The discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese takes place in a period of crisis and great change in Europe.

The transformation process is accelerated in the urban centres. Commerce flourishes and brings along a new social class, the mercantile bourgeoisie. This is the class that will finance the grand sailing trips of the 15th and 16th centuries which end up in the discovery of America and Brazil, and colonization of Africa and Asia.

In April 1500, Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral reaches the coast of what is now known as Brazil and claims the whole region on behalf of Portugal. Before reaching Terra firma, he names the region Monte Pascoal, which was later changed to Terra de Vera Cruz.

During the exploration, many capes and bays were named, including a bay named Rio de Janeiro. Terra de Vera Cruz was then named Santa Cruz and finally Brazil, an allusion to the Pau-Brasil, a tree abundant in the region and taken in large quantities to Portugal.

For three centuries, Brazil remained in the condition of a Portuguese colony.
Colonisation benefited the metropolis. One cannot say there was domination in Brazil at the time.
At first the country was a challenge, because it had no riches for Portugal to exploit. The major interest was to guarantee the control over the Atlantic route.

The right to exploit Brazil lands was granted to individuals provided certain obligations were observed, taking into consideration the Crown's monopoly.

During the earliest times, the French held a good relationship with the Indians. Only by 1530, Portugal started to show interest in Brazil.

Brazil was a cradle for the “racial democracy”. If a race became predominant, so did its customs.

In order to better govern the country, Brazil was divided into Capitanias Hereditarias (Hereditary Districts). These districts, which were created by D. Joao III, faced several problems. In 1549, Brazil elected its first general governor to administrate those districts.

Royal districts came later. The General Government can be defined as the first Brazilian public government prototype. The Marquis of Pombal, being aware of the need for people to administrate the colony, made use of native Brazilian individuals. The political centralization had already overcome the experimental stage and turned itself into a broader project.


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