Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America, covering roughly half the continent's land area and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean along a coastline of some 7,491 kilometers. It encompasses a wide range of tropical and subtropical landscapes, including wetlands, savannas, plateaus and low mountains, and contains most of the Amazon basin, home to the world's largest river system. Portuguese rule gave way to the independent Empire of Brazil, declared on 7 September 1822 and recognized by Portugal on 29 August 1825; the country is now the Federative Republic of Brazil. Its capital is Brasilia.