created with Lisbon as its capital. After João VI returned to Portugal in 1821, his heir-apparent Pedro became regent of the Kingdom of Brazil, within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Following a series of political incidents and disputes, Brazil achieved its independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822. On October 12, 1822, Dom Pedro became the first Emperor of Brazil, being crowned on December 1, 1822. Portugal would recognize Brazil as an independent country in 1825.	+
-		+
-	In 1824, Pedro closed the Constituent Assembly, stating that the body was "endangering liberty". Pedro then produced a constitution modeled on that of Portugal (1822) and France (1814). It specified indirect elections and created the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government; however, it also added a fourth branch, the "moderating power", to be held by the Emperor. Pedro's government was considered economically and administratively inefficient. Political pressures eventually made the Emperor step down on April 7, 1831. He returned to Portugal leaving behind his five-year-old son Pedro II. Until Pedro II reached maturity, Brazil was governed by regents from 1831 to 1840. The regency period was turbulent and marked by numerous local revolts including the Male Revolt, the largest urban slave rebellion in the Americas, which took place in Bahia in 1835.	+
-		+
-	On July 23, 1840, Pedro II was crowned Emperor. His government was marked by a substantial rise in coffee exports, the War of the Triple Alliance, and the end of slave trade from Africa in 1865, although slavery in Brazilian territory would only be abolished in 1888. Brazil stopped trading slaves from Africa in 1850, with the Eusébio de Queirós law, and abandoned slavery altogether in 1888, thus becoming the last country of the Americas to ban slavery. When slavery was finally abolished, a large influx of European immigrants took place. By the 1870s, the Emperor's control of domestic politics had started to deteriorate in face of crises with the Catholic Church, the Army and the slaveholders. The Republican movement slowly gained strength. In the end, the empire fell due to a military coup d'etat and because the dominant classes no longer needed it to protect their interests and deeply resented the abolition of slavery. Indeed, imperial centralization ran counter to their desire for local autonomy. By 1889 Pedro II had stepped down and the Republican system had been adopted to Brazil.	+
-		+
-	~~===Early republic===~~	+
-	~~[[Image:Fo_g0039.jpg\|Getúlio Dornelles Vargas\|thumb\|right\|200px\|Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (President of Brazil 1930–1945, 1951–1954).]]~~	+
-	Pedro II was deposed on November 15, 1889 by a Republican military coup led by general Deodoro da Fonseca, who became the country’s first ''de facto'' president through military ascension. The country’s name became the Republic of the United States of Brazil. From 1889 to 1930, the dominant states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais alternated control of the presidency. A military junta took control in 1930. Getúlio Vargas took office soon after, and would remain as dictatorial ruler (with a brief democratic period in between), until 1945. He was re-elected in 1951 and stayed in office until his suicide in 1954. After 1930, successive governments continued industrial and agricultural growth and the development of the vast interior of Brazil. Juscelino Kubitschek's office years (1956-1961) were marked by the political campaign motto of plunging ''50 anos em 5'' (English: "Fifty years of development in five").	+
-		+
-	~~===Military junta===~~	+
-	~~[[Image:1964coupRJ.jpg\|250px\|thumb\|left\|[[Brazilian Army]] M41 tanks at President Vargas Avenue in Rio de Janeiro during the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état on March 31, 1964.]]~~	+
-	The military once again seized power in Brazil when it launched a successful ''coup d'état'' on March 31, 1964, toppling the left-leaning government of President João Goulart. Goulart's reforms, contemporaneously interpreted as socialist in a world increasingly polarized by the Cold War, went against the interests of the military and the right-wing of the civilian government. The coup was tacitly supported by the Johnson Administration in the United States, due to America's fear of the perceived growing communist influence in Brazil. The extent of the United States' involvement in the coup remains unknown to this day, but the support it did provide remains a source of contention for Brazilian pro-democracy activists to this day.	+
-		+
-	Right after the coup, the army did not find any civilian politician acceptable to all the factions that supported the ouster of João Goulart. On April 15, 1964, fifteen days after the coup, the army chief of staff, Marshal Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco became the appointed president, with the intention of overseeing a reform of the political-economic system. He refused to remain in power beyond the remainder of Goulart's term or to institutionalize the military in power. However, competing demands radicalized the situation; military hard-liners wanted a complete purge of left-wing and populist influences, while civilian politicians obstructed Castello Branco's reforms. The latter accused him of hard-line actions to achieve his objectives, and the former criticized him for not being hard enough. To satisfy the military hard-liners, he recessed and purged Congress, removed objectionable state governors, and decreed the expansion of the president's (and by extension, the military's) arbitrary powers at the expense of the legislative and judiciary branches. His gamble succeeded in giving him the latitude to repress the populist left but provided his successors with a legal basis for authoritarian rule.	+
-		+
