The Federative Republic of Brazil is a unique country with no real parallel in the Americas or the rest of the world. Primarily because it is the only Latin American country where Portuguese is the official language, not Spanish. It occupies roughly half of South America’s land area and is the world’s most populous Roman Catholic country, with about 217 million inhabitants. Brazil’s population is among the most multicultural in the world, being a nation of immigrants from every continent.
Brazil’s economy is the 10th largest in the world, and politically it is a very important country. It is a member of BRICS, the G20, and Mercosur. Currently, it is a middle (regional) power in the international community, with the potential to become a superpower. Due to its natural resources and unique characteristics, Brazil is often referred to as a “land of wonders.” Positively recognized symbols include the Amazon River and Rainforest, the Christ the Redeemer statue above Rio de Janeiro, the Carnival, samba, football, coffee, impressive architecture, and more.
The Popularity of Favelas
However, Brazil also has a dark side. Despite its abundant resources, it is one of the most economically unequal countries in the world, where the wealthiest 10% of the population controls 50% of the national income, and about 8.5% live below the poverty line. When many around the world think of Brazil, the first association is often its poor urban districts – the favelas. A favela is a word in Brazilian Portuguese that refers to a slum – a poor and overcrowded part of the city inhabited by extremely impoverished people struggling to survive under harsh conditions.
The global public became familiar with the concept of favelas through mass media, especially through dramatic and shocking action films shot in Brazil or documentaries aiming to explain the origins and significance of these informal settlements. The most famous film that shook audiences worldwide was 2002’s City of God (Cidade de Deus), set in the eponymous favela in Rio de Janeiro. Favelas symbolize poverty, crime, misery, and generally the dark side of modern Brazil. Although locals don’t take pride in them, favelas have become a symbol of this country with exceptional potential. The largest and most well-known favelas formed in major cities like Rio and São Paulo, but they also exist elsewhere throughout the country.
Historical Origin and Development
So how did favelas emerge in such a beautiful South American country as Brazil? The term dates back to the late 19th century. After the abolition of slavery in 1888 and a surge in urbanization, many people from rural Brazil migrated to cities. These new migrants were seeking jobs but, with little or no money, could not afford urban housing. A civil war at the end of the century created a large number of refugees who began occupying neglected and abandoned areas just to survive. The first real favela was built by former soldiers who became homeless after the Canudos War (1895–1898). Around 20,000 returned from the war with nowhere to live and started establishing favelas. The earliest favelas appeared in the state of Bahia.
The first favela, Morro de Providência in Rio de Janeiro, was originally named “Morro da Favela,” after the spiny favela plant (Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus) that grows in Brazil’s barren terrain. The plant’s traits reflect those of the favelas: it thrives in harsh, uninviting conditions—just like the residents survive in inhumane living conditions. A favela typically forms when migrants occupy unused land on the city outskirts and construct shacks from discarded or stolen building materials.
A Symbol of Poverty
Over time, freed slaves without land and other neglected poor populations joined the original settlers, and favelas became the most well-known symbol of poverty. They were also known as “wild settlements,” and early ones were often referred to as bairros africanos (“African neighborhoods”) due to the large proportion of Black residents. In modern times, many who left formal urban housing ended up in favelas and adopted that lifestyle.
However, most favelas were established between the 1940s and 1970s during a mass migration from Brazil’s impoverished rural areas to cities, especially Rio. Poor migrants couldn’t afford to buy land or pay rent and had no choice but to build informal settlements. From 1950 to 1980, the number of favela residents in Rio alone rose from 170,000 to over 600,000. By the early 21st century, it was estimated that there were around a thousand favelas in the city.
Government Campaigns to Remove Favelas
To address the favela problem, the Brazilian government launched a broad favela removal program in the 1960s and 1970s, relocating them to city outskirts. Some of the most brutal removals in Rio’s history occurred during this time. The military regime provided limited resources for the transition, and favela residents—known as favelados—struggled to adapt to their new environments, which were essentially marginalized communities with poor housing and inadequate public services. The government’s failure to manage favelas was a major trigger for violence, drug trafficking, and the rise of gangs starting in the 1970s. In response, the government created the heavily armed special police unit BOPE in 1978.
Poor Living Standards and Government Improvement Programs
For decades, favelas were shelters for the poor, and their colorful, improvised exteriors—made from cheap materials—caught the eye of outsiders. But life inside is changing. Wooden, branch, and mud dwellings have gradually been replaced with brick and concrete. Still, the lack of proper infrastructure leads to makeshift water and electricity setups. Water often needs to be transported over long distances, and primitive waste disposal methods pose health risks.
Due to overcrowding, poor hygiene, malnutrition, and pollution, disease is widespread in poorer favelas, and infant mortality rates are high. While most favelas do have electricity and running water today, it’s still common to see “sewage rivers” running through them. Some, like Rocinha (the largest favela in South America, with an estimated population of 70,000), have reached a modest level of urban development. Rocinha has hundreds of businesses, banks, restaurants, cafes, internet access, and even its own TV station. It’s also a popular tourist destination for foreign visitors.
Author: Matija Šerić
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
