978-1-4222-3341-2

Brazil

MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD Tradition,Culture, and Daily Life

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Brazil

Tradition,Culture, and Daily Life MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD

John Perritano

Mason Crest

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2015 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3067-1 ISBN: 978-1-4222-3078-7 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8771-2

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcopy format(s) as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data TK

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 History, Religion, and Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Family and Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Food and Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 School, Work, and Industry . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Arts and Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Cities, Towns, and the Countryside . . . . . . . . . 48 Further Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Series Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6

Christ the Redeemer statue, outside Rio de Janeiro.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: ITALY BRAZIL

INTRODUCTION B razil is a land of superlatives. It is the largest nation in South America and the fifth largest in the world in terms of both area and population. While most of Brazil’s population lives along the Atlantic coast, many indigenous tribes thrive in the dense jungle just as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Its cultures—a mix of indigenous, Portuguese, and African heritage—bring a vibrancy to daily life in the city streets and rural outposts. The country is home to the planet’s second largest river, the Ama- zon, whose rainforest—the largest in the world—carpets 1.4 billion acres (470 million hectares) of land. The country has so many plants and ani- mals that it is difficult to count all the species. Scientists are finding new ones all the time. Brazil is also rich in natural resources, including gold, oil, and natural gas. Along with the wealth in natural resources, however, come threats to the country’s environmental riches. In the last 40 years or so, for instance, nearly 20 percent of the rainforest has been destroyed to make room for large farms. Yet, Brazil is a country of immense beauty, a wonder of the world, a treasure to be cherished.

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS INTRODUCTION

The church of São Francisco de Assis in the state of Minas Gerais.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

aristocrats : members of the nobility or the highest social class. codification : making official and legal. descendants : those who descend from an ancestor. environs : surrounding areas. exploit : to use or develop something in order to gain a benefit. indigenous : originating or living in a region or country. moniker : nickname or special title.

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Title H story, Religion, and Tradition K ing Manuel I of Portugal was very fond of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral and his father, Fernao, had served the throne very well. In return for this loyalty, the king bestowed on Pedro Cabral various titles, including “Counselor to his Highness.” It was no small moniker and showed the immense pride the king had in the younger Cabral. The king also showered upon Cabral a hefty allowance. So it didn’t come as a shock to anyone when King Manuel asked Cabral to lead an expedition of thirteen ships to India. At the time, Portugal was small, but its kings were determined to make the country—and themselves, of course—rich. They outfitted trading ves- sels with large cannons more powerful than the guns on the ships of other

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CHAPTER ONE: HISTORY, RELIGION, AND TRADITION

nations. Portuguese trading ships were often commanded by men of wide- eyed courage and violence, many of whom were aristocrats . They seized ports and forts along the route to India and China. Cabral most certainly fit the mold of the rough-and-tumble sea captain and adventurer. On March 9, 1500, the navigator set sail from Lisbon to India taking a different route than his countryman, Vasco da Gama, had taken a few years before. Da Gama sailed around Africa, but told Cabral he should sail southwest to bypass the calm waters of the Gulf of Guinea, off the west African coast. Cabral did as he was told and on April 22, spotted land that he named the “Island of the True Cross,” an area in the northeast region of what would become Brazil. Cabral spent only ten days in the area, continuing to his orig- inal destination, India, on a journey that was wracked by bad luck, including the loss of four ships. Although Cabral had discovered a new land, the Portuguese ignored the region for thirty or so years. Portugal was more interested in India and other Asian lands. However, several other European nations eyed Brazil and threatened to take it by force. The Portuguese were also cashed-strapped, and needed the revenue a New World colony might bring. Consequently, the Portuguese paid more attention to the region Cabral had earlier discovered. Traders from Portugal

The landing of Cabral in 1500 in Porto Seguro in present-day Brazil, in a painting by Oscar Pereira da Silva (1865–1939).

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

found a species of tree there, with wood the color of hot coals— brasa in Portuguese. They called the trees “brazilwoods,” a term that gave the country its name. The Tupinamba Indians, one of many indigenous tribes in Bra- zil, were the first to meet the colonists, who sought to establish permanent settlements and monopolize the lucrative trade of the brazilwood. The wood was highly prized as an ingredient for mak- ing dye. The first Portuguese built settlements along the coast and began harvesting the valuable wood. At first, the Indians and European settlers worked well together. However, they cut down too many stands of brazilwood along the coast and had to push farther inland to satisfy their need. The far- ther into the wilderness the colonists roamed, the more expensive it became to cut down the trees. The Portuguese looked for another product to exploit . They found it in sugar. At the time, Europe loved sugar, although only a few people could afford the treat they called “white gold.” The climate of the Brazil and its environs was well suited for the cultivation of sugarcane. To grow and harvest the crop, the Europeans created a plantation system that relied on slave labor. Brazil soon became the center of the sugar trade and Portugal the world’s largest supplier to Europe. By 1612, Brazil was producing more than 19.8 million pounds (9 million kg) of sugar a year. INDIGENOUS RIGHTS Today, one of the most pressing issues for Brazil is indigenous rights, especially those concerning property. In 1988, the Brazilian Constitution recognized the rights of native tribes to pursue their traditional ways of life and to take possession of “traditional lands.” Despite its codification in law, the mining, logging, ranching, and farming interests continue to pose a major threat to those living in the Amazon. Settlers are illegally taking tribal land, sometimes violently. To grow and process sugarcane, the Portuguese had no qualms about enslaving Brazil’s Indians. The slaves, however, were not used to toiling long hours in the brutal sun. Many died in the fields, or were stricken with diseases

A Tupinamba Indian illustrated by Albert Eckhout, 1643.

