A brief, historical sketch explains how Brazil's research and development institutions were shaped. In very broad terms, this history can be divided into seven periods, some of which overlap.

Colonial Science

"Colonial science" covered the period from the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese in 1500 until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Contrary to what happened in many regions of Spanish America, the Portuguese did not bring their universities to the New World. Whatever existed in terms of scientific research in those years was done by European explorers, who incorporated their findings in the European collections of natural history. Economic activities in those years were restricted to the production of sugar, gold, and coffee; slave labor existed almost to the end of the nineteenth century, and work tended to be labor- and land-intensive and unskilled.

Data as of April 1997

NOTE: The information regarding Brazil on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brazil Colonial Science information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brazil Colonial Science should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.