Brazil
From Daily Escape
| Império do Brasil Empire of Brazil | |
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| Flag | Coat of arms |
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| Motto "Independência ou Morte!" (Portuguese) "Independence or Death!" | |
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| Anthem Hino da Independência | |
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| Capital Largest city | Rio de Janeiro 22°54′30″S, 43°14′37″W São Paulo |
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| Official languages | Portuguese |
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| Demonym | Brazilian |
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| Government - Emperor - Prime Minister | Constitutional monarchy Luís I Alexsander da Rosa |
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| Independence - Declared - Recognized | from Portugal September 7, 1822 August 29, 1825 |
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| Area - Total - Water (%) | 8,691,092 km² 3,355,635 sq mi 0.66 |
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| Population - 2007 estimate - 2000 census - Density | 193,334,553 173,198,407 22.25 /km² 57.61 /sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita | 2005 estimate $5.503 trillion $28,464 |
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| Gini | 49.4 (high) |
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| HDI |  0.896 (high)
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| Currency | Real (R$) (BRL)
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| Time zone - Summer (DST) | BRT (UTC -3 to -5) BRST (UTC -2 to -5) |
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| Internet TLD | .br |
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| Calling code | +55 |
The Empire of Brazil (Portuguese: Império do Brasil) is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and one of the largest - in size and area - in the world. Its territory covers 8,514,877 km² between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, and it is the eastern-most country of the Americas.
It borders the British overseas territory of Guyana and the French departments of Suriname and French Guiana to the north, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, and the Incan Empire to the north and west. The only South American country not bordered by Brazil is Chile.
Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Penedos de São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade e Martim Vaz and Atol das Rocas.
A tropical climate is predominant. In the south of the country, subtropical climate prevails. Brazil is cut through by the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn. It is home to varied fauna and flora and extensive natural resources.
Brazil was colonized by Portugal from 1500 until its independence in 1822. Upon gaining independence, Brazil became a constitutional monarchy, and remains one to this day. While the Brazilian government remains skeptical of democracy - which it describes as "tyranny by majority" and "the god that failed" - Brazilians nevertheless enjoy plentiful civil liberties; the economy is among the freest in the world; and political debate is open and lively. Brazil does have open elections, however, the franchise is restricted to those who pass a literacy test, and only local officials are directly elected; others are either indirectly elected or appointed.
The Brazilian population tends to concentrate along the coastline in large urban centers. While Brazil has one of the largest populations in the world, population density is low and the inner continental land has large areas of low population. It is a multiracial country composed of European, Amerindian, African and Asian elements. The official language is Portuguese, and it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas. Catholicism is both the state religion and the most widely practiced religion; however, all faiths are tolerated, and the non-Catholic population, particularly the Protestant communities, have experienced significant growth in the last decades. Brazil has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world.
The Brazilian economy is among the largest, most robust, and most powerful in the world. The country is highly developed and industrialized, with a large and rapidly expanding middle class, high standards of living, and one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world.
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Politics
Brazil is a federal constitutional monarchy in which state and local governments wield considerable autonomy over their affairs, and the federal government's powers are circumscribed by the constitution. Aside from providing national defense, courts, and law enforcement, the government exercises little power. Education, maintainence of infrastructure, health issues, etc. are the jurisdiction of state and local governments, although in practice these things are handled entirely (or mostly, in the case of infrastructure) by the private sector. The Brazilian constitution is among the most liberal in the world, and guarantees the rights to life, liberty, property, privacy, self-defense, the right to adopt whatever lifestyle one wishes, and the right to chart one's own destiny and do whatever they wish provided they follow the law and do not infringe upon the rights of others.
Monarchy
While Brazil is a constitutional monarchy in that the Emperor's duties are confined to those delineated by the constitution, he nevertheless exercises more power - and plays a more prominent role - than most constitutional monarchs. Rather than being limited to performing ceremonial duties, the Emperor also has the authority to name senators and judges; the authority to break deadlocks by summoning and dissolving parliaments and cabinets; and the power to make and ratify treaties. He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, although this is strictly a titular role; de facto command of the military is held by the Ministry of Defense.
The Emperor is widely respected as a symbol of national unity and deeply revered for his wisdom, tact, and pragmatism; most of the time, he oversees the nation's political transactions from behind the scenes with an air of impartiality. He is seen as a fatherly figure and a moderating influence on the nation, and his statements carry great moral weight. His image adorns the obverse of every coin and banknote, and most homes and businesses display his portrait as well, as a sign of respect and love for their Emperor, whose benign rule, moral authority, incorruptibility, and selfless devotion to his nation and people endear him to Brazilians of every race, color, class, creed, and background. The Emperor views his role as "protecting the people from their government," and "providing moral leadership through the exercise of humble service to the people."
It should also be noted that the Emperor, like every other Brazilian, is not above the law. His constitutional duties are taken very seriously, and the constitution prescribes his mandatory abdication if he is found guilty of corruption or violating the constitution.
