Portuguese colonization of the Americas - wikipedia Portuguese colonization of the Americas Part of a series on European colonization of the Americas First wave of European colonization British Couronian Danish Dutch French German Hospitaller ( Maltese ) Norse Portuguese Russian Scottish Spanish Swedish Colonization of Canada Colonization of the United States Decolonization Colonialism portal Portugal was the leading country in the European exploration of the world in the 15th century. The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 divided the Earth outside Europe into Castilian and Portuguese global territorial hemispheres for exclusive conquest and colonization. Portugal colonized parts of South America ( mostly Brazil ), but also made some unsuccessful attempts to colonize North America in present - day Canada. Contents 1 Settlements in North America 2 Colonization of Brazil 3 Caribbean merchants 4 Colonization of Uruguay 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Settlements in North America Portuguese North America ( in present - day Canada ) ; Vaz Dourado, c. 1576. Based on the terms of the Treaty of Tordesillas, the Portuguese Crown claimed it had territorial rights in the area visited by the Genoese explorer John Cabot in 1497 and 1498 on behalf of the Crown of England. To that end, in 1499 and 1500, the Portuguese mariner João Fernandes Lavrador visited the northeast Atlantic coast and Greenland, which accounts for the appearance of `` Labrador '' on topographical maps of the period. Subsequently, in 1501 and 1502, the Corte - Real brothers explored and charted Greenland and what is today the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, claiming these lands as part of the Portuguese Empire. Fragmentary evidence also suggests a previous expedition in 1473 by João Vaz Corte - Real, their father, with other Europeans, to Terra Nova do Bacalhau ( Newfoundland of the Codfish ) in North America. The possible voyage of 1473 and several other possible pre-Columbian expeditions to North America in the 15th century, mostly from the Azores in the case of the Portuguese ( included in donation royal letters ), remain matters of great controversy for scholars. Their existence is based on brief or fragmentary historical documents that are unclear concerning the destinations of voyages. In 1506, King Manuel I of Portugal created taxes for the cod fisheries in Newfoundland waters. João Álvares Fagundes and Pêro de Barcelos established fishing outposts in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia around 1521. These were later abandoned, however, when Portuguese colonizers began to focus their efforts mainly on South America. Nonetheless, the Portuguese - founded towns of Portugal Cove - St. Philip 's, Conception Bay and surrounding areas of east Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada remains important as a cultural region, even today. Colonization of Brazil In 1549, the Captaincy Colonies of Brazil were united into the Governorate General of Brazil, where they were provincial captaincies of Brazil ; Luís Teixeira, 1574. Main article : Colonial Brazil In April 1500, the second Portuguese India Armada, headed by Pedro Álvares Cabral, with a crew of expert captains, including Bartolomeu Dias and Nicolau Coelho, encountered the Brazilian coast as it swung westward in the Atlantic while performing a large `` volta do mar '' to avoid becalming in the Gulf of Guinea. On 21 April 1500, a mountain was seen that was named Monte Pascoal, and on 22 April, Cabral landed on the coast, in Porto Seguro. Believing the land to be an island, he named it Ilha de Vera Cruz ( Island of the True Cross ). The previous expedition of Vasco da Gama to India already recorded several signs of land near its western open Atlantic Ocean route, in 1497. It has also been suggested that Duarte Pacheco Pereira may have discovered the coasts of Brazil in 1498, possible its northeast, but the exact area of the expedition and the explored regions remain unclear. On