Factbook
History of Brazil — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Brazil, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1822After more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889.
1822Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal).
1930Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getúlio VARGAS rose to power in 1930.
1930VARGAS governed through various versions of democratic and authoritarian regimes from 1930 to 1945.
1945Democratic rule returned in 1945 -- including a democratically elected VARGAS administration from 1951 to 1954 -- and lasted until 1964, when the military overthrew President João GOULART.
1985The dictatorship lasted until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers, and the Brazilian Congress passed its current constitution in 1988.
2003Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, Brazil was soon seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth under President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (2003-2010).
2011Congress removed then-President Dilma ROUSSEFF (2011-2016) from office in 2016 for having committed impeachable acts against Brazil's budgetary laws, and her vice president, Michel TEMER, served the remainder of her second term.
2013However, from about 2013 to 2016, Brazil was plagued by a sagging economy, high unemployment, and high inflation, only emerging from recession in 2017.
2014The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games -- the first ever to be held in South America -- to Brazil was symbolic of the country's rise.
2018Former President LULA was convicted of accepting bribes and served jail time (2018-19), although his conviction was overturned in 2021.
2022LULA's revival became complete in 2022 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Jair BOLSONARO (2019-2022) in the presidential election.
2022Languages: Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and many minor Amerindian languages Religions: Roman Catholic 56.8%, Evangelical 26.9%, none 9.3%, other 4%, Spirtism (Espírita) 1.8%, unspecified 1.4%, Umbanda and Candomblé 1.1%, Indigenous religions .06%, undeclared 0.2% (2022) Urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 8.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 13.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 60.2% of total instal Energy use: 48.889 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment Agriculture: sugarcane, soybeans, maize, milk, cassava, oranges, chicken, beef, rice, wheat (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 22.620 million São Paulo, 13.728 million Rio de Janeiro, 6.248 million Belo Horizonte, 4.873 million BRASÍLIA (capital), 4.264 million Recife, 4.212 million Porto Alegre (2023) upper-middle-income, largest Latin American economy; Mercosur, BRICS, G20 member and OECD accession candidate; growth driven by strong domestic consumption; monetary tightening helping curb inflation rate; high inequality in income and access to health and education Inflation: 4.4% (2024 est.).
2024Military spending: 1.1% of GDP (2024 est.).
2024Positioning Brazil as an independent global leader on climate change and promoting sustainable development, LULA took on the 2024 G20 presidency, balancing the fight against deforestation with sustainable energy and other projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth, such as expanding fossil fuel exploration.
2025Population: 221.4 million (2025 estimate).
