Although the republic would suffer through dictatorships and military juntas over the next century, true democracy returned in the 1980s when the first elected civilian government assumed power after a negotiated transition. With the overthrow of Pedro II, the second and last emperor, in 1889 AD it became a republic. Full independence was achieved in 1822 when the Empire of Brazil was created with a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary government. Brazil was a Portuguese colony from the time of the arrival of Pedro Cabral, who claimed it for his sovereign in 1500 AD, until the royal family in exile from their occupied homeland elevated it to the status of kingdom in 1815. Brazil is unique in the Americas because, beyond gaining its independence through a relatively peaceful path, it did not fragment into separate countries as did British and Spanish possessions.
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