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Ilha de Vera Cruz (, ) ( Portuguese for ''Island of the True Cross'') was the first name given by the Portuguese navigators to the on the northeast coast of what later became
Ilha de Vera Cruz (, ) ( Portuguese for ''Island of the True Cross'') was the first name given by the Portuguese navigators to the on the northeast coast of what later became Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The name was later changed to Terra de Santa Cruz (''Land of the Holy Cross'').
When the Portuguese fleet, under Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral ( or ; born Pedro Álvares de Gouveia; c. 1467 or 1468 – c. 1520) was a Portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil. He was the first human ...
, first officially touched land in South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...
on April 22, 1500, they thought they had found an island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...
, as reflected in the chosen name. They took possession for the Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kn ...
of what was believed to be an island of strategic importance on a western connection between Portugal and the Moluccas and other islands of the East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
. This discovery marked the beginning of Portuguese colonization in South America. The name was changed to Terra de Santa Cruz when it was realized that it was not an island, but in fact part of a continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
.
In 1534, the colonies of Terra de Santa Cruz became the Captaincies of Brazil
The Captaincies of Brazil ( pt, Capitanias do Brasil) were captaincies of the Portuguese Empire, administrative divisions and hereditary fiefs of Portugal in the colony of ''Terra de Santa Cruz'', later called Brazil, on the Atlantic coast of n ...
, land grants to Portuguese captains General by King John III of Portugal
John III ( pt, João III ; 7 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious ( Portuguese: ''o Piedoso''), was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1521 until his death in 1557. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the ...
.
Colonial Brazil
Exploration of South America
Portuguese colonization of the Americas
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