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State Estado (Portuguese)
Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean North Region Northeast Region Central-West Region Southeast Region South Region Acre Amazonas Pará Roraima Amapá Rondônia Tocantins Maranhão Bahia Piauí Ceará Rio Grande do Norte Paraíba Pernambuco Alagoas Sergipe Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Federal District Goiás Minas Gerais São Paulo Rio de Janeiro Espírito Santo Paraná Santa Catarina Rio Grande do Sul Argentina Bolivia Chile Colombia French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Category	Federated state
Location	Federative Republic of Brazil
Number	27
Populations	496,936 (Roraima) – 44,035,304 (São Paulo)
Areas	21,910 km2 (8,459.6 sq mi) (Sergipe) – 1,570,800 km2 (606,470 sq mi) (Amazonas)
Government	State government
Subdivisions	Municipality

The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of 27 Federative Units (Portuguese: Unidades Federativas, UF): 26 states (estados) and one federal district (distrito federal), where the federal capital, Brasília, is located. The states are generally based on historical, conventional borders which have developed over time.

The Federal District is not a state, but shares some characteristics of a state as well as some of a municipality.

The codes given below are defined in ISO 3166-2:BR.

Brazil
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History

The present states of Brazil trace their history directly to the captaincies established by Portugal following the Treaty of Tordesillas which divided part of South America between Portugal and Spain.

The States of Brazil, their respective flags, their state capitals, and their largest cities.

The first administrative divisions of Brazil were the hereditary captaincies (capitanias hereditárias), stretches of land granted by the Portuguese Crown to noblemen or merchants with a charter to colonize the land. As the map shows, these divisions generally followed lines of latitude. Each of the holders of these captaincies was referred to as a captain donatary (capitão donatário). These captaincies were to be passed from father to son, but the Crown retained the power to revoke them, which the King indeed did in the 16th century^{[disputed – discuss]}.

In 1549, the Portuguese Crown appointed Tomé de Sousa as the first governor-general of the vast Portuguese dominion in South America. This dominion overall became known as the State of Brazil (Estado do Brasil). In several^{[citation needed]} periods of history, the northern half of the dominion was detached from the State of Brazil, becoming a separate entity known as the State of Maranhão. Maranhão by then referred not only to current Maranhão, but rather to the whole of the Amazon region; the name marã-nã in old Tupi language means "wide river", referring to the Amazon River.

After the Iberian Union (1580–1640), the territory of Portuguese colonial domains in South America was more than doubled, and the land was divided into hereditary and royal captaincies, with the latter being governed directly by the Crown. Unlike Spanish America, the whole territory remained united under a single governor-general (with the permanent title of viceroy after 1720), based in Salvador (after 1763, in Rio de Janeiro). This arrangement later helped to keep Brazil as a unified nation-state, avoiding fragmentation similar to that of the Spanish domains.

In 1759, the heritability of the captaincies was totally abolished by the government of the Marquis of Pombal, with all captains becoming appointed by the Crown. The captaincies were officially renamed "provinces" on 28 February 1821.

With independence, in 1822, the former captaincies became provinces of the Empire of Brazil. Most internal boundaries were kept unchanged from the colonial period, generally following natural features such as rivers and mountain ridges. Minor changes were made to suit domestic politics (such as transferring the Triângulo Mineiro from Goiás to Minas Gerais, splitting Paraná and transferring the south bank of the São Francisco River from Pernambuco to Bahia), as well as additions resulting from diplomatic settlement of territorial disputes by the end of the 19th century (Amapá, Roraima, Palmas). When Brazil became a republic in 1889, all provinces immediately became states.

In 1943, with the entrance of Brazil into the Second World War, the Vargas regime detached seven strategic territories from the border of the country in order to administer them directly: Amapá, Rio Branco, Acre, Guaporé, Ponta Porã, Iguaçu and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. After the war, the first four territories became states, with Rio Branco and Guaporé being renamed Roraima (1962) and Rondônia (1956), respectively, whilst Ponta Porã and Iguaçu remained as territories.

In 1960, the square-shaped Distrito Federal was carved out of Goiás in preparation for the new capital, Brasília. The previous federal district became Guanabara State, but in 1975 it was merged with Rio de Janeiro State, retaining its name and with the municipality of Rio de Janeiro as its capital.

In 1977, Mato Grosso was split into two states. The northern area retained the name Mato Grosso while the southern area became the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, with Campo Grande as its capital. The new Mato Grosso do Sul incorporated the territory of Ponta Porã and the northern part of Iguaçu. Central Iguaçu went to Paraná, and southern Iguaçu went to Santa Catarina.

In 1988, the northern portion of Goiás became the state of Tocantins, with Palmas as its capital. Also archipelago Fernando de Noronha became part of Pernambuco.

