For tens of thousands of years, Brazil was home to many tribes of native peoples who got their food by hunting and gathering.

In 1500 explorers from Portugal claimed Brazil for their king. That is why Brazilians speak Portuguese.

By the 17th century, the Portuguese were growing sugar. They were using native people as workers, but they also imported black slaves from Africa. The Europeans also introduced Christianity.

Many native people died because they caught diseases from Europeans for which they had no natural protection.

In 1822 the Portuguese colony of Brazil declared independence from Portugal. Independent Brazil is the world's fifth largest country and home to 193 million people.

Many people live in the great cities of Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo. However, the capital is a recent city in the centre of Brazil. It is called Brasilia. Brazil is home to the majority of the Amazon rainforest.