-	Castello Branco in his own right tried to maintain a degree of democracy. His economic reforms were credited as paving the way for a Brazilian economic "miracle" of the next decade, and his restructuring of the party system that had existed since 1945 shaped the bipartisan system of government-opposition relations for the next two decades. Through extra-constitutional decrees dubbed "Institutional Acts" (Portuguese: ''Ato Institucional'', or "AI"), Castelo Branco both gave the executive the unchecked ability to change the constitution and remove anyone in office ("AI-1") as well as to have the presidency elected indirectly through a bipartisan system of a government-backed National Renewal Alliance Party (ARENA) and an opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) party ("AI-2"). In effect, anyone who opposed the government politically was removed from office, and the parties were known as either the "Yes" party in the case of ARENA, and the "Yes, sir" party in the case of the MDB.	+
-		+
-	As in earlier regime changes, the armed forces' officer corps was divided between those who believed that they should confine themselves to their professional duties, and the hard-liners who regarded politicians as willing to turn Brazil to communism. The victory of the hard-liners dragged Brazil into what political scientist Juan J. Linz called "an authoritarian situation". Indeed, the hard-liners in the Brazilian military pressured the government into promulgating the Fifth Institutional Act on December 13, 1968. This act gave the president dictatorial powers, dissolved Congress and state legislatures, suspended the constitution, and imposed censorship.	+
-	~~[[Image:Itaipu2.jpg\|250px\|thumb\|right\|Massive public works programs and state investment in infrastructure, such as the construction of the Itaipu dam (pictured) provided a temporary economic boom.]]~~	+
-	The military sought to expand Brazil's influence in the world by pursuing a state-led industrial policy and an independent foreign policy. Massive investments in infrastructure - highways, telecommunications, hydroelectric dams, mineral extraction, factories, and atomic energy - funded by heavy borrowing, created a temporary inflationary boom, and from 1968 to 1974, the annual GDP growth rate was 12%. The construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway through the northern rain forests and the Itaipu hydroelectric dam (the world's largest) on the Rio Paraná, provided thousands of unemployed Brazilians with work. A growing sense of optimism temporarily muted public discontent (although state repression also played a hand), and the government, gambling that the prosperity would be permanent, continued to borrow heavily and spend beyond its means. All this came to a crashing halt in 1975, when a combination of skyrocketing oil prices, a terrible coffee frost (which nearly halved Brazil's coffee output), and other factors contributed to a dramatic fall in GDP. In desperation, the regime began rapidly printing money in an attempt to pay off the country's enormous debt, but the ensuing inflation (which reached nearly 1,000% by 1979) brought about a near-total collapse of the economy, forcing Brazil to accept loans from the IMF and World Bank - burdening it with still further debt.	+
-		+
-	By 1980, the situation in Brazil constituted the worst crisis in the country's history. Its economy was a shambles; crime rates soared; and riots, strikes, and demonstrations afflicted every major city. Most foreign analysts predicted that the government would collapse, taking the whole country with it.	+
-		+
-	Publicly acknowledging that its economic policies had been a disaster, the government brought in foreign economists to help them implement a new policy. These young, clean-cut, highly sophisticated technocrats, renowned for their irrepressible confidence (they were perhaps the only people who could talk frankly to the government and criticize it), drafted an economic plan which called for privatization of state-owned industries, stabilization of inflation, and trade liberalization. After much cajoling, the "whiz kids," as the technocrats came to be known, won over the government, which threw in its lot with them and took the plunge.	+
-		+
-	Within three years, inflation had been brought under control and foreign investors began returning to the country. The economy rapidly recovered. From 1980–1985, GDP growth averaged more than 10%. However, the government's decision to keep fixed exchange rates resulted in a serious balance-of-trade problem that soon brought a deep recession. In 1986, GDP fell by 13 per cent, industrial production plunged by 27 per cent, and unemployment shot up to 20 per cent. Real economic output declined by 19% that year, and again the following year. The government responded by floating the exchange rate, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes and tariffs, and tightening the money supply. As a result, the recession was over by 1988.	+
-		+
-	Since that time, Brazil's economy continued to experience spectacular growth, with only a few intermittent hiccups. Almost every industry was privatized (although major defense companies like Engesa and Embraer remained state-owned for "strategic reasons"), tariffs were continually cut until being abolished altogether by 2005, wage and price controls were eliminated, and the government consistently maintained a balanced budget.	+
-		+
-	Unemployment and inflation are now at a historic low, and the country's economy is now among the world's largest. However, inequality in income and land distribution has grown explosively and the country's high crime rate continues to climb. Demonstrations by university students and pro-democratic activists began to occur with growing frequency.	+
-		+
-	As of 2008, the Brazilian economy and government are as stable as ever, while the stability of society remains tenuous and precarious. Governmental repression has failed to quell anti-government activism, which is again on the rise; the crime rate remains high; and beneath the surface of prosperity, class tensions simmer. Brazil has accomplished much and made many advances, but still faces various problems and challenges which continue to thwart its ambition to become a superpower. How Brazil weathers these challenges, and what prospects its future holds, remains to be seen.	+

