Brazilian World Affairs

1. Brazil in World Affairs By Noeli Piccoli Biggs

2. Full Name : Federative Republic of Brazil Localization : South America Area : 8,547,403 sq km (3,338,829 sq mi) Population : 173 million Capital City : Brasilia Climate : Mostly Tropical but temperate in South States : 26 and one federal district. National Language : Portuguese

3. Green : Represents our great forest wealth. Yellow : The vast mineral riches of the land. Blue Globe : Represent our night sky The blue is in honor of our National Saint = Saint Aparecida 27 Stars : 26 represent our states and one represents the Federal District. It is also represents the constalation in the of our Independence day White Band : Wishes for Peace Optimist Logo : Order and Progress. * Brazilians love their flag and add its symbol in clothes, decoration, souvernir and also used as “blanket” during games and celebrations.

4. 1494 – Portugal and Spain signed up the Treaty of Tordesilhas. (A line through the Atlantic where lands found to the east of this line would belong to Portugal , while lands to the west would belong to Spain) 1500 – The Portuguese sailor Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil ( 8 years after Columbus’s journey to America) Note: Specialists estimate that 4 milion natives (Indians) were in the country when Cabral landed ( they came from Asia and North America 12000 years ago). Thousands of Indians died from new diseases brought to Brazil from Europe, and also the Indians were forced to work as slaves on sugar plantations. 1516 – Slaves from Africa began arriving ( around 3.6 million)

5. 1822 – September 7, Emperor Dom Pedro II proclaimed Brazil’s Independence. 1871 - Princess Isabel (the emperor’s daughter) convinced the Brazilian Congress to grant freedom at birth to the children of slaves. 1889 – Princess Isabel passed a law which freed all the last slaves in Brazil. 1889 – Military group proclaimed a new Republic of the United States of Brazil. (The country was guided by military presidents). 1985 – The army gave the presidential powers to a civilian. 1989 – The people had their first election for President . 2009 - Brazil is the third largest democracy in the world.

6. Brazil – The land of Opportunities After the Portugueses, hundreds of thousands of Germans and Italians immigrants settled in Brazil. Japanese immigration began in 1906 and today Brazil has the 2nd largest Japanese Community outside of Japan. We also have large colonies of Lebanese, Syrians,Turks, Egyptians,Palestinians, Chinese and Koreans. Brazil has more Lebaneses than Lebanon.

10. Amazon Foundation was created in 2007 by the Amazonas Governor Eduardo Braga in partnership with Bradesco Bank. This foundation is responsible to promote social and economic development in thirty four conservation units. Those units represent 16, 4 million of hectares (an area bigger than United Kingdom) and it is a reserved and protected area where 8.500 local families are being assisted by the Forest Program. The Amazon foundation reports indicate that Europe only preserved 0.3% of its original forest areas, North American only 19% and Brazil has 60% of preservation and today 98% of the forest is preserved due to innumerous community initiatives.

11. - Promote the production and trade of internal goods (Fruits, Fish, Cocoa, and etc) - Create local job opportunities to all families, to avoid them to commune long distances for an income opportunity and mainly to protect those families from illegal wood business job offering, which are very danger for Amazon preservation. - Food Stamps for local families who accepted and maintain the agreement of free deforestation until 2029.

12. Religion Brazil is the world’s largest Catholic Nation, 70% of the country is Roman Catolic

19. International Political Economy The International Political Economic scenario has changed and will face in the next few decades a major theme called BRIC, which is an acronym that refers to the fast growing development economies in the world of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Those countries will become a much larger force in the world economy than it is now and much larger than many investors currently expect. Goldman Sachs oversees that there are strong indications that the "four BRIC countries have been seeking to form a political club" or "alliance", and thereby converting "their growing economic power into greater geopolitical clout” as an indication of it is the BRIC Summit meeting in 2008 where the agenda was nuclear deal, finances and financial security, tourism, culture and fighting drug trafficking.

20. Brazil – Corporate Social Responsability Model There is no doubt that Brazil will be a super economic power in the near future, what is the most impressive numbers related to Brazil business is the number of companies and organizations working under the Corporate Social Responsibility economic development business practices, which is an ethic relationship between the corporations and community. The model aims that each corporation share their economic and development goals to all involved parts with the intention to assure that natural resources and culture issues are preserved and also to promote diversity and an equal society. 70 % of Brazil’s population is involved in volunteer projects.

21. Mercosul (Southern Common Market) was created by Assunción Treaty in 1991 and is is the 2nd largest customs union in the world after the European Union. Mercosul allows a commom external tariff and a free movement of capital, labor, tourism and services between Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile , Paraguay and Uruguay The Brazilian market is 70% of Mercosul Brazil’s GDP growth rate averages 3.6% and the size of Brazil’s economy will overtake Italy by 2025; France by 2031; UK and Germany by 2036.

27. Contact Information Noeli Piccoli Biggs Richland College International Programs and Partnerships Coordinator 12800 Abrams Road Dallas – Texas - USA 75243 Phone: 972.860.5101 Fax : 972.907.9837 Email: [email_address] Skype: Noeli Piccoli Biggs