Brazil

Politics: Brazil has had an interesting amount of political turmoil. Between 1831 and 1840, so-called regen¬cies governed Brazil, which is a group of people ruling on behalf of a monarch who is unable to rule because of youth, illness, or absence. The period was characterized by political turmoil and widespread rebellion across Brazil .During this time immigration continued; the coffee growing plantation economy of Sao Paulo expanded. As many counterfeit coins were in circulation, Britain was pressing for the abolition of slave trade, and there were rising figures of imported African slaves. Then, President Fernando Collor de Mello, elected in December 1989 was implicated in mid-1992 in an influence-peddling scandal, deeply dividing the republic.

Economy: Brazil has continued to struggle with inflation in spite of its economic standing with its products. Much of this has been caused by political turmoil. Double-digit annual inflation of the 1970s turned to triple digits by the 1980s, when Brazil was hit by the oil crisis. Brazil’s foreign debt skyrocketed and its foreign investment and credit dried up. The high inflation of the 1980s led Brazil to enact a policy of increasing interest rates, which slowed economic investment and expansion; gross domestic product grew only about 1.5 percent annually from 1980-1933.

Social: The Malê Revolt or The Great Revolt is perhaps the most significant slave rebellion in Brazil. In January of 1835 a small group of black slaves and freedmen, inspired by Muslim teachers, rose up against the government. This revolt helped to ban slavery in Brazil. As time continued on, Regionalism and military rivalries contributed to instability, and by 1930, the nation was in a state of unrest. After recovering from turmoil the country fell into what is known as the Brazilian lost decades in 1980 – 2000. During this period Brazil’s economic development stagnated, poverty increased and income distribution gap increased. Recovery policies...