the other hand, some historians have suggested that the Portuguese may have encountered the South American bulge earlier while sailing the `` volta do mar '' ( in the Southwest Atlantic ), hence the insistence of King John II in moving the line west of the line agreed upon in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. From the east coast, the fleet then turned eastward to resume the journey to the southern tip of Africa and India. Landing in the New World and reaching Asia, the expedition connected four continents for the first time in history. In 1501 -- 1502, an expedition led by Gonçalo Coelho ( or André Gonçalves and / or Gaspar de Lemos ), sailed south along the coast of South America to the bay of present - day Rio de Janeiro. Among his crew was the Florentine Amerigo Vespucci. According to Vespucci, the expedition reached the latitude `` South Pole elevation 52 ° S '' in the `` cold '' latitudes of what is now Patagonia, near the Strait of Magellan, before turning back. Vespucci wrote that they headed toward the southwest - south, following `` a long, unbending coastline ''. This seems controversial, since he changed part of his description in the subsequent letter ( stating that around 32 ° S, they made a shift to open sea, to south - southeast ), maintaining, however, that they reached a similar 50 ° S latitude. Amerigo Vespucci participated as observer in four Spanish and Portuguese exploratory voyages. The expeditions became widely known in Europe after two accounts attributed to him, published between 1502 and 1504. His last two voyages to the east and southern east coasts of South America, by Portugal, especially the expedition of 1501 - 1502 to Brazil and beyond, and its meeting with Cabral ` s ships and men ( who had touched the South American, African and Asian continents ) on the African coast, at Bezeguiche ( the bay of Dakar, Senegal ), listening the accounts of its sailors ( then returning to Portugal ), were the most decisive for his `` New World '' hypothesis. Vespucci suggested that the newly discovered lands ( especially what is today South America / Brazil ) were not the Indies but a `` New World '', the Mundus novus, Latin title of a contemporary document based on Vespucci letters to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de ' Medici, which had become widely popular in Europe. Around 1508 or 1511 - 1512, Portuguese captains reached and explored the River Plate estuary in the present - day Uruguay and Argentina, and went as far south as the present - day Gulf of San Matias at 42 ° S ( recorded in the Newen Zeytung auss Pressilandt meaning `` New Tidings from the Land of Brazil '' ). Some historians have attributed this voyage to Coelho and Vespucci years before, but a good part of historians and researchers, through the sparse and comparative documentation, identify the captains and the experienced pilot of the India run ( `` the best Pilot of Portugal '' and a `` best friend '' of the Fugger 's Agent ), with Diogo Ribeiro, Estevão Frois and the pilot João de Lisboa. The explorers also reported that after going by the 40th parallel to south, along the coast, they found a `` land '' or `` point extending into the sea '', and further south, a Gulf. This and the following expeditions of Cristóvão Jacques to the River Plate and into the Parana River in 1521 ; and of Martim Afonso de Sousa and his brother Pero Lopes de Sousa, in 1530 - 1532, from the Amazon river, to Lagoa dos Patos and to the rivers Plate and Paraná, reinforced and demonstrated Portuguese interest in the River Plate. Permanent habitation in Brazil did not begin until São Vicente was founded in 1532 by Martim Afonso de Sousa, although temporary trading posts were established earlier to collect brazilwood, used as a dye. São Vicente, by its democratic municipal prerogatives ( in the tradition of Portuguese municipalism since the Middle Ages ) and by the general elections to its first Câmara ( City Council ) on August 22, 1532, is symbolically considered the birthplace