State of Brazil

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The State of Brazil (Portuguese: Estado do Brasil) or Government-General of Brazil was one of the states (an administrative division) of the Portuguese Empire in the Americas during the period of Colonial Brazil. It was in force between 1548 and 1815. Created in the context of the reorganization of the Portuguese imperial system in the Atlantic, its central purpose was to centralize the administration of the hereditary captaincies, ensure the defense of the territory, and consolidate royal authority over the southern portion of the Crown's American domains. Established during the reign of John III of Portugal, the State of Brazil had as its first capital the city of Salvador, seat of the Government-General of Brazil, the body responsible for the political, military, fiscal, and judicial coordination of the territory. Throughout its existence, the entity underwent successive administrative reorganizations, including temporary divisions into regional governments and the separation of northern...

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