The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pedro I and his son Dom Pedro II, both members of the House of Braganza—a branch of the Capetian dynasty. A colony of the Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil became the seat of the Portuguese colonial Empire in 1808, when the Portuguese Prince regent, later King Dom João VI, fled from Napoleon I's invasion of Portugal and established himself and his government in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. João VI later returned to Portugal, leaving his eldest son and heir, Pedro, to rule Brazil as regent. On 7 September 1822, Pedro declared the independence of Brazil and, after waging a successful war against his father's kingdom, was acclaimed on 12 October as Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil. The new country was huge but sparsely populated and ethnically diverse. Unlike most of its Hispanic republic neighbors, Brazil had political stability, freedom of speech, respect for civil rights and vibrant economic growth. Its bicameral parliament was elected under comparatively democratic methods for the era, as were the provincial and local legislatures. This led into a long ideological conflict between Pedro I and a sizable parliamentary faction over the role of the monarch in the government. He also faced other obstacles; the unsuccessful Cisplatine War against the neighboring United Provinces of the Río de la Plata led to the secession of a Brazilian province in 1828. Despite his role in Brazilian independence, he became the king of Portugal in 1826 but immediately abdicated in favor of his eldest daughter. Two years later her throne was usurped by Pedro I's younger brother. Unable to deal with both Brazilian and Portuguese affairs, Pedro I abdicated on 7 April 1831 and immediately departed for Europe to restore his daughter to her throne. Wikipedia [ - ]

The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form... [ + ]