	==States of Brazil==		==States of Brazil==

Knut: /* Military junta */

Knut — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:53:01 GMT

Military junta

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	Within three years, inflation had been brought under control and foreign investors began returning to the country. The economy rapidly recovered. From 1980–1985, GDP growth averaged more than 10%. However, the government's decision to keep fixed exchange rates resulted in a serious balance-of-trade problem that soon brought a deep recession. In 1986, GDP fell by 13 per cent, industrial production plunged by 27 per cent, and unemployment shot up to 20 per cent. Real economic output declined by 19% that year, and again the following year. The government responded by floating the exchange rate, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes and tariffs, and tightening the money supply. As a result, the recession was over by 1988.		Within three years, inflation had been brought under control and foreign investors began returning to the country. The economy rapidly recovered. From 1980–1985, GDP growth averaged more than 10%. However, the government's decision to keep fixed exchange rates resulted in a serious balance-of-trade problem that soon brought a deep recession. In 1986, GDP fell by 13 per cent, industrial production plunged by 27 per cent, and unemployment shot up to 20 per cent. Real economic output declined by 19% that year, and again the following year. The government responded by floating the exchange rate, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes and tariffs, and tightening the money supply. As a result, the recession was over by 1988.

-	Since that time, Brazil's economy ~~has~~ continued to experience spectacular growth, with only a few intermittent hiccups. Almost every industry ~~has been~~ privatized (although major defense companies like Engesa and Embraer ~~remain~~ state-owned for "strategic reasons"), tariffs were continually cut until being abolished altogether by 2005, wage and price controls were eliminated, and the government consistently maintained a balanced budget.	+	Since that time, Brazil's economy continued to experience spectacular growth, with only a few intermittent hiccups. Almost every industry was privatized (although major defense companies like Engesa and Embraer remained state-owned for "strategic reasons"), tariffs were continually cut until being abolished altogether by 2005, wage and price controls were eliminated, and the government consistently maintained a balanced budget.

	Unemployment and inflation are now at a historic low, and the country's economy is now among the world's largest. However, inequality in income and land distribution has grown explosively and the country's high crime rate continues to climb. Demonstrations by university students and pro-democratic activists began to occur with growing frequency.		Unemployment and inflation are now at a historic low, and the country's economy is now among the world's largest. However, inequality in income and land distribution has grown explosively and the country's high crime rate continues to climb. Demonstrations by university students and pro-democratic activists began to occur with growing frequency.