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CHAPTER ONE: HISTORY, RELIGION, AND TRADITION

brought over by the Europeans. Many natives fled inland to escape the horrors of the plantations. Eventually the Por- tuguese replaced the native slaves with slaves from Africa. Portugal would rule Brazil for more than 300 years, imbuing the country with its language and its religion—Catholicism. Although few Portuguese traveled inland, Jesuit missionaries, whose mission was to Domingos Jorge Velho, a famous bandeirante , in a painting by Benedito Calixto, 1902.

“save” the souls of the natives, traveled well beyond the coast converting the Indi- ans to Christianity. That is why most Brazilians today are Roman Catholic. In fact, Brazil has one of the largest Roman Catholic populations in the world. Still, Brazil- ians practice a variety of religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, and candomblé, a form of Catholicism practiced by Brazilians of African descent. The priests were not the only ones moving into Brazil’s interior. Also mov- ing inland were the much feared bandeirantes , a group of fortune hunters and explorers who searched for resources to exploit and people to enslave. Some 200 years after Cabral arrived in Brazil, groups of bandeirantes traveled to the rugged mountain ranges west of Rio de Janeiro and found gold. The Brazilian gold rush was on and Brazil’s population boomed. Settlers moved away from the coast and thousands of Portuguese set sail from the mother country. New settlements sprung up in the gold-rich inland areas of Minas Gerasi, Mato Grosso, and Mato Gross do Sul. In response, the Portuguese government ordered that miners had to pay the crown one-fifth of all gold taken from Brazil. The gold, and later diamonds and other gems, allowed the financially strapped Portuguese government to pay off its considerable debts after wars with Spain and the Netherlands sank the country in a mountain of debt. Brazilian miners exported about 30,000 pounds of gold a year to Portugal. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, all the gold that could be found was harvested.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

COFFEE CRAZE Coffee eventually replaced sugar as Brazil’s primary export. The plant, originally from Ethiopia, came to Brazil early in the 1700s. As it was with sugarcane, Brazil’s climate was perfect for coffee cultivation. Coffee plantations sprung up around the coast, and the plant replaced sugar by the 1830s as the most dominant cash crop in Brazil. By 1850, coffee represented 50 percent of all Brazilian exports. Farming now became Brazil’s major occupation. By this time, the descen- dants of the first Portuguese settlers considered themselves Brazilian, and wanted to break free of Portuguese rule. However, in 1808, the French emperor Napoleon invaded Portugal. Portugal’s king, Dom João VI, fled to Brazil, set- tling in Rio de Janeiro, which was now the center of the Portuguese empire. Big changes were in store. Dom João undertook massive building projects. He invested in the arts and opened Brazil’s ports to other nations. When Dom João returned home in 1821, he left his son Dom Pedro in charge. In an abrupt policy shift from his father, Dom Pedro declared Brazil an independent nation. Dom Pedro ruled for nine years. His son, Dom Pedro II, became the emperor of Brazil at the age of fourteen. During Dom Pedro II’s reign, Brazil grew richer.

The eighteenth-century colonial palace, Paco Imperial, in Rio de Janeiro, was used as a dispatch house by King João VI of Portugal, then by Pedro I, emperor of Brazil.

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CHAPTER ONE: HISTORY, RELIGION, AND TRADITION

Companies built railroads and rubber flowed from the Amazon jungle. The country’s economy still depended on cheap labor provided by slaves. When slavery was abolished in 1888, wealthy landowners and slaveholders wanted to overthrow the government and by 1891, the Republic of Brazil was founded, complete with a new constitution. POWER OF A PRINCESS Dom Pedro II’s daughter, Princess Isabel, was the person responsible for ending slavery in 1888. Isabel was the last ruler of Brazil’s empire. The moneyed landowners were so furious with her, that they forced Isabel and her family back to Portugal and created a new government. Brazil’s Second Republic was established in 1946 and lasted until 1964, when discontent with the left-leaning government brought a military dicta- torship to power. In 1989, the first free elections since 1960, in which Brazilians could vote directly for their president, were held. Today, democratic institutions continue to flourish and while the coun- try is still challenged by deep-seated poverty throughout wide swathes of its population, it is thriving as one of the most dynamic developing countries of the world.

Princess Isabel (1828–1877), responsible for ending slavery in Brazil.

