Though Pedro Alvares Cabral accidentally landed at the coast of Brazil on his way to India in 1500, Portugal expressed little interest in the territory until explorers discovered forests containing ample reserves of the valuable red dye called brasil. Subsequent Jesuit missionaries succeeded in converting much of the country to Catholicism. Colonial Brazil acquired new importance and a national identity when the Portuguese royal family, fleeing from Napoleons armies, crossed the Atlantic and established a court-in-exile in their South American possession. Elevated to the status of kingdom in 1815, Brazil exercised its fabled spell on the newcomers, with the result that the heir to the Portuguese throne, Pedro, declined to return to Portugal after Napoleon was defeated. In 1822, under the leadership of Dom Pedro I, the empire of Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. His son, Dom Pedro II, developed the countrys infrastructure before abdicating in 1889.

In the 20th century, Brazil has absorbed an enormous influx of immigrants, which has quadupled its population to 160 million since 1945. Despite its size, its wealth of resources, and its economic potential, Brazil has found its development hampered by an array of social and political problems. Regionalism, corruption, and persistent poverty have made the countrys democracy fragile, prompting interventions by the military. Today, the predicament of the countrys 12 million homeless children, disputes over land and rain forest issues, and the radically uneven distribution of wealth are some of Brazils stiffest challenges.

Todays Brazilians reflect the mingling of earlier Portuguese, native, and African populations, as well as the more recent influence of Germans and Italians; an elaborate lexicon is dedicated to describing ethnic nuances. Brazilian Portuguese is laced with African and native vocabularies, and the orixas (deities) of the Afro-Brazilian Candomble religion are sometimes venerated alongside traditional Catholic saints. Likewise, African rhythms are the heart of samba; jazz gooses gentrified bossa nova; and tropicalismo embraces nearly musical genre.

Although Brazils official capital is Brasilia, it is Rio de Janeiro that enjoys the sophisticated reputation and cosmopolitan outlook of a city that has evolved on its own merits. The aerial view of Rio--usually including the statue of Christ the Redeemer, arms outstretched, atop Corcovado (Hunchback) peak--has long symbolized the ultimate getaway. Corcovado affords breathtaking vistas of both the southern and northern quarters of Rio.