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Main Characteristics of Colonial Brazil - Colonization began in 1500 by the Portuguese. - Initial economic focus on pau-brasil (Brazilwood) extraction. - Sugarcane plantations became the main economic activity. - Heavy reliance on enslaved African labor. - Highly stratified society with Portuguese landowners at the top. - Significant influence of the Catholic Church on culture and education. - Faced external threats from other European powers (e.g., Dutch invasions). - Internal conflicts and uprisings due to growing discontent with Portuguese rule. - The period ended with Brazil's independence in 1822.