Knut: /* United States */

Knut — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:32:09 GMT

United States

←Older revision		Revision as of 00:32, 28 June 2008
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	This changed in the 1980s, when the conservative Ronald Reagan was elected. Criticism of Brazil was effectively muted; bilateral trade expanded; and Brazil's economic liberalization won praise in Washington and led to record levels of foreign investment in Brazil. While the two countries never resumed their mutual defense alliance, they regularly participated in war games together, and their governments exchanged visits biannually.		This changed in the 1980s, when the conservative Ronald Reagan was elected. Criticism of Brazil was effectively muted; bilateral trade expanded; and Brazil's economic liberalization won praise in Washington and led to record levels of foreign investment in Brazil. While the two countries never resumed their mutual defense alliance, they regularly participated in war games together, and their governments exchanged visits biannually.

-	Relations during the 1990s were fair, and were neither intimate nor hostile, although Brazilian-American trade remained extensive, and bilateral relations were described as "friendly." Occasional criticism of Brazilian human rights abuses does cause bilateral relations to cool briefly, though.	+	Relations during the 1990s were fair, and were neither intimate nor hostile, although Brazilian-American trade remained extensive, and bilateral relations were described as "friendly." Occasional criticism of Brazilian human rights abuses does cause bilateral relations to cool briefly from time to time, though.

	===Confederate States of Latin America (ECAL)===		===Confederate States of Latin America (ECAL)===

Knut: /* Foreign relations */

Knut — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:31:25 GMT

Foreign relations

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	===Alexandrian Empire===		===Alexandrian Empire===
		+	to be added
		+
		+	===Sonora===
		+	to be added
		+
		+	===France===
	to be added		to be added

	[[Category:Brazil\| ]]		[[Category:Brazil\| ]]
	[[Category:Nations]]		[[Category:Nations]]

Knut at 11:27, 27 June 2008

Knut — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:27:59 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 11:27, 27 June 2008
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	The country's largest industries include motor vehicles, chemicals, lumber, aircraft, machinery, natural gas, hydropower, petroleum, tourism, and agriculture. Brazil is self-sufficient in energy production and does not rely on imports. Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee (by far) in the world.		The country's largest industries include motor vehicles, chemicals, lumber, aircraft, machinery, natural gas, hydropower, petroleum, tourism, and agriculture. Brazil is self-sufficient in energy production and does not rely on imports. Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee (by far) in the world.
		+
		+	==Foreign relations==
		+	Since the 1970s, Brazil has pursued a generally non-aligned, neutral foreign policy. It actively seeks to have as friendly a relationship as possible with all countries, is strongly committed to free trade, and frequently intervenes as a mediator to resolve international disputes. With its "go-it-alone" foreign policy, Brazil has few true friends or true foes. What follows is a brief description of its relations with various countries.
		+
		+	===United States===
		+	In the early years of the military dictatorship, Brazil was enthusiastically and unabashedly pro-American, and rarely if ever wavered in its support of the United States. This changed in the early 1970s, when Brazil adjusted its foreign policy more in line with the Third World mainstream, and made efforts to cultivate warmer relationships with Marxist-Leninist countries; however, it maintained its warm relationship with the United States, even if it did adopt a more independent foreign policy. Bilateral relations did become noticeably frigid during the Carter Administration, when Carter's denunciations of Brazilian human rights abuses, coupled with his total silence in the face of human rights by communist countries, caused Brazil to angrily tear up its mutual defense treaty with the United States in 1978.
		+
		+	This changed in the 1980s, when the conservative Ronald Reagan was elected. Criticism of Brazil was effectively muted; bilateral trade expanded; and Brazil's economic liberalization won praise in Washington and led to record levels of foreign investment in Brazil. While the two countries never resumed their mutual defense alliance, they regularly participated in war games together, and their governments exchanged visits biannually.
		+
		+	Relations during the 1990s were fair, and were neither intimate nor hostile, although Brazilian-American trade remained extensive, and bilateral relations were described as "friendly." Occasional criticism of Brazilian human rights abuses does cause bilateral relations to cool briefly, though.
		+
		+	===Confederate States of Latin America (ECAL)===
		+	Relations between Brazil and its larger, more prosperous neighbor have varied from high intimacy to extreme hostility, but usually hover between those two extremes, if leaning more toward the latter. As a distinguished Western-style liberal democracy, the ECAL naturally feels antipathy toward Brazil's military government. Yet pragmatism and practicality exercised by both sides have meant the two were never outright enemies. Though harsh words are exchanged from time to time, their dependence on one another - both are major trading partners, and Brazil's anti-terrorist operations against FARC in the Amazon are beneficial to the ECAL - force them to overlook their differences. Citizens travel freely between both countries, and while the Latin American government remains highly critical of the Brazilian government, both countries are working to patch up their differences. As of 2008, relations are relatively warm, if still strained.
		+
		+	===Western Canada===
		+	Brazil and Western Canada have never had close relations. Neither allies nor enemies, and with minimal bilateral trade, relations between the two have always been minimal. However, Brazil's rising prominence in the world economy, increasing trade between the two, and Brazil's efforts to mediate the Spanish-Portuguese dispute, have resulted in a gradual warming of relations recently.
		+
		+	===Portugal===
		+	In spite of Brazil's anticommunism, its relationship with Portugal, the former colonial power, is fair. The countries' shared culture has meant close personal ties between the Brazilian and Portuguese people. Brazil actively trades with Portugal, even though the latter is a communist country.
		+
		+	===Spain===
		+	Relations are mostly friendly with Spain, due to their similar politics. However, largely to avoid antagonizing the ECAL, Brazil has refrained from becoming too friendly with Spain.
		+
		+	===Israel===
		+	Brazil and Israel, traditionally close, remain staunch allies. Cooperation in many areas - military, diplomatic, cultural - is extensive. Brazil is regarded as one of Israel's most faithful foreign backers, and there are rumors that Mossad has a presence in Brazil, though neither country has commented on this.
		+
		+	===Italy===
		+	Italian-Brazilian relations are mostly friendly. Italy is one of Brazil's largest trade partners, and many Brazilians have Italian heritage.
		+
		+	===Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth===
		+	Brazil and Poland-Lithuania's shared economic liberalism and low profiles in global politics have resulted in mostly friendly bilateral relations.
		+
		+	===Serbia===
		+	Relations with Serbia are extremely warm. Their shared opposition to "imperialism" (i.e., foreign interventionism of which they do not approve) has forged a strong bond.
		+
		+	===Hungary===
		+	Like Serbia, Hungary is a country which Brazil counts among its close friends. Relations have warmed further in response to their common position on the Spanish-Portuguese spat.
		+
		+	===United Kingdom===
		+	Anglo-Brazilian relations are mostly neutral. Though the two countries trade and maintain diplomatic relations, Brazil's human rights policies and Britain's "hyper-interventionist" foreign policy preclude closer relations.
		+
		+	===South Africa===
		+	to be added
		+
		+	===Alexandrian Empire===
		+	to be added

