Portuguese colonization began in Northeastern Brazil after Pedro Alvares Cabral's accidental landing in 1500. Portugal established plantations in Brazil and brought slaves from Africa. In 1808 Rio de Janeiro became the home of the Portuguese royalty which was ousted by Napoleon's invasion. Portuguese Prime Regent John VI left Brazil in 1821. In 1822, Brazil proclaimed independence. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in South America.

A military coup d'etat of the civilian government in 1964 gave Brazil a military government for more than two decades. Since 1989 there has been a democratically elected civil leader.

Though Brazil has the world's largest Roman Catholic population, the birth rate has significantly decreased over the last 20 years. In 1980, Brazilian women gave birth to an average of 4.4 children each. In 1995, that rate dropped to 2.1 children.

The annual rate of growth has also decreased from just over 3% in the 1960s to 1.7% today. An increase in contraceptive use, economic stagnation, and the diffusion of global ideas through television have all been explained as reasons for the downturn. The government has no formal program of birth control.