An open mass on May 17, 1888, commemorated the abolition of slavery. Princess Isabel and her husband are under the canopy on the left.

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS 1. Which direction was Pedro Álvares Cabral sailing from Portugal when he discovered Brazil and why did he choose that route? 2. Which group discovered gold? 3. When was slavery in Brazil abolished? RESEARCH PROJECTS 1. Select either Pedro Álvares Cabral or Vasco de Gama, or any monarch mentioned in the text, and write a short essay about their life and accomplishments. 2. Use the Internet and the library to research Brazil’s chief agricultural products. Find a map that shows where each crop grows. What can you determine by studying the map? RESEARCH PROJECTS 1.

A coin to celebrate Cabral’s 500th birthday.

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CHAPTER ONE: HISTORY, RELIGION, AND TRADITION

Locals play card games in a neighborhood square in Rio de Janeiro.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

exile : absence from one’s country or home, usually enforced by a government for political or religious reasons. inaugurated : sworn in as a nation’s president. Marxist : a person who follows the socialist teachings of the German political philosopher Karl Marx.

precarious : uncertain; unstable. relegated : assigned a duty to.

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Family and Friends

I n 2011, an earthquake struck Brazil. This was no ordinary tremor, but a seismic shift in the country’s political and cultural landscape. Dilma Rousseff was inaugurated as Brazil’s first woman president. Never before had a modern Brazilian woman reached such heights: her achievement underscored the great strides women have made in Brazil and the shifting dynamics of the Brazilian family. When Rousseff was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, most Brazilian fam- ilies were traditional, comprised of a wife, a husband, and children. The husband was financially responsible for the family, while the wife took care of all the domes-

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tic chores, including raising the children. Families were large and extended. Some households included grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Family gatherings were great opportunities to socialize, gossip, and enjoy one another’s company. The extended family network also provided a safety net during tough times. A WOMAN FIGHTER Dilma Rousseff was not the typical Brazilian woman. Born in a middle- class family in the coffee-growing region of Minas Gerais, Rousseff was a Marxist guerrillafighter heavily involved inbattling the country’smilitary rulers, who in 1964 overthrew the government of João Goulart. Rousseff fought against the military dictatorship and was jailed and tortured. She was the daughter of a Bulgarian political exile , who had been a member of Bulgaria’s Communist party in the 1920s and later a successful businessman. While the extended family still is important in Brazil, things began chang- ing slowly as the family structure shifted from a male-dominated structure. Women, who were once relegated to the rearing of children, began taking a more active role in providing for their families. Some, such as Rousseff, went to college and received an education.

The first woman president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, elected in 2011 and reelected in 2014.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

Many of today’s households include two working parents. In addition, the number of single-parent families is also on the rise as is the number of blended families, that is, those made up of biological children as well as those from previous marriages or relationships. Mar- ried couples are also having fewer children. For fourteen-year-olds in 1963, the average num- ber of siblings was 5.4. Today, that number is 2.3 brothers or sisters.

Why the change? Politics and econom- ics have played a huge role as many Brazilian women have found a new sense of freedom, allowing them to go out into the workplace. Women now make up 60 percent of college graduates in Brazil. Although their economic and political power has grown, many women still have a hard time finding good-paying jobs as managers or in senior positions. The shift, however, has not played out evenly across Brazilian society. Many families, especially those in rural areas, are poor. The head of the household is often illiterate. Poor families also have more young children than wealthier fam- ilies, and less access to clean water, education, and health services. Although Brazil is one of the world’s largest economies, it also has one of the highest unequal distributions of income rates in the world. In the 1990s, the wealthiest 20 percent earned twenty-six times as much money as the poorest 20 percent. That number has since dropped, but the richest 1 percent has 13 percent of all household income. In the favelas, or slums of the cities, most families tend to be headed by a mother. Crime, drugs, and economic problems have forced many people to live in the streets. But while unemployment is high in these communities and social problems abound, residents of favelas have a fierce sense of pride and belonging. In fact, many of their families have deep roots in these “shanty- towns,” often built into steep hillsides, having been forced to build makeshift

A family out for day of leisure in Rio de Janeiro's Botanical Garden.

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homes over decades as an alternative to affordable housing, notoriously rare in the big cities of the country. FAVELA IN TRANSITION Home to some 70,000people, Rocinha is Brazil’s biggest favela. Nearly all of its homes have electricity, sanitation facilities, and running water and are built of concrete or brick, no longer simply metal panels strung together precariously . As in other favelas in Rio de Janeiro and throughout the country, cultural expression—especially music—is vibrant. Another aspect of Brazilian family life is its cultural diversity. With an area that covers 3.28 million square miles (8.511 sq. km.), and with a population of 201 million, Brazil is home to many indigenous tribes, each with their own distinct family traditions and relationships, many still living off the land in the Amazon Basin. The Yanomami is the largest, most isolated indigenous tribe. They live in the northern Amazon area, made up of mountains and jungle—in a territory twice the size of Switzerland. Yanomami villages are populated by extended polygamous families, in which husbands have many wives. Young children often stay close to their mothers, who are expected to bear and care for many children. Although they don’t hunt—that’s the male’s job—women tend

Colorful favelas in Rio de Janeiro.

MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

Chiefs of the Kayapo tribe. From left to right, Raony (from the state of Mato Grosso), and Kaye, Kadjor, and Panara (from Pará).

A Yanomami woman and her child.

gardens with their children and wander the jungle looking for termite nests and other insects to eat. The Kayapo live in the eastern part of the Amazon, in thatched-roof huts made of palm leaves. Like other tribes, the Kaypos live in large matrilineal fam- ily groups, or households in which the line of descent is through the mother’s side of the family. When a man marries, he moves into the house of his wife’s family, his father-in-law has ultimate authority in the household, and the new husband must listen to him. While men have the upper hand in Kayapo soci- ety, young men must still defer to their elders. THE MAN OF THE HOLE With a population of 40,000, the Tikuna is the largest Amazon tribe in Brazil. The smallest tribe consists of one man, who many believe, is the last survivor of his group. Officials in Brazil became aware of him around 1995 and instituted measures to protect the area he resides in. He lives on his own, constantly shunning others, some of whom have tried to kill him. People call him “The Man of the Hole,” because he digs big holes either to trap animals for food or to hide in.

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Afro-Brazilians are another major group with their own customs and fam- ily traditions. They are descendants from the some 4 million slaves brought to the country by the Portuguese during Brazil’s colonial period. As a com- munity, Afro-Brazilians are very outgoing, although many are poor. Many Afro-Brazilian couples choose not to get married, but instead live together in a practice known as amasiado . As in many cultures, Brazilians have a hard time separating their private and personal relationships. As a result, nepotism—the display of favoritism by someone in power to relatives and friends—is encouraged. It is a way to hire workers a person knows and trusts, even though the practice is often criticized as a way of limiting power to a select group of people In fact, in 2000, legisla- tion to curb the practice among politicians was defeated, despite the fact that nepotism often leads to corruption. Connections among people are indeed important in the country. Brazilians are for the most part outgoing and relate to one another based on their friend- ships, kinships, and even by their neighborhood ties. Along with family values and social connections, friendships are highly prized. Brazilians often kiss the cheeks of their friends when they first meet, although men mostly shake hands, a sign of machismo, or masculinity. In some places, the kisses come in bunches, one on one cheek, two on the other. Friends often greet one other with a little kiss called the beijinho , or with an abraco , or

hug. It is important to have friends in Brazil, mainly because if you want to get something done, it’s all about who you know.

A woman in traditional dress in the historic district of Pelourinho in the city of Salvador, Bahia.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS 1. Explain how people might use the practice of nepotism in business and political affairs. 2. How has the role of women changed in Brazil over the past few decades? 3. Describe how people in a polygamous society might live. RESEARCH PROJECTS 1. Pick one of the indigenous tribes from the reading and create a photo collage with captions depicting their lifestyle. You can either create the collage as a computer slideshow, or bind it in a booklet. 2. Research and create a timeline of the life of Dilma Rousseff.

A couple walks on the beach—a favorite pastime for many Brazilians.

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Acaraje , traditional Brazilian fritters.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

cultivated : planted or grew, primarily for food. dwindling : disappearing or decreasing slowly. hallucinogenic : relating to a substance that causes hallucinations, or “seeing” of things that are not really there. traditional : relating to something that is based on old historical ways of doing things.

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CHAPTER

Food and Drink

B razil is a brew of multiethnic cultures scattered throughout many regions. Among the country’s jungles and cities, hamlets, and towns is a cuisine as varied as its population. Brazil’s culinary tastes and habits are chiefly influenced by its indigenous population, and the role that African slaves and Portuguese colonizers played in the country’s history. Others immigrants, including Germans who arrived in the early nineteenth century, and the Japanese, have also had a hand in molding the country’s culinary heritage. Not only does each of these groups have distinctive tastes, but each region in Brazil has its own special flavors.

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CHAPTER THREE: FOOD AND DRINK

The Amerindian population has contributed much to Brazilian cookery. Most Amerindians live in northern Brazil where they speak as many as 180 different languages. Each tribe, each culture, has its own cooking traditions, which makes it difficult to define Amerindian cuisine. Long before the Portuguese arrived, Bra- zil’s indigenous population cultivated maize, manioc, fresh fruit, and honey. They pressed fruits, such as papaya, into delicious drinks, and even used the fruit of the cashew tree to make a hallucinogenic drink they called cauim . Still, there are a few ingredients that bridge each culture and region. One is the cassava, or manioc, plant, a root high in carbohydrates. Cooks can buy cassava flour in the store, or do as they have always done, and pound the plant into flour to make bread or to use it as an ingredient with fish and meat dishes. Cooks use manioc meal to thicken meat and beef broths and they enrich tapioca, a byproduct of manioc, with coconut milk, cinnamon, and sugar, a process first used by the Arabs and later transported around the world by Portuguese traders. Many recipes also rely on maize, or corn. Grinding corn to make porridge is common among the Tupi Guarani, who also use the vegetable—after fer- menting it—to brew an alcoholic drink. Various tribes also eat native peppers,

Barbecue, yucca chips, and cassava bread.