	[[Category:Brazil\| ]]		[[Category:Brazil\| ]]
	[[Category:Nations]]		[[Category:Nations]]

Knut: /* Military junta */

Knut — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:13:47 GMT

Military junta

←Older revision		Revision as of 03:13, 27 June 2008
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	Within three years, inflation had been brought under control and foreign investors began returning to the country. The economy rapidly recovered. From 1980–1985, GDP growth averaged more than 10%. However, the government's decision to keep fixed exchange rates resulted in a serious balance-of-trade problem that soon brought a deep recession. In 1986, GDP fell by 13 per cent, industrial production plunged by 27 per cent, and unemployment shot up to 20 per cent. Real economic output declined by 19% that year, and again the following year. The government responded by floating the exchange rate, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes and tariffs, and tightening the money supply. As a result, the recession was over by 1988.		Within three years, inflation had been brought under control and foreign investors began returning to the country. The economy rapidly recovered. From 1980–1985, GDP growth averaged more than 10%. However, the government's decision to keep fixed exchange rates resulted in a serious balance-of-trade problem that soon brought a deep recession. In 1986, GDP fell by 13 per cent, industrial production plunged by 27 per cent, and unemployment shot up to 20 per cent. Real economic output declined by 19% that year, and again the following year. The government responded by floating the exchange rate, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes and tariffs, and tightening the money supply. As a result, the recession was over by 1988.

