1. Population Issues of Brazil Its Past, Present and Future Group members: Wayne Erica

2. History On April 22, 1500, a fleet led by navigator Pedro Cabral landed in Brazil and took possession of the land in the name of the king. Prince Pedro declared the country's independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822. The period of sugar-based economy (1530-c.1700) is known as the "Sugarcane Cycle" in Brazilian history. During the "The gold cycle " (18th century), gold mining and production became the main economic activity of the colonial Brazil. In December 1989, Fernando Collor de Mello became the first elected president by popular vote. Time Line 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

3. Impact Culture & Language: * Portuguese language * Roman Catholicism * Colonial architectural styles The culture was also strongly influenced by African, indigenous and non-Portuguese European cultures and traditions. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese which is spoken by almost all of the population and is virtually the only language used in newspapers, radio, television, and for business and administrative purposes. The core culture of Brazil is derived from Portuguese culture, because of its strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire.

4. Brazil occupies a large area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of the continent's interior. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with a total area of 8,514,876.599 square kilometers. Brazilian topography is also diverse and includes hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Major rivers include the Amazon, the world’s largest river in terms of volume of water. Geography of Brazil

5. Climate of Brazil Brazil climate is characterized by five climate regions: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Most of Brazil experiences rainfall between 1,000 and 1,500 millimeters annually, with most rainfall occurring in summer. The climate of Brazil has a wide range of weather conditions across a large area, but most of the country is tropical.

6. Brazil is the largest national economy in Latin America and the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates. Ec on om y of Br az il Brazil's economy is diverse, encompassing agriculture, industry, and many services. Most technological research in Brazil is done in public universities and research institutes.

7. Land Use in Brazil The northern part of Brazil’s land is most for hunting, fishing and gathering. In the southern part of Brazil, land is mostly used for improved and unimproved grazing and commercial farming. Over the last decade, people had always been cutting down more tree. Recently, however, deforestation rate has decreased.

8. Demographics The population of Brazil in 2003 was 178, 470, 000, as the world’s fifth largest country in population. The population density in 2002 was 20 per square kilometer. 81% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001, up from 66% in 1980. Most of them live in the Atlantic coastal region.