of democracy in the Americas. From 1534 to 1536, 15 Captaincy colonies were created in Portuguese America. The captaincies were autonomous, and mostly private, colonies of the Portuguese Empire, each owned and run by a Captain - major. In 1549, due to their failure and limited success, the Captaincy Colonies of Brazil were united into the Governorate General of Brazil. The captaincy colonies were reorganized as provincial districts to the Governorate. The captaincies continued to be ruled by their hereditary captain - majors but they now reported to the Governor - General of Brazil. The new system was implemented so that Portuguese America could be managed correctly and provide a steady and wealthy income for the Portuguese Empire. The capital of the new governorate established its capital at São Salvador and the first Jesuits arrived the same year. With permanent settlement came the establishment of the sugar cane industry and its intensive labor demands which were met with Native and later African slaves. From 1565 through 1567, Mem de Sá, the third Governor General of Brazil, successfully destroyed a ten - year - old French colony called France Antarctique, at Guanabara Bay. He and his nephew, Estácio de Sá, then founded the city of Rio de Janeiro in March 1567. In 1621, Philip II of Portugal divided the Governorate General of Brazil into two separate and autonomous colonies, the State of Maranhão and the State of Brazil. Regarding this period it is preferable to refer to `` Portuguese America '' rather than `` Portuguese Brazil '' or `` Colonial Brazil '', as the states were two separate colonies, each with their own governor general and government. Between 1630 and 1654, the Netherlands came to control part of Brazil 's Northeast region, with their capital in Recife. The Portuguese won a significant victory in the Second Battle of Guararapes in 1649. By 1654, the Netherlands had surrendered and returned control of all Brazilian land to the Portuguese. In 1751, the State of Maranhão was restructured into the State of Grão - Pará and Maranhão, with a new capital and government. In 1772, the State of Grão - Pará and Maranhão was split into two new states, the State of Grão - Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí. The new states would fare poorly and only last 3 years. In 1775, the three colonies of Portuguese America ( the State of Brazil, the State of Maranhão and Piauí ; and the State of Grão - Pará and Rio Negro ) were united into a singular colony, under the State of Brazil. This arrangement would last until the end of Colonial Brazil. As a result, Brazil did not split into several countries, as happened to its Spanish - speaking neighbors. Caribbean merchants The Early Navigators practically have been to the entire Caribbean, from The Bahamas to Jamaica. Papiamento, one of the languages spoken in the islands, is a mixture of Portuguese and African languages. Portuguese merchants have been trading in the West Indies. To such an extent, that, for instance, for the Portuguese town of Póvoa de Varzim, most of its seafarers dying abroad, most of the deaths occurred in the Route of the Antilles, in the West Indies. At the turn of the 17th century, with the union with Castile, the Spanish kings favored the free movement of the people, and other lands of the New World, such as Peru and the Gulf of Mexico, were open to the Portuguese merchants. Colonization of Uruguay The Portuguese founded the first Uruguayan city, Colónia do Sacramento. See also Atlantic World Barbados Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery Portuguese Guyanese Colonial Brazil Portuguese in Mexico Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino ( archives in Lisbon documenting Portuguese Empire, including the Americas ) Former colonies and territories in Canada History of Brazil Jesuit Reductions Portugal in the period of discoveries References Jump up ^ `` John Cabot 's voyage of 1498 ''. Memorial University of Newfoundland ( Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage ). 