Brazil flag is the national flag of Brazil, the largest country in South America. The flag’s green field (background) represents the forests and fertile land of Brazil. A yellow diamond represents the country’s rich mineral deposits. Within the diamond is a blue circle with 27 stars. The stars stand for the nation’s 26 states and 1 federal district. The federal district consists of Brasília, the national capital. The arrangement of the stars on the circle reflects the constellations above Rio de Janiero on Nov. 15, 1889, the day Brazil became a republic. A white band curving across the circle contains the motto Ordem e Progresso in green letters. The motto is Portuguese for Order and Progress. Portuguese is Brazil’s official language.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from 1500 to 1822. It gained independence as a kingdom ruled by Pedro I, the son of the Portuguese king. Pedro soon declared Brazil an empire. Brazil adopted a green flag with a yellow diamond and the imperial coat of arms at the center of the diamond. In 1899, the nation became a republic. It replaced the coat of arms on its flag with the blue circle design, which then had 21 stars to represent the republic’s 21 states. Brazil later added more stars for new states and the federal district.
