Bra·zil [ brə zíl ]largest country in South America. Colonized by the Portuguese from 1500 onward, it became an independent republic in 1889. Languages: Portuguese. Currency: real. Capital: Brasília. Population: 198,739,270 (2009 estimate).
Area: 8,514,877 sq km (3,287,612 sq mi) Official name Federative Republic of Brazil
