12, 1798, at the Queluz Palace in Lisbon, the son of the prince regent of Portugal (later João VI) and his wife, Carlota Joaquina, the daughter of the Spanish Bourbon king Charles IV. Under a succession of able leaders, Brazil achieved political and economic stability, became a vital and influential member of the international community, and has at last achieved 'the treasure of destiny.' Although the republic would suffer through dictatorships and military juntas over the next century, democracy returned in the 1980s when the first elected civilian government assumed power after a negotiated transition. With the overthrow of Pedro II, the second and last emperor, in 1889 AD it became a republic. Full independence was achieved in 1822 when the Empire of Brazil was created with a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary government.

Brazil was a Portuguese colony from the time of the arrival of Pedro Cabral, who claimed it for his sovereign in 1500 AD, until the royal family in exile from their occupied homeland elevated it to the status of kingdom in 1815. Paulo Coelho, Brazil's greatest novelist, wrote of the history of his people, 'They were seeking out the treasure of their destiny, without actually wanting to live out their destiny.' Among former colonies, Brazil is unique in the Americas because, beyond gaining its independence through a relatively peaceful path, and even after dozens of failed separatist movements, it did not fragment into separate countries as did British and Spanish possessions.

Civilization 5 brazil