Government

The government of each state of Brazil is divided into executive, legislative and judiciary branches.

The state government constitutes the executive branch in each of the states. It is headed by a state governor and also includes a vice-governor, several secretaries of state—each one in charge of a given portfolio—and the state attorney-general.

The state legislature branch is the legislative assembly, a unicameral body composed of state deputies.

The judiciary in each of the states is made up of a Court of Justice and the judges of law. The judges of law constitute courts of first instance. The Court of Justice is the court of second instance of the state and is composed of judges called desembargadores.

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  1534
  Captaincies of Brazil
  

  
  

  
  


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  1621
  First division in two states
  

  
  

  
  


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  1709
  Greatest extent of São Paulo captaincy
  

  
  

  
  


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  1750
  Treaty of Madrid
  

  
  

  
  


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  1817
  Captaincies at the time of Pernambucan revolt
  

  
  

  
  


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  1822
  Imperial provinces
  

  
  

  
  


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  1889
  States at the start of Republic
  

  
  

  
  


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  1943
  Border territories
  

  
  

  
  


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  1988
  Current states
  

  
  

  
  

Proposed division of Pará

On 11 December 2011, a consultative referendum was held in the state of Pará about splitting that state into three new ones (Pará, Tapajós and Carajás). Both Tapajós and Carajás were rejected by the population by approximate margins of 2:1,^[1] despite being heavily favored in the proposed breakaway regions.