Cassava root shown just harvested from the ground.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

turtles, turtle eggs, lizards, termites, and other insects. Roasting cacao seeds and using them to flavor water are also common native cooking techniques. For many Amazonians, cassava, meat, and fish are dietary staples. The northern part of Brazil is still heavily influenced by native dishes, includ- ing caruru do pará , a meal of dried shrimp, okra, onion, tomato, cilantro, and dende oil. Cooks use cassava flour, or farinha, in many recipes, including pirao , a gelatin-like food made of fish or meat stock. Cooks also roast farinha on the stove, scooping heaps of butter to make a dish called farofa that they serve with sautéed onions, raisins, or with a scrambled egg. FAVORITES FROM THE AMAZON Two much-loved dishes from the Amazon are made from two of its staples, fish and cassava. Fish Balls: Usually made from salted piraucu , an Amazon fish, these tidbits are seasoned with onions, cherry peppers, banana peppers, and cilantro. Chefs usually serve the fish balls with pepper sauce and lime slices. Manicoba : Those living in the Amazon love this tasty dish that uses the leaves of the cassava plant and bit of a pig’s stomach. The leaves however have to cook for seven days because they contain cyanic acid, which is poisonous. Moqueca de Camarao, a Bahian seafood stew made with prawns in coconut milk and dende oil.

Generations of indigenous people, especially in southern Brazil, still rely on ants as an important part of their diet. The insects are high in protein and are a

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good substitute for fish and monkey meat. People will often drive hundreds of miles each year to the town of Silveiras, 190 miles (305.78 km) from Sao Paulo, to buy the ants. Those living in the town serve the delicacy with traditional Brazilian dishes. These are no ordinary ants, however. They are a species called içás , which are beefy and can grow up to an inch in length. The içás are very fat and have been known to bite. POISONOUS CONSEQUENCES Pesticides threaten many species of Brazilian ants, including the içás . For the last several years, the ant population has been dwindling as humans use these poisons on eucalyptus trees, which are planted for paper and other products. On the other hand, in the South American country of Colombia, many people are exporting queen ants to France, Britain, and other countries, where diners dip them in chocolate. Most Amerindian cooks still roast meat on wooden skewers and put other dishes in earthen holes lined with leaves. Cooks light a fire over the holes to cook the meal.

Traditional Brazilian churrasco, cooked on spits over an open fire.

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When the Portuguese arrived in the 1500s, they brought their own culinary influences to Brazil. They also imported other dishes and flavors from their vast empire including okra from Africa, while exporting Brazilian dishes and ingre- dients, including potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, manioc, and a drink called guaraná, made from the powdered seeds of the cipó tree. Portuguese traders also took native sweet potato and nuts to Africa, which later spread to North America, Europe, and Asia. Seventeenth-century traders also introduced maize to other countries, including those in Europe and Africa. When they were liv- ing in Portugal, the colonists had eaten mostly meat, fish, soups and stews. By the 1600s, only small traces of Portuguese cuisine remained in Brazil. It was largely transformed by indigenous dishes infused with contributions from India and Africa. Some dishes remain today, however, including a delectable shrimp soup to which, upon their arrival in the region, the Portuguese added Brazil nuts. A HEARTY MEAL If Brazil has a national dish, it would be feijoada , the Portuguese word for "bean," which is a hearty and robust meat and black bean dish brewed with a variety of pork meats and parts, including bacon, pig’s ears, pig’s feet, tails, spare ribs, and tongues. Cooks then serve the stew with rice, sautéed collard greens, and kale. According to legend, the dish was first made by slaves on the sugarcane plantations, using the scraps of meat their masters would not eat.

A bowl of feijoada, the classic Brazilian meat and black bean dish.

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Women selling acarajé , deep-fried fritters, in Rio de Janeiro.

Contemporary diners can still taste the influence of the African slaves who came to Brazil to work on the sugar plantations. Upon their arrival, African chefs found ways to cook African, Indian, and traditional Portuguese dishes using local ingredients, including red palm oil. The oil gave the dishes a special color and flavor. Interestingly, the Portuguese brought the palm tree to Brazil from Africa. These dishes are part of the Bahia food tradi- tion, named for the state of Bahia, in which cooks used other ingredients including coco- nut milk, ginger, and pepper.

One Bahia specialty is acarajé , a dish made from peeled black-eyed peas rolled into balls or fritters and then deep-fried in palm oil. Cooks then split the balls and fill them with such things as shrimp and onions. By the early 1800s, African slaves sold many of their dishes on the streets of Brazil’s cities, including baked black-eyed pea cakes, shrimp and bread pud- ding, rice cakes, corn cakes, and sweet rolls. Many of these treats are still for sale today from street vendors. In São Paulo, diners often eat food with a North African, or Italian flavor, while some dishes in the southern portion of the country reflect the gaucho, or

cowboy culture. These dishes include dried meats, and a grilled meat called churrasco.