2000. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 12. ^ Jump up to : Bailey Bailey Wallys Diffie ( 1977 ). Foundations of the Portuguese Empire : 1415 - 1580. U of Minnesota Press. p. 464. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8166 - 0782 - 2. Jump up ^ Vigneras, L. - A. ( 1979 ) ( 1966 ). `` Corte - Real, Miguel ''. In Brown, George Williams. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. I ( 1000 -- 1700 ) ( online ed. ). University of Toronto Press. Jump up ^ `` PORTUGUESE BULLS, FIRST IN NORTH AMERICA ''. Dr. Manuel Luciano da Silva. 2000. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ http://pcsp.ca/?Content=Visiting/About_Our_Town/History Jump up ^ N. McAlister, Lyle. ( 1984 ) Spain and Portugal in the New World : 1492 -- 1700. p. 75. Jump up ^ Crow 1992, p. 136. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415 - 1580, Bailey Wallys Diffie and George D. Winius - Page 187, University of Minnesota Press, 1977 Jump up ^ ( 2 ) The Invention of America. Indiana University Press. pp. 106 -- 107, by Edmundo O'Gorman Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Imago Mvndi - Brill Archive - Leiden, Editorial Board. Leo Bagrow, Stokholm - New light on Vespucci ` s third voyage, By R. Levillier pp. 40 - 45 Jump up ^ Arciniegas 1978, pp. 295 -- 300. Jump up ^ Diffie 1977, pp. 458. Jump up ^ Bethell, Leslie ( 1984 ). The Cambridge History of Latin America, Volume 1, Colonial Latin America. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. p. 257. ( 4 ) Jump up ^ Laguarda Trias, Rolando A. ( 1988 ). Pilotos portugueses en el Rio de La Plata durante el siglo XVI. Coimbra : UC Biblioteca Geral 1. pp. 59 -- 61. ( 5 ) Jump up ^ Newen Zeytung auss Presillg Landt ( in ancient german and portuguese ) Newen Zeytung auss Presillg Landt Jump up ^ Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate. The Spanish Lake. Canberra : ANU E Press, 2004. p. 37. ( 6 ) Jump up ^ http://guardian.co.tt/letters/2011/06/13/portuguese-caribbean Jump up ^ Amorim, Manuel ( 2003 ). A Póvoa Antiga. Na Linha do horizonte - Biblioteca Poveira CMPV. Jump up ^ http://www.exploringuruguay.com/cool-stuff/uruguay-facts-2/ External links The Corte - Real explorations of North America in the official Library and Archives Canada website. Vigneras, L. - A. ( 1979 ) ( 1966 ). `` Fagundes, João Álvares ''. In Brown, George Williams. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. I ( 1000 -- 1700 ) ( online ed. ). University of Toronto Press. Portuguese overseas empire North Africa 15th century 1415 -- 1640 Ceuta 1458 -- 1550 Alcácer Ceguer ( El Qsar es Seghir ) 1471 -- 1550 Arzila ( Asilah ) 1471 -- 1662 Tangier 1485 -- 1550 Mazagan ( El Jadida ) 1487 -- 16th century Ouadane 1488 -- 1541 Safim ( Safi ) 1489 Graciosa 16th century 1505 -- 1541 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué ( Agadir ) 1506 -- 1525 Mogador ( Essaouira ) 1506 -- 1525 Aguz ( Souira Guedima ) 1506 -- 1769 Mazagan ( El Jadida ) 1513 -- 1541 Azamor ( Azemmour ) 1515 -- 1541 São João da Mamora ( Mehdya ) 1577 -- 1589 Arzila ( Asilah ) Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455 -- 1633 Anguim 1462 -- 1975 Cape Verde 1470 -- 1975 São Tomé 1471 -- 1975 Príncipe 1474 -- 1778 Annobón 1478 -- 1778 Fernando Poo ( Bioko ) 1482 -- 1637 Elmina ( São Jorge da Mina ) 1482 -- 1642 Portuguese Gold Coast 1508 -- 1547 Madagascar 1498 -- 1540 Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500 -- 1630 Malindi 1501 -- 1975 Portuguese Mozambique 1502 -- 1659 Saint Helena 1503 -- 1698 Zanzibar 1505 -- 1512 Quíloa ( Kilwa ) 1506 -- 1511 Socotra 1557 -- 1578 Accra 1575 -- 1975 Portuguese Angola 1588 -- 1974 Cacheu 1593 -- 1698 Mombassa ( Mombasa ) 17th century 1645 -- 1888 Ziguinchor 1680 -- 1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá 1687 -- 1974 Bissau 18th century 1728 -- 1729 Mombassa ( Mombasa ) 1753 -- 1975 Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879 -- 1974 Portuguese Guinea 1885 -- 1974 Portuguese Congo Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. Or 1600. A factory ( Anosy Region ) and small temporary coastal bases. Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Part of Portuguese Angola from the 1920s. Middle East ( Persian Gulf ) 16th century 1506 -- 1615 Gamru ( Bandar Abbas ) 1507 -- 1643 Sohar 1515 -- 1622 Hormuz ( Ormus ) 1515 -- 1648 Quriyat 1515 -- ? Qalhat 1515 -- 1650 Muscat 1515 ? -- ? Barka 1515 -- 1633 ? Julfar ( Ras al - Khaimah ) 1521 -- 1602 Bahrain ( Muharraq Manama ) 1521 -- 1529 ? Qatif 1521 ? -- 1551 ? Tarut Island 1550 -- 1551 Qatif 1588 -- 1648 Matrah 17th century 1620 -- ? Khor Fakkan 1621 ? -- ? As Sib 1621 -- 1622 Qeshm 1623 -- ? Khasab 1623 -- ? Libedia 1624 -- ? Kalba 1624 -- ? Madha 1624 -- 1648 Dibba Al - Hisn 1624 ? -- ? Bandar - e Kong Indian subcontinent 15th century 1498 -- 1545 Laccadive Islands ( Lakshadweep ) 16th century Portuguese India 1500 -- 1663 Cochim ( Kochi ) 1501 -- 1663 Cannanore ( Kannur ) 1502 -- 1658 1659 -- 1661 Quilon ( Coulão / Kollam ) 1502 -- 1661 Pallipuram ( Cochin de Cima ) 1507 -- 1657 Negapatam ( Nagapatnam ) 1510 -- 1961 Goa 1512 -- 1525 1750 Calicut ( Kozhikode ) 1518 -- 1619 Portuguese Paliacate outpost ( Pulicat ) 1521 -- 1740 Chaul ( Portuguese India ) 1523 -- 1662 Mylapore 1528 -- 1666 Chittagong ( Porto Grande De Bengala ) 1531 -- 1571 Chaul 1531 -- 1571 Chalé 1534 -- 1601 Salsette Island 1534 -- 1661 Bombay ( Mumbai ) 1535 Ponnani 1535 -- 1739 Baçaím ( Vasai - Virar ) 1536 -- 1662 Cranganore ( Kodungallur ) 1540 -- 1612 Surat 1548 -- 1658 Tuticorin ( Thoothukudi ) 1559 -- 1961 Daman and Diu 1568 -- 1659 Mangalore ( Portuguese India ) 1579 -- 1632 Hugli 1598 -- 1610 Masulipatnam ( Machilipatnam ) 1518 -- 1521 Maldives 1518 -- 1658 Portuguese Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ) 1558 -- 1573 Maldives 17th century Portuguese India 1687 -- 1749 Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India 1779 -- 1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511 -- 1641 Portuguese Malacca ( Malaysia ) 1512 -- 1621 Maluku ( Indonesia ) 1522 -- 1575 Ternate 1576 -- 1605 Ambon 1578 -- 1650 Tidore 1512 -- 1665 Makassar 1557 -- 1999 Macau ( China ) 1580 -- 1586 Nagasaki ( Japan ) 17th century 1642 -- 1975 Portuguese Timor ( East Timor ) 19th century Portuguese Macau 1864 -- 1999 Coloane 1851 -- 1999 Taipa 1890 -- 1999 Ilha Verde 20th century Portuguese Macau 1938 -- 1941 Lapa and Montanha ( Hengqin ) 1975 is the year of East Timor 's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor 's independence was fully recognized. North America & North Atlantic 15th century ( Atlantic islands ) 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century ( Canada ) 1500 -- 1579 ? Terra Nova ( Newfoundland ) 1500 -- 1579 ? Labrador 1516 -- 1579 ? Nova Scotia South America & Antilles 16th century 1500 -- 1822 Brazil 1534 -- 1549 Captaincy Colonies of Brazil 1549 -- 1572 Brazil 1572 -- 1578 Bahia 1572 -- 1578 Rio de Janeiro 1578 -- 1607 Brazil 1621 -- 1815 Brazil 1536 -- 1620 Barbados 17th century 1621 -- 1751 Maranhão 1680 -- 1777 Nova Colónia do Sacramento 18th century 1751 -- 1772 Grão - Pará and Maranhão 1772 -- 1775 Grão - Pará and Rio Negro 1772 -- 1775 Maranhão and Piauí 19th century 1808 -- 1822 Cisplatina ( Uruguay ) 1809 -- 1817 Portuguese Guiana ( Amapá ) 1822 Upper Peru ( Bolivia ) Coats of arms of Portuguese colonies Evolution of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonialism in Indonesia Portuguese colonization of the Americas Theory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portuguese_colonization_of_the_Americas&oldid=804413876 '' Categories : Portuguese colonization of the Americas Colonial Brazil Colonization of the Americas Former Portuguese colonies Portuguese discoveries Portugal in the Age of Discovery Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Português Română Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 8 October 2017, at 21 : 16. 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Question: what south american country was settled by the portuguese
Answer: Brazil