List

Flag	Federative unit	Abbreviation	Capital	Area (km2)	Area (sq mi)	Population (2017)	Density (per km2, 2017)	Density (per sq mi, 2017)	GDP (billion R$ and % total, 2012)	GDP per capita (R$, 2012)	HDI (2014)	Literacy (2014)	Infant mortality (2014)	Life expectancy (years, 2014)
	Acre	AC	Rio Branco	7005152581400000000♠152,581.4	7004589120000000000♠58,912	7005829619000000000♠829,619	7000544000000000000♠5.44	7001140000000000000♠14	7000962900000000000♠9.629 (6999200000000000000♠0.2%)	7004126900000000000♠12,690	6999719000000000000♠0.719	94%	7000160000000000000♠1.6%	7001754000000000000♠75.4
	Alagoas	AL	Maceió	7004277677000000000♠27,767.7	7004107210000000000♠10,721	7006337582300000000♠3,375,823	7002121570000000000♠121.57	7002315000000000000♠315	7001295450000000000♠29.545 (6999700000000000000♠0.7%)	7003933300000000000♠9,333	6999667000000000000♠0.667	90%	7000170000000000000♠1.7%	7001735000000000000♠73.5
	Amapá	AP	Macapá	7005142814600000000♠142,814.6	7004551510000000000♠55,151	7005797722000000000♠797,722	7000559000000000000♠5.59	7001140000000000000♠14	7001104200000000000♠10.420 (6999200000000000000♠0.2%)	7004149140000000000♠14,914	6999747000000000000♠0.747	99%	7000160000000000000♠1.6%	7001754000000000000♠75.4
	Amazonas	AM	Manaus	7006157074570000000♠1,570,745.7	7005606470000000000♠606,470	7006406361400000000♠4,063,614	7000259000000000000♠2.59	7000700000000000000♠7	7001641200000000000♠64.120 (7000170000000000000♠1.7%)	7004178550000000000♠17,855	6999709000000000000♠0.709	96%	7000190000000000000♠1.9%	7001737000000000000♠73.7
	Bahia	BA	Salvador	7005564692700000000♠564,692.7	7005218030000000000♠218,030	7007153444470000000♠15,344,447	7001271700000000000♠27.17	7001700000000000000♠70	7002167727000000000♠167.727 (7000380000000000000♠3.8%)	7004118320000000000♠11,832	6999703000000000000♠0.703	91%	7000200000000000000♠2.0%	7001743000000000000♠74.3
	Ceará	CE	Fortaleza	7005148825600000000♠148,825.6	7004574620000000000♠57,462	7006902046000000000♠9,020,460	7001606100000000000♠60.61	7002157000000000000♠157	7001901320000000000♠90.132 (7000200000000000000♠2.0%)	7004104730000000000♠10,473	6999716000000000000♠0.716	93%	7000165000000000000♠1.65%	7001749000000000000♠74.9
	Distrito Federal	DF	Brasília	7003582210000000000♠5,822.1	7003224990000000000♠2,249.9	7006303944400000000♠3,039,444	7002522040000099999♠522.05	7003135100000000000♠1,351	7002171236000000000♠171.236 (7000390000000000000♠3.9%)	7004646530000000000♠64,653	6999839000000000000♠0.839	98.8%	6999650000000000000♠0.65%	7001798000000000000♠79.8
	Espírito Santo	ES	Vitória	7004460775000000000♠46,077.5	7004177910000000000♠17,791	7006401635600000000♠4,016,356	7001871700000000000♠87.17	7002226000000000000♠226	7002107328999900000♠107.329 (7000220000000000000♠2.2%)	7004299960000000000♠29,996	6999771000000000000♠0.771	99%	6999480000000000000♠0.48%	7001801009999900000♠80.1
	Goiás	GO	Goiânia	7005340086700000000♠340,086.7	7005131310000000000♠131,310	7006677877200000000♠6,778,772	7001199300000000000♠19.93	7001520000000000000♠52	7002123926000000000♠123.926 (7000240000000000000♠2.4%)	7004201340000000000♠20,134	6999750000000000000♠0.750	97%	6999900000000000000♠0.9%	7001759000000000000♠75.9
	Maranhão	MA	São Luís	7005331983300000000♠331,983.3	7005128180000000000♠128,180	7006700022900000000♠7,000,229	7001210900000000000♠21.09	7001550000000000000♠55	7001589200000000000♠58.920 (7000120000000000000♠1.2%)	7003876000000000000♠8,760	6999678000000000000♠0.678	90%	7000190000000000000♠1.9%	7001725000000000000♠72.5
	Mato Grosso	MT	Cuiabá	7005903357900000000♠903,357.9	7005348790000000000♠348,790	7006334454400000000♠3,344,544	7000370000000000000♠3.70	7001100000000000000♠10	7001808300000000000♠80.830 (7000150000000000000♠1.5%)	7004259450000000000♠25,945	6999767000000000000♠0.767	94%	7000130000000000000♠1.3%	7001746009999900000♠74.6
	Mato Grosso do Sul	MS	Campo Grande	7005357125000000000♠357,125.0	7005137890000000000♠137,890	7006271314700000000♠2,713,147	7000760000000000000♠7.60	7001200000000000000♠20	7001544710000099999♠54.471 (7000100000000000000♠1.0%)	7004217440000000000♠21,744	6999762000000000000♠0.762	97%	6999700000000000000♠0.7%	7001761009999900000♠76.1
	Minas Gerais	MG	Belo Horizonte	7005586528300000000♠586,528.3	7005226460000000000♠226,460	7007211195360000000♠21,119,536	7001360100000000000♠36.01	7001930000000000000♠93	7002403551000000000♠403.551 (7000920000000099999♠9.2%)	7004203240000000000♠20,324	6999769000000000000♠0.769	98.6%	6999610000000000000♠0.61%	7001787000000000000♠78.7
	Pará	PA	Belém	7006124768950000000♠1,247,689.5	7005481740000000000♠481,740	7006836662800000000♠8,366,628	7000671000000000000♠6.71	7001170000000000000♠17	7001910090000000000♠91.009 (7000190000000000000♠1.9%)	7004116780000000000♠11,678	6999675000000000000♠0.675	94%	7000160000000000000♠1.6%	7001742000000000000♠74.2