Acarajé with shrimp and onions.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS 1. Name three different foods cultivated by Brazil’s indigenous tribes. 2. Which native foods did the Portuguese export from Brazil to other countries? 3. Which group do you think had the most influence on Brazilian cuisine? Explain your answer using examples. RESEARCH PROJECTS 1. Research and compare three or four recipes from Brazil. As you do your research, write a short description of each recipe as you answer these questions: What are the main ingredients? Where did those ingredients come from? What influence does this dish have: indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, Portuguese, or some other group? 2. Imagine yourself opening a Brazilian restaurant in your community. Research and create a menu that potential customers might enjoy. Make sure you include main dishes, beverages, and desserts. Also, figure out a price for each item on the menu.

Coxinha de galinha , a fried snack filled with shredded chicken.

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São Paulo's busy highways.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

commodities : products produced from natural resources. illiterate : not capable of reading and writing.

industrialization : the process by which a country changes from a farming society to one that is based on industry and manufacturing. monopolies : companies—either privately or publicly owned—that control the production and/or sale of a particular product or service. reforms : changes in policies geared toward improving them.

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School, Work, and Industry B razil is an amazing economic success story, a Latin American giant in mining, agriculture, and manufacturing. Its political system, once led by military dictators, has stabilized in recent years. Brazil also provides the world many commodities , including corn, coffee, and oranges, not to mention the most amazing natural resource on the planet—the Amazon rain forest. Brazil’s education system is divided into several categories: elementary or primary school; secondary school called ginásio ; senior high school called colégio ; and colleges, trade schools, and universities. By law, elementary school students must attend class for three years. They have to wear uniforms and study English, Portuguese, science, math, and social studies.

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CHAPTER FOUR: SCHOOL, WORK, AND INDUSTRY

The Ipiranga Museum in São Paulo.

Many secondary schools, which are similar to junior high schools in the United States, are tuition-only, which makes them available only to a small percentage of students whose parents have the money to send them to these institutions. Brazil’s federal and state governments fund the university system. Several of the nation’s universities are among the top ranked in the world by a number of university-ranking systems. RENOWNED EDUCATION The oldest university in Brazil is the University of São Paulo, a highly regarded research institution. The university, which is funded by the government, does not charge students tuition. In addition to four museums, the university has its own symphony orchestra, law school, and four teaching hospitals. The university is the top-ranked university in Latin America and among the top 250 universities in the world. When it comes to education, however, Brazil often lags behind other coun- tries. Brazil consistently ranks at the bottom in math, science, and reading. In fact, according to the United Nations (UN), Brazil, along with several other nations, will not meet by 2015 a set of educational goals proposed by the UN. However, the UN notes Brazil is slowly making strides to provide an adequate education for its citizens. In 2000, 75 percent of adults were functionally illiterate , while more than 10 percent could not read and write at all. Moreover, only half of Brazilian children

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finished primary school. The poor quality of teaching is often cited as a major reason why Brazil’s schools are lackluster. That’s because most college graduates do not aspire to become teachers. Instead, the less qualified are often working in the classroom. Moreover, too many Brazilian students repeat entire school years. In fact, 15 percent of those graduating from secondary school are more than twenty-five years old. Just 42 percent of all students complete high school. Things have gotten better in the last decade or so as the government has instituted new reforms . Students have showed solid gains in reading, math- ematics, and science. Today, 97 percent of seven- to fourteen-year-olds now have access to schooling, while the adult literacy rate has climbed to 90 per- cent, and the youth literacy rate 97 percent. Despite problems with its educational system, Brazil has one of the world’s strongest economies ranking seventh in the world in 2014. The economic suc- cess can be seen in its cities, where modern buildings, skyscrapers, and high-end shopping centers dominate the cityscape. The streets in such cities as Rio de Janeiro are often crowded with shoppers and packed with cars and trucks, all vibrant examples of just how many middle-class residents live in the cities. The rise of the middle class is indeed an economic success story. According to some estimates, 40 million poor people made it into the middle class, while overall poverty has been reduced by 89 percent, and the unemployment rate to just under 5 percent, although by the fall of 2014 there were signs that the economy was slowing.

