Brazil

The largest country in South America, Brazil was a Portuguese colony until the Napoleonic Wars, when the King of Portugal had to flee to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's largest city, and at that time its capital. His son declared Brazil independent in 1822, and the Empire of Brazil lasted until 1889, when a republic was proclaimed. Many indigenous people survived in Brazil, and the original migrants to the country were Portuguese. Great prosperity under Emperor Pedro II resulted in over 100,000 Europeans a year migrating to Brazil in the late 1880s. There had long been a large African slave population, with slavery only abolished in 1888. Brazil was the last major country to abolish slavery.

Historically, there have been large differences between the types of activities followed by the members of various communities. Indigenous people played traditional games and made heavy use of the pife, a flute fashioned from bamboo, and the maraca, a hollow wooden handle with dry seeds inside, serving as a rattle. Portuguese settlers brought with them some of their European pursuits, and wealthy Brazilians have taken to horse riding, being involved in rodeos, and enjoying Western-style theater, music, puppet shows, and the like.

The African community in Recife and Salvador, especially males whose ancestors came from modern-day Angola, often play capoeira, a form of judo and wrestling by which two players show their strength. The original concept came from slaves being punished for fighting who had to develop a method of testing their strength and prowess in a manner that would not attract the attention of their owners.

All communities in Brazil pursue recreational sports, with futebol (soccer) being the most popular game in the country, with boys and young men playing soccer in school playing fields, courtyards, and barren patches of land in every city and town in the country. With Brazil's teams doing well in international soccer events, many poor children hope to emulate Edson Arantes do Nasci-mento (Pelé) and rise from humble origins to become a world superstar. With about 90 percent of Brazilians living along the coast, swimming, surfing, yachting, and fishing remain extremely popular. Along beaches, there are always soccer games and people playing volleyball, riding bicycles, or being involved in windsurfing. Other sports that attract many Brazilians include boxing, tennis, basketball and also auto racing. Brazil has produced a number of important race car drivers.

Dancing and music, especially playing in the batería percussion bands, can be seen in frequent festivals, especially during Carnival, where the samba music attracts a large audience. Children as well as adults are involved in dressing up for the Vesta do Divino held on Pentecost Sunday, especially in the towns of Aleantra and Paraty, where children don costumes fashioned after 16th century clothes.

Board games in Brazil were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, with a Brazilian version of Monopoly called Banco Imobiliário (Real Estate Bank), with some street names from Rio de Janeiro and others from Sao Paulo. The game also varies from the original as it does not have the utility companies but instead has six railway stations.

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