	Paraíba	PB	João Pessoa	7004564398000000000♠56,439.8	7004217920000000000♠21,792	7006402555800000000♠4,025,558	7001713209999999999♠71.32	7002185000000000000♠185	7001387310000000000♠38.731 (6999800000000000000♠0.8%)	7004101510000000000♠10,151	6999701000000000000♠0.701	92%	7000170000000000000♠1.7%	7001741009999900000♠74.1
	Paraná	PR	Curitiba	7005199314900000000♠199,314.9	7004769560000000000♠76,956	7007113208920000000♠11,320,892	7001568000000000000♠56.80	7002147000000000000♠147	7002255927000000000♠255.927 (7000580000000000000♠5.8%)	7004241940000000000♠24,194	6999790000000000000♠0.790	98%	6999700000000000000♠0.7%	7001778000000000000♠77.8
	Pernambuco	PE	Recife	7004983116000000000♠98,311.6	7004379580000000000♠37,958	7006947326600000000♠9,473,266	7001963600000000000♠96.36	7002250000000000000♠250	7002117340000000000♠117.340 (7000230000000099999♠2.3%)	7004131380000000000♠13,138	6999709000000000000♠0.709	92%	7000190000000000000♠1.9%	7001748000000000000♠74.8
	Piauí	PI	Teresina	7005251529200000000♠251,529.2	7004977260000000000♠97,726	7006321925700000000♠3,219,257	7001128000000000000♠12.80	7001330000000000000♠33	7001257210000000000♠25.721 (6999500000000000000♠0.5%)	7003813700000000000♠8,137	6999675000000000000♠0.675	90%	7000180000000000000♠1.8%	7001727000000000000♠72.7
	Rio de Janeiro	RJ	Rio de Janeiro	7004436961000000000♠43,696.1	7004168710000000000♠16,871	7007167189560000000♠16,718,956	7002382620000000000♠382.62	7002991000000000000♠991	7002504221000000000♠504.221 (7001115000000000000♠11.5%)	7004310640000000000♠31,064	6999778000000000000♠0.778	99%	7000130000000000000♠1.3%	7001771009999900000♠77.1
	Rio Grande do Norte	RN	Natal	7004527968000000000♠52,796.8	7004203850000000000♠20,385	7006350700300000000♠3,507,003	7001664200000000000♠66.42	7002172000000000000♠172	7001395449999900000♠39.544 (6999900000000000000♠0.9%)	7004122490000000000♠12,249	6999717000000000000♠0.717	95.1%	7000137990000099999♠1.38%	7001767000000000000♠76.7
	Rio Grande do Sul	RS	Porto Alegre	7005281748500000000♠281,748.5	7005108780000000000♠108,780	7007113228950000000♠11,322,895	7001401900000000000♠40.19	7002104000000000000♠104	7002277658000000000♠277.658 (7000630000000000000♠6.3%)	7004257790000000000♠25,779	6999779000000000000♠0.779	99%	6999400000000000000♠0.4%	7001793000000000000♠79.3
	Rondônia	RO	Porto Velho	7005237576200000000♠237,576.2	7004917290000000000♠91,729	7006180578800000000♠1,805,788	7000760000000000000♠7.60	7001200000000000000♠20	7001293620000000000♠29.362 (6999600000000000000♠0.6%)	7004130750000000000♠13,075	6999715000000000000♠0.715	94.6%	7000185000000000000♠1.85%	7001737000000000000♠73.7
	Roraima	RR	Boa Vista	7005224299000000000♠224,299.0	7004866020000000000♠86,602	7005522636000000000♠522,636	7000233000000000000♠2.33	7000600000000000000♠6	7000731400000000000♠7.314 (6999200000000000000♠0.2%)	7004155570000000000♠15,557	6999732000000000000♠0.732	94.5%	7000151000000000000♠1.51%	7001735000000000000♠73.5
	Santa Catarina	SC	Florianópolis	7004953462000000000♠95,346.2	7004368130000000000♠36,813	7006700116100000000♠7,001,161	7001734300000000000♠73.43	7002190000000000000♠190	7002177276000000000♠177.276 (7000400000000000000♠4.0%)	7004277710000000000♠27,771	6999813009999900000♠0.813	99%	6999300000000000000♠0.30%	7001810000000000000♠81
	São Paulo	SP	São Paulo	7005248209400000000♠248,209.4	7004958340000000000♠95,834	7007450948660000000♠45,094,866	7002181680000000000♠181.68	7002471000000000000♠471	7003140890400000000♠1,408.904 (7001321000000000000♠32.1%)	7004336240000000000♠33,624	6999819009999900000♠0.819	99%	6999450000000000000♠0.45%	7001798000000000000♠79.8
	Sergipe	SE	Aracaju	7004219103000000000♠21,910.3	7003845960000000000♠8,459.6	7006228811600000000♠2,288,116	7002104430000000000♠104.43	7002270000000000000♠270	7001278230000000000♠27.823 (6999600000000000000♠0.6%)	7004131800000000000♠13,180	6999681000000000000♠0.681	93%	7000180000000000000♠1.8%	7001730000000000000♠73.0
	Tocantins	TO	Palmas	7005277620900000000♠277,620.9	7005107190000000000♠107,190	7006155019400000000♠1,550,194	7000558000000000000♠5.58	7001140000000000000♠14	7001195300000000000♠19.530 (6999400000000000000♠0.4%)	7004137750000000000♠13,775	6999732000000000000♠0.732	94%	7000170000000000000♠1.7%	7001745000000000000♠74.5

See also

• Brazil socio-geographic division


• List of Brazil state name etymologies


• List of Brazilian states by area


• List of Brazilian states by murder rate


• List of Brazilian states by population


• Brazilian states by Human Development Index


• Provinces of Brazil


• Regions of Brazil

References

External links

• Economic statistical data for Brazil's 26 states and federal district (in English, Portuguese, and Spanish)


• 
  States of Brazil at Curlie (based on DMOZ)


• 
  Wikimedia Atlas of Brazil
  


• Map of Brazil, showing states and their regular timezones


• 
  "Em 2012, Sudeste concentrava 55,2% do PIB do país e o DF tinha o maior PIB per capita" (in Portuguese). IGBE. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014.