World-famous Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s President Dilma Rous- seff has said the main goal of the country’s economic development was to improve living conditions. In the past, economic develop- ment and proper living conditions didn’t always walk hand-in-hand. For most of its history, the Bra-

A field of sugarcane, still an important crop in Brazil.

zilian economy centered on one commodity or another, such as brazilwood, sugarcane, gold, diamonds, and coffee. As industrialization took hold in the mid- to late-1900s, Brazil’s economy grew as more and more factories were built. Within a few years, the country’s automobile, steel, and petrochemical industry boomed, although there were slowdowns from time to time. In the 1990s, economic reforms such as the abolishment of state monop- olies and the elimination of trade barriers, allowed the economy to begin humming after several years of stagnation. In 2001, the government launched a $6 billion antipoverty program that included health and education programs for the poor. However, the economy worsened, and the International Monetary Fund had to loan Brazil money to keep its economy going. Brazil eventually became one of the world’s emerging economies, fueled by the commodities it exported and government spending that lifted millions of poor into the middle class. In a few short years, Brazil became the leading indus- trial nation in Latin America and the second largest in the Western Hemisphere. Today, Brazil is a place where many foreign companies have built factories to make a variety of products including TV sets, chemicals, automobiles, and steel. Brazil is also a partner with several other South American countries, includ- ing Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, in a common economic market in which all tariff, or tax, barriers are eliminated, making it easier for these nations to trade with one another. Brazil’s economy has been so robust that in 2012, the country had the fifth largest number of millionaires, well ahead of the United Kingdom and Japan. Brazil was also one of the first nations to emerge from the economic crisis that gripped the world beginning in late 2007. Brazil relies heavily on its farmers and ranchers: it is among the world’s leading producers of soybeans, coffee, cacao, corn, sugar, cassava, oranges,

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tobacco, and many other products. Cotton grown in the southern part of the country is shipped to the textile mills in the east. SKYROCKETING SOYBEANS Exporting soybeans to a growing global market has become a significant part of the Brazilian economy. During the past five decades, soybean production has increased tenfold, to 260 million tons (236 million metric tons). One of the most important crops is still sugarcane. Today, Much of Brazil’s sugarcane is processed into ethanol, a biofuel. By the mid-1980s, every driver in Brazil was driving a vehicle that was ethanol-powered. Today, almost all cars there have “flexible” fuel engines that can run on either gasoline or ethanol. In fact, Brazil, gets 30 percent of its automobile fuel from sugarcane ethanol. In addition, Brazil is a major supplier of cattle, exporting large quantities of beef and other products. While cattle ranching and even ethanol production have helped fuel Brazil’s economy, perhaps no one crop contributes to the country’s coffers more than coffee.

A coffee planation in Alto Caparaó in the state of Minas Gerais.

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Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee—responsible for 10.2 percent of all Brazilian exports in 2011. Experts say there are 300,000 coffee planta- tions in Brazil mostly in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia, Paraná, and Goiás. Not only does Brazil export the most coffee, roughly 43.4 million bags in 2013, but Brazilians love to drink the drink. A bag of coffee weighs 132 pounds (60 kg) and in 1990, Brazilians drank 8.2 million bags of worth of the brew, a number that skyrocketed to 20 million in 2012. Gold mining is also big business, much as it was back in the 1700s when the gold rush opened the interior of the country to settlement. In 2011, Bra- zilian gold production topped 60 tons (54 metric tons) and is today a major source of income for Brazil and several other nations in the Amazon region. Brazil is the fourth largest producer of gold on the planet. IRON PROPORTIONS Brazil is one of world’s leading producers of iron ore. In fact, Brazil has five of the world’s largest iron ore mines, second only to Australia. The largest mine is the Carajás Mine, located in northern Brazil. The mine holds 7.9 billion tons (7.2 billion metric tons) of iron ore.

However, there has been much contro- versy as more mines open. Many people say the chemicals used in the mining process are wreaking havoc on the envi- ronment. Despite these issues, Western Europe, Japan, and the United States rely on Brazil for its mineral exports. Tourists explore the Passage Mines in Ouro Preto, the largest decommissioned gold mine open to visitors in the world. It's so huge that its tunnels connect two neighboring cities.

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TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS 1. List three of Brazil’s main exports. 2. How has the state of Brazil’s education system impacted the poor? 3. Describe the effect that Brazil’s emerging middle class has had on the country’s economy. RESEARCH PROJECTS 1. Research Brazil’s top exports for 2013 and create a pie chart showing the percentage of each commodity Brazil sends to other nations. What can you conclude? 2. Research Brazil’s gross national product, the total amount of goods and services a country producers, over the past 10 years and create a line chart to help you to understand if there has been a general trend in recent years.

A coffee farmer harvesting ripe beans.

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CHAPTER FOUR: SCHOOL, WORK, AND INDUSTRY

Children preparing for Carnival.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

abstinence : self-denial; stopping oneself from indulging in a certain desire, such as eating sweets. boisterous : loud and energetic. eclipsed : overshadowed or outdone by someone or something. upheaval : a sudden change in the political and social fabric of a society.

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P ele. Ronaldo. Rivaldo. Each is so famous that they don’t even use their last names. They are among the greatest soccer players in history, and each is revered in their home country of Brazil. It’s hard to understand the passion Brazilians place on soccer. It begins early when a child is born. Many fathers will hang the shirt of the team they hope their child will follow on the door of their child’s room. People will often ask family members to drape their coffins with the flag of their favorite team. When the national team plays, the nation shuts down as if it is on a holi- day. When Pele, who is probably the greatest soccer player in Brazil’s history, scored his one thousandth goal in 1969, the news eclipsed reports of humans landing on the moon for only the second time in history.