List of Brazilian monarchs
| Name | Reign | Consort | Royal House |
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| Pedro I | October 12, 1822 - April 7, 1831 | Maria Leopoldina of Austria Amélia of Leuchtenberg | House of Braganza |
| Pedro II | April 7, 1831 - December 5, 1891 | Teresa of the Two Sicilies | House of Braganza |
| Isabel | December 5, 1891 - November 14, 1921 | Gaston, Count of Eu | House of Braganza |
| Pedro III | November 14, 1921 - July 5, 1981 | Maria of Bavaria | House of Orléans-Braganza |
| Luís I | July 5, 1981 - present | Élisabeth Louise of France | House of Orléans-Braganza |
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government of the Empire of Brazil. The Prime Minister is elected by a majority of the members of the General Assembly upon the proposal of the Emperor. The vote is by secret ballot, to ensure that the Prime Minister's majority does not depend on members of his party only outwardly showing support. Upon being elected, the Prime Minister is formally appointed to the position by the Emperor. The Prime Minister is the de facto wielder of executive powers and exercises many of the executive functions that are not vested in the Emperor.
General Assembly
The General Assembly, known informally as the Imperial Parliament, is the national legislature of the Empire. It is comprised of two houses: the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). Members of the former are indirectly elected by state legislatures and serve five-year terms (there are no term limits); members of the latter are appointed by the Emperor from a list of candidates chosen by indirect ballot. Senators serve for life.
The Chamber of Deputies has the power to initiate legislation; the Senate cannot initiate legislation, though it can block or defer bills. Bills that pass through both houses are either signed into law by the Prime Minister, or vetoed. Before being signed into law, the bill must also be signed by the Emperor; however, this is mainly for ceremonial, traditional reasons, as he does not have the power to approve or veto legislation (that power lies with the Prime Minister).
Supreme Federal Tribunal
The Supreme Federal Tribunal is the highest court of law of the Empire of Brazil. The court also functions as a last resort tribunal, and its rulings therefore cannot be appealed. It can declare the unconstitutionality of laws passed by the General Assembly. This happens when the court judges a Direct Action of Unconstitucionality. Members are appointed by the Emperor and serve for life, unless they become incapacitated, violate the constitution, or are found guilty of corruption, in which case they are removed.
States of Brazil
1. Amazonas
2. Pará
3. Maranhão
4. Piauí
5. Ceará
6. Rio Grande do Norte
7. Paraíba
8. Pernambuco
9. Alagoas
10. Sergipe
11. Bahia
12. Espírito Santo
13. Rio de Janeiro
14. Minas Gerais
15. Goiás
16. Mato Grosso
17. São Paulo
18. Paraná
19. Santa Catarina
20. Rio Grande do Sul
21. Cisplatina
List of Brazilian states
| State | Abbreviation | Capital | Area | Population (2005) | Density |
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| Alagaos | AL | Maceió | 27,767.7 km² (20th) | 3,015,912 (18th) | 108.61 (3rd) |
| Amazonas | AM | Manaus | 1,796,063.1 km² (1st) | 3,623,647 (15th) | 2.02 (21st) |
| Bahia | BA | Salvador | 564,692.7 km² (6th) | 13,815,334 (4th) | 24.46 (14th) |
| Ceará | CE | Fortazela | 148,825.6 km² (13th) | 8,097,276 (9th) | 54.40 (10th) |
| Cisplatina | CI | Montevideo | 176,215 km² (12th) | 3,323,906 (17th) | 19 (15th) |
| Espírito Santo | ES | Vitória | 46,077.5 km² (18th) | 3,408,365 (16th) | 73.97 (6th) |
| Goiás | GO | Goiânia | 623,529.7 km² (4th) | 9,258,753 (7th) | 14.85 (17th) |
| Maranhão | MA | São Luís | 331,983.3 km² (7th) | 6,103,327 (12th) | 18.38 (16th) |
| Mato Grosso | MT | Cuiabá | 1,650,640.5 km² (2nd) | 7,258,379 (11th) | 4.40 (20th) |
| Minas Gerais | MG | Belo Horizonte | 586,528.3 km² (5th) | 19,237,450 (2nd) | 32.79 (13th) |
| Pará | PA | Belém | 1,390,504.1 km² (3rd) | 7,565,173 (10th) | 5.44 (19th) |
| Paraíba | PB | João Pessoa | 56,439.8 km² (16th) | 3,595,886 (14th) | 63.71 (7th) |
| Paraná | PR | Curitiba | 199,314.9 km² (11th) | 10,261,856 (6th) | 51.48 (11th) |
| Pernambuco | PE | Recife | 98,311.6 km² (14th) | 8,413,593 (8th) | 85.58 (5th) |
| Piauí | PI | Teresina | 251,529.2 km² (9th) | 3,006,885 (19th) | 11.95 (18th) |
| Rio de Janeiro | RJ | Rio de Janeiro | 43,696.1km² (19th) | 15,383,407 (3rd) | 352.05 (1st) |
| Rio Grande do Norte | RN | Natal | 52,796.8 km² (17th) | 3,003,087 (20th) | 56.88 (9th) |
| Rio Grande do Sul | RS | Porto Alegre | 281,748.5 km² (8th) | 10,845,087 (5th) | 38.49 (12th) |
| Santa Catarina | SC | Florianópolis | 95,346.2 km² (15th) | 5,866,568 (13th) | 61.53 (8th) |
| São Paulo | SP | São Paulo | 248,209.4 km² (10th) | 40,442,795 (1st) | 162.93 (2nd) |
| Sergipe | SE | Aracaju | 21,910.3 km² (21st) | 1,967,761 (21st) | 89.81 (4th) |
