Brazilian Days (248): September 5

Brazilian Days 248

September 5

DAY OF:

Dia da Amazônia

(Amazon Forest). The Amazon Forest, an area of more than six million square kilometers (about half of it in Brazil), may be truly considered as the lungs of our earth. The Amazon Forest consists of 38% dense forest, 36% open forest, and 14% open vegetation. The forest is very rich in flora and fauna. It is estimated that per hectare, there may be between 30 and 400 different tree species. It is also estimated that about 70 percent of the vertebrate species is not described yet. Since 1990, the Embrapa Institute is active to collect the data of the species in a database: more than 3500 species have been added since. Unfortunately, deforestation is still going on. It is estimated that between August 2005 and August 2006, more than 14 thousand square kilometers have been cut down and burnt, an area equal to one third of the area of The Netherlands.

Deforestation areas: orange and red (left figure), yellow and black (right figure)

AMAZON FOREST

Greenpeace: Amazônia	Greenpeace: Stopping Amazon Deforestation

BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 01	BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 02

BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 03	BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 04

BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 05	BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 06

BBC Amazon The Flooded Forest 07	BATTLE FOR THE AMAZON-BBC-part 1/3

BATTLE FOR THE AMAZON-BBC-part 2/3	BATTLE FOR THE AMAZON-BBC-part 3/3

Dia Nacional do Oficial de Farmácia

(Pharmacist). This day has been regulated by law in 1966. The pharmacist is graduated in Pharmacy and is registered in the ‘Conselho Nacional de Farmácia’, the Brazilian Council of Pharmacy. Many confuse the pharmacist with a druggist; the pharmacist is legally competent to manipulate medications by himself (manipulação e formulação).

OFICIAL DE FARMÁCIA

Homenagem do Conselho Federal de Farmácia aos Farmacêuticos Hospitalares

Dia do Oficial de Justiça

(Court official). The profession of a court official is not an easy job in Brazil. The social inequality, corruption, the public opinion that do not really favor these employees, these employees are regularly criticized. Those who have to deal with serious offenses, they may have to fear for their lives. The candidates have to do concursos (public exams) to gain this position. A member of the city council of Curitiba even has proposed to introduce the municipal Day of the Court Official, to be held on October 11, the Day of Justice.

OFICIAL DE JUSTIÇA

Reportagem Sobre Oficiais de Justiça

BRAZILIAN HISTORY:

1985
Return of the final expatriate returns to Brazil.

Theodomiro Romeiro dos Santos, was the first political prisoner who was condemned to death during the dictatorial period (1964-1985), due to the murder of sergeant Walder Xavier de Lima, after exchanging shots during his capture. He was arrested due to this membership of the PCBR (Partido Comunista Brasileiro Revolucionário; the Brazilian Revolutionary Communist Party). Rightists consider this action as an terrorist action. His death penalty was converted into perpetual imprisonment. In 1979, Dos Santos escaped, and was granted asylum at the Papal Nuntiate in Brasília. Some months later, he left Brazil, and only returned in 1985. Dos Santos later worked as judge at a regional court (Juiz do Tribunal Regional do Trabalho) in Recife.

Theodomiro Romeiro dos Santos at the time of his capture (l), and as a judge (r)

DICTATORSHIP IN BRAZIL

Ditadura no Brasil – O Golpe Militar de 1964

O Regime Militar no Brasil (1964: 40 anos depois)

1850
Creation of the province of Amazonas, at that time under the name São José do Rio Negro.

The discovery of Amazonas and Pará may be attributed to the Spaniard Francisco de Orelhana, during his expedition in 1541 and 1542. To draw attention of the Spanish Crown, they told stories of possible resources in this area. Possibly they have encountered combative indian women, that remembered them of the legendary Amazones. The name Amazon was then created. The Spaniards did not show much interest in this green rainforest, but the Portuguese had, especially when the priests Domingos de Brieba en André Toledo followed the Amazon River. In 1669, the first settlement was founded, at the location where is now Manaus. One century later, this settlement became the capital of the Capitania São José do Rio Negro. In 1833, the settlement was elevated to the status of a village and it was named Manaós. Fifteen years later, Manaus gained the status of a city. By Lei (law) 582 in 1850, Amazonas became a Brazilian province, and six months later, Manaus became the official capital of the largest Brazilian state (1.5 million square kilometers, almost forty times the size of the Netherlands).

AMAZONAS

AMAZONAS NOSSO AMOR – AMAZONAS OUR PASSION	Raio-X da Amazônia

Floresta Amazonica Tefe Amazonas Brasil	Amazonas – Aquarela do Amazonas