-	Since that time, Brazil's economy has continued to experience spectacular growth, with only a few intermittent hiccups. Almost every industry has been privatized (although major defense companies like Engesa and Embraer remain state-owned for "strategic reasons"), tariffs were continually cut until being abolished altogether by ~~1998~~, wage and price controls were eliminated, and the government ~~has~~ maintained a balanced budget. Unemployment and inflation are at a historic low, and the country's economy is now among the world's largest. However, inequality in income and land distribution has grown explosively and the country's high crime rate continues to climb. Demonstrations by university students and pro-democratic activists began to occur with growing frequency.	+	Since that time, Brazil's economy has continued to experience spectacular growth, with only a few intermittent hiccups. Almost every industry has been privatized (although major defense companies like Engesa and Embraer remain state-owned for "strategic reasons"), tariffs were continually cut until being abolished altogether by 2005, wage and price controls were eliminated, and the government consistently maintained a balanced budget.
		+
		+	Unemployment and inflation are now at a historic low, and the country's economy is now among the world's largest. However, inequality in income and land distribution has grown explosively and the country's high crime rate continues to climb. Demonstrations by university students and pro-democratic activists began to occur with growing frequency.

	As of 2008, the Brazilian economy and government are as stable as ever, while the stability of society remains tenuous and precarious. Governmental repression has failed to quell anti-government activism, which is again on the rise; the crime rate remains high; and beneath the surface of prosperity, class tensions simmer. Brazil has accomplished much and made many advances, but still faces various problems and challenges which continue to thwart its ambition to become a superpower. How Brazil weathers these challenges, and what prospects its future holds, remains to be seen.		As of 2008, the Brazilian economy and government are as stable as ever, while the stability of society remains tenuous and precarious. Governmental repression has failed to quell anti-government activism, which is again on the rise; the crime rate remains high; and beneath the surface of prosperity, class tensions simmer. Brazil has accomplished much and made many advances, but still faces various problems and challenges which continue to thwart its ambition to become a superpower. How Brazil weathers these challenges, and what prospects its future holds, remains to be seen.

Knut at 01:55, 24 June 2008

Knut — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:55:53 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 01:55, 24 June 2008
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	\|-		\|-
	\|'''Capital''' <br><br>'''Largest city'''		\|'''Capital''' <br><br>'''Largest city'''
-	\|Brasília<br><small>[http://toolserver.org/~magnus/geo/geohack.php?pagename=Brazil&params=15_45_S_47_57_W_type:country(8514877) 15°45′S 47°57′W]</small><br>São Paulo	+	\|Brasília<br><small>[[Image:18px-Erioll_world_svg.png\|18px]] [http://toolserver.org/~magnus/geo/geohack.php?pagename=Brazil&params=15_45_S_47_57_W_type:country(8514877) 15°45′S 47°57′W]</small><br>São Paulo
	\|-		\|-
	\| colspan="2" \| <hr>		\| colspan="2" \| <hr>

Knut at 21:22, 21 June 2008

Knut — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:22:55 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 21:22, 21 June 2008
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	*Minister of Aeronautics: Sérgio Fortes		*Minister of Aeronautics: Sérgio Fortes
	*Minister of Agriculture: Antônio Corrêa Prestes		*Minister of Agriculture: Antônio Corrêa Prestes
		+	*Minister of the Army: João Vieira Soares
	*Minister of Communications: Vítor Ribeiro		*Minister of Communications: Vítor Ribeiro
-	*Minister of Development, Industry, and Commerce: Augusto Geisel
	*Minister of Education: Mário Rodrigues		*Minister of Education: Mário Rodrigues
	*Minister of External Relations: Deodoro Cabral		*Minister of External Relations: Deodoro Cabral
	*Minister of Finance: José Salazar		*Minister of Finance: José Salazar
	*Minister of Health: Francisco Pinheiro		*Minister of Health: Francisco Pinheiro
		+	*Minister of Industry and Commerce: Augusto Geisel
		+	*Minister of Interior: Afonso Luiza Rezende
	*Minister of Justice: Paulo Inácio dos Santos		*Minister of Justice: Paulo Inácio dos Santos
-	*Minister of Labor and Employment: Afonso Luiza Rezende
-	*Minister of Mines and Energy: Luís de Campos Meirelles
	*Minister of the Navy: Carlos Guimarães Rosa		*Minister of the Navy: Carlos Guimarães Rosa
-	*Minister of Planning, Budget, and Management: Gilberto de Alencar Tavares
	*Minister of Transport: Fernando Cautiero e Silva		*Minister of Transport: Fernando Cautiero e Silva
-	*Minister of War: João Vieira Soares

	===Constitution===		===Constitution===