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Pele jumps to avoid the Swedish goalkeeper during the 1958 World Cup final.

A 1969 stamp commemorating Pele's 1,000 goals.

PELE PRIDE Perhaps no soccer player is as famous, loved, and revered, as Pele. Born in 1940 in Três Corações, Pele became a superstar with his stunning performance in the 1958World Cup, leading Brazil to a 5–2 win against Sweden. Pele was only 17 years old when he scored three goals in a 5–2 semifinal win over France. He later scored two goals against Sweden in the championship game, the first time that Brazil won the World Cup. Pele played for 20 years, leading Brazil to two World Cup victories. He then came to NewYork to play for the NewYork Cosmos, a professional soccer team. In 1999, soccer’s governing body named Pele, Player of Century. Brazilians like to think of their country as the “spiritual home of football,” so it is no wonder that in 2014 they took great pride in hosting the World Cup, the most important and prestigious soccer tournament in the world. Ever since the British brought the game to the Brazil in 1892, football has been regarded as a thing of immense joy, a combination of religion, music, and culture. The game has shaped Brazil’s identity, transforming what was an aristo- cratic, European sport, into something with mass popularity. One sportswriter

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in 2008 saw Brazilian soccer “as art,” the glue that bound society. The game appeals to the literate and the illiterate; the moneyed and the poor; city dwell- ers and farmers. When a team loses, not only does it reflect poorly on the players, but also on the country as whole. Another popular sport, which combines martial arts, dance, and music, is capoeira. The historical origin of the sport is up for debate, but many believe it started in the sixteenth century with African slaves in Brazil who wished to conceal their self-defense training. Capoeira is both an art form that fuses fast and complex spinning and kicking moves, as well as a challenge of balance between the players. Today, players across the world participate in the sport, with masters of capoeira traveling the globe to teach it to other cultures. The passion Brazilians have for soccer and capoeira is matched by Carni- val, the annual festival celebrated forty-six days before Easter. While Carnival is celebrated in many countries, Brazil’s is the most famous of all, with each city celebrating in its own boisterous and colorful way. The celebration has its A woman performs during Carnival 2014 in Rio de Janeiro.

Masters of Capoeira demonstrate tricks of this Brazilian martial art to local fans in the USA.

roots in the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church in which people would indulge themselves in food and fun just before the start of Lent— the period before Easter, which is marked by forty days of fasting and abstinence from worldly pleasures.

The most famous Carnival celebration is in Rio de Janeiro where thousands of revelers flock to the Sambodrome stadium wearing masks and colorful costumes. They parade in the stadium to the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the samba. In addition to Carnival, Brazilians observe a number of religious holidays, most notably St. John’s Night, held in June on the eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, who according to the Gospel of Luke, was born six months before Jesus. The feast day was brought to Brazil by the early Portuguese settlers who were devoted to the holiday. Brazilians love music and dance, which like the country itself, is a blend of European, African, and native traditions. The rattlers, shakers, and panpipes used in many Brazilian melodies are Native American in origin. In the 1600s, African slaves brought with them drums, while the Portuguese brought the cavaquinho, a ukulele-like instrument; the bandolim (mandolin), and the guitar. MUSIC STYLES The samba has influenced other types of Brazilian music. These include sertanejo , which had its origins in the Brazilian countryside in the 1920s, axé , a combination of samba and reggae, and pagôde , which is popular in the cities.

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In the 1930s, Brazilian music found its way north when Brazilian love songs became popular in the United States. Yet, those songs would never be as pop- ular as the bossa nova. In 1958, the bossa nova, a fusion of samba and jazz, rocked the music world. Musicians generally performed the bossa nova on gui- tar, but instead of the plucking the strings with a pick, players strummed the guitar with their fingers. BOSSA NOVA HIT You might not have heard of "The Girl from Impenema" before, but back in 1962, it helped fuel the bossa nova craze. Songwriters Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius deMoraes wrote the song after they were inspired by an eighteen-year-old named Heloisa Pinto who the composers saw walking by one day in Rio. They put music to paper and came up with a melody and lyrics. “Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking . . .” the song begins. It was a hit. The song topped out at No. 5 in the United States.

The samba is probably the most well- known dance and musical genre to emerge from Brazil. It has its roots in West African religious traditions, although many people consider the samba a unique expression of Brazilian culture. Today, it is a popular ball- room dance, in which a couple uses rapid foot movements as they rock and sway their bodies around the dance floor. Brazilian music has also been influ- enced by North America and Europe. In the 1960s, Brazilian musicians created the trop- icália  style, which some consider one of the most important musical movements to take root in the country. The style of music developed when Brazil was under dictato- rial control. The tropicália embraced the same counter-culture activism found at the

Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown plays at a concert in Barcelona, Spain, in 2003.

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