These immigrants brought with them African slaves. The hundreds of indigenous tribes living in Brazil and the 20th century inflow of Japanese immigrants also greatly expanded the cultural diversity of rural and urban life. The official language ofthe country is Portuguese. There are, however, a number of dialects spoken within each of the geographic regions. Like most other Latin American countries, the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, and has been since colonization.
Brazil still boasts the largest Catholic population in the world.
Many other religions are practiced in Brazil, including Judaism, many Protestant faiths, and religions based on African or native Indian rituals. In general, the number of practicing Catholics is on the decline in Brazil while many other religions are benefiting, a trend seen in our own culture. The Portuguese brought with them the means to cultivate sugar and began a flourishing trade based on the importation of slaves and the export of sugar to European markets. The growth of Brazil mirrors the economic and political developments in Europe, including the territorial expansion of Spain and Portugal in the last part of the 17th century. The most important consequence of this expansion was the discovery of gold in the interior of Brazil.