BRAZIL and FRANCE

In the History of Brazil, Brazil comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1822, when Brazil became independent from Portugal. During over 300 years of Brazilian colonial history, the economic exploitation of the territory was based first on brazil wood extraction  sugar production , and finally on gold mining. Slaves, specially those brought from Africa, provided most of the working force. In contrast to the neighbouring Spanish possessions, the Portuguese colony in Latin America kept its territorial and linguistic integrity after the independence, giving rise to the largest country in the region.