The history of modern Brazil begins in the year 1500 when Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived with a small fleet and claimed the land for the Portuguese Empire. With the Treaty of Torsedillas in 1494, Spain and Portugal agreed to split the New World peacefully, thus allowing Portugal to take control of the area with little competition from other European powers. As the Portuguese did not arrive with large numbers, and the indigenous population was overwhelmed with disease, large numbers of African slaves were transported across the Atlantic and forced to harvest or mine Brazil's wealth of natural resources. These slaves were forced to work in sugar, coffee and rubber plantations and gold and diamond mines, which helped fund Portuguese expansion across the globe. In modern history, transatlantic slavery brought more Africans to Brazil than any other country in the world. This combination of European, African and indigenous peoples set the foundation for what has become one of the most ethnically diverse countries across the globe.
Independence and Monarchy
By the early eighteenth century, Portugal had established control over most of modern-day Brazil, and the population more than doubled in each half of the 1800s. The capital of the Portuguese empire was moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1808 (as Napoleon's forces moved closer towards Lisbon), making this the only time in European history where a capital was moved to another continent. The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was established in 1815, and when the Portuguese monarchy and capital returned to Lisbon in 1821, the King's son, Dom Pedro, remained in Brazil as regent. The following year, Dom Pedro declared Brazil's independence, and within three years, most other major powers (including Portugal) recognized the Empire of Brazil as an independent monarchy and formed economic relations with it; this was a much more peaceful transition to independence than many of the ex-Spanish colonies in the Americas. Under the reign of Dom Pedro II, Brazil's political stability remained relatively intact, and the economy grew through its exportation of raw materials and economic alliances with Portugal and Britain. Despite pressure from political opponents, Pedro II abolished slavery in 1850 (as part of a trade agreement with Britain), and Brazil remained a powerful, stable and progressive nation under Pedro II's leadership, in stark contrast to its South American neighbors. The booming economy also attracted millions of migrants from Europe and Asia around the turn of the twentieth century, which has had a profound impact on Brazil's demography and culture to this day.
The New Republic
Despite his popularity, King Pedro II was overthrown in a military coup in 1889, ending his 58 year reign and initiating six decades of political instability and economic difficulties. A series of military coups, failed attempts to restore stability, and the decline of Brazil's overseas influence contributed greatly to a weakened economy in the early 1900s. The 1930s saw the emergence of Getúlio Vargas, who ruled as a fascist dictator for two decades. Despite a growing economy and Brazil's alliance with the Allied Powers in the Second World War, the end of fascism in Europe weakened Vargas' position in Brazil, and he was eventually overthrown by the military, who then re-introduced democracy to Brazil in 1945. Vargas was then elected to power in 1951, and remained popular among the general public, however political opposition to his beliefs and methods led to his suicide in 1954. Further political instability ensued and a brutal, yet prosperous, military dictatorship took control in the 1960s and 1970s, but Brazil gradually returned to a democratic nation in the 1980s. Brazil's economic and political stability fluctuated over the subsequent four decades, and a corruption scandal in the 2010s saw the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Despite all of this economic instability and political turmoil, Brazil is one of the world's largest economies and is sometimes seen as a potential superpower. The World Bank classifies it as a upper-middle income country and it has the largest share of global wealth in Latin America. It is the largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking), and sixth most populous country in the world, with a population of more than 210 million people.
Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020
(in millions)
Characteristic
Population in millions
2020
212.56
2019
211.05
2018
209.47
2017
207.83
2016
206.16
2015
204.47
2014
202.76
2013
201.04
2012
199.29
2011
197.51
2010
195.71
2009
193.89
2008
192.03
2007
190.13
2006
188.17
2005
186.13
2004
184.01
2003
181.81
2002
179.54
2001
177.2
2000
174.79
1999
172.32
1998
169.79
1997
167.21
1996
164.61
1995
162.02
1994
159.43
1993
156.85
1992
154.26
1991
151.65
1990
149
1989
146.33
1988
143.63
1987
140.89
1986
138.11
1985
135.27
1984
132.38
1983
129.45
1982
126.5
1981
123.57
1980
120.69
1979
117.88
1978
115.12
1977
112.43
1976
109.79
1975
107.22
1974
104.71
1973
102.26
1972
99.86
1971
97.48
1970
95.11
1969
92.75
1968
90.39
1967
88.04
1966
85.7
1965
83.37
1964
81.06
1963
78.77
1962
76.51
1961
74.31
1960
72.18
1959
70.12
1958
68.14
1957
66.22
1956
64.36
1955
62.53
1954
60.75
1953
59
1952
57.28
1951
55.61
1950
53.98
1949
51.9
1948
50.1
1947
48.9
1946
47.8
1945
46.7
1944
45.6
1943
44.5
1942
43.5
1941
42.5
1940
41.5
1939
40.7
1938
39.9
1937
39.1
1936
38.3
1935
37.5
1934
36.8
1933
36
1932
35.3
1931
34.6
1930
33.9
1929
33.2
1928
32.5
1927
31.9
1926
31.2
1925
30.6
1924
30
1923
29.4
1922
28.8
1921
28.2
1920
27.7
1919
27.1
1918
26.5
1917
26
1916
25.4
1915
24.9
1914
24.4
1913
23.9
1912
23.4
1911
22.9
1910
22.4
1909
21.9
1908
21.5
1907
21
1906
20.6
1905
20.2
1904
19.8
1903
19.3
1902
18.9
1901
18.5
1900
18.1
1899
17.7
1898
17.3
1897
16.9
1896
16.5
1895
16.1
1894
15.8
1893
15.4
1892
15.1
1891
14.7
1890
14.4
1889
14.1
1888
13.8
1887
13.5
1886
13.3
1885
13
1884
12.8
1883
12.6
1882
12.3
1881
12.1
1880
11.9
1879
11.7
1878
11.5
1877
11.2
1876
11.1
1875
10.9
1874
10.7
1873
10.5
1872
10.3
1871
10.1
1870
9.96
1869
9.8
1868
9.63
1867
9.47
1866
9.32
1865
9.16
1864
9.02
1863
8.87
1862
8.73
1861
8.6
1860
8.47
1859
8.34
1858
8.21
1857
8.08
1856
7.96
1855
7.84
1854
7.72
1853
7.6
1852
7.48
1851
7.37
1850
7.25
1849
7.14
1848
7.03
1847
6.92
1846
6.82
1845
6.71
1844
6.61
1843
6.51
1842
6.4
1841
6.31
1840
6.21
1839
6.11
1838
6.01
1837
5.92
1836
5.83
1835
5.74
1834
5.65
1833
5.56
1832
5.47
1831
5.39
1830
5.3
1829
5.22
1828
5.14
1827
5.06
1826
4.99
1825
4.91
1824
4.84
1823
4.78
1822
4.71
1821
4.64
1820
4.58
1819
4.52
1818
4.46
1817
4.41
1816
4.35
1815
4.3
1814
4.25
1813
4.2
1812
4.15
1811
4.1
1810
4.06
1809
4.01
1808
3.96
1807
3.92
1806
3.88
1805
3.84
1804
3.8
1803
3.76
1802
3.72
1801
3.68
1800
3.64
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Gapminder, & UN DESA. (August 31, 2019). Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/
Gapminder, und UN DESA. "Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in millions)." Chart. August 31, 2019. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/
Gapminder, UN DESA. (2019). Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/
Gapminder, and UN DESA. "Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Aug 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/
Gapminder & UN DESA, Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Population of Brazil from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph], Gapminder, & UN DESA, August 31, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066832/population-brazil-since-1800/