Our Series on Federations are leading us to Brazil…
From its early days as a Portuguese colony, Brazil was a decentralized entity. Because of the vastness of its territory, it was segmented into captaincies that typically consisted of a strip of land starting from the coastal area. When the country became independent as the Empire of Brazil in 1821, the Captaincies were transformed into Provinces. As a Republican constitution was passed in 1889, the Provinces were promoted to the status of federated States. There were 18 Provinces upon Brazil’s independence and 21 States upon becoming a Republic. Today, there are 26 States and a Federal District, which contains the Federal Capital, Brasilia.
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Brazil in 2022
