ABSTRACT
Brazil is a country of contradictions. It is Latin America’s largest country in terms of both land mass and population, enjoys enormous reserves of fresh water and oil, and is the most biodiverse country in the world. Brazil also remains plagued by drug-related crime and violence, official corruption, income inequality, and social cleavages driven by race and economic status. This chapter aims to understand these “two Brazils” by tracing its political trajectory from the Portuguese crown, through its 21-year military regime, to its democratic period post-1985. It also looks at the country’s economic evolution, from an economy dominated by sugar and coffee extraction, to one that, although more diversified, still relies upon the fate of commodity prices. This chapter also looks at the more contemporary challenges of political polarization and racial injustice, informed by historical analysis.
