terms of social attitude. The people of Brazil today feel a great pride and confidence in their national culture, after four centuries during which the people looked to Europe for inspiration. The Portuguese discovered Brazil and settled there, and over time the Portuguese language spoken in Brazil became a softer and more musical version of the mother tongue. The Portuguese brought Catholicism to the region. The culture of Brazil was altered somewhat by the arrival of the first African slaves, who brought with them their own cultures, which insinuated elements of the African heritage into Brazilian culture, including music, religious elements, dance, food, and more.
Brazilian society in the contemporary age has been marked by pronounced regional and ethnic diversity. Descendants of Portuguese settlers, Amerindians, and African slaves comprise the main cultural groups. The heritage from the Portuguese has been disproportionate to the number of Portuguese settlers because they were colonizers and left their mark on the nation's political system and social institutions. This is reflected in language, kinship, an
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