The Viceroyalty of Brazil was the implementation of Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 viceroyalty in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. It was restricted to the current South, Center-West and Southeastern regions of Brazil, mainly as a result of expansionism from the Capitania de São Vicente, the current state of São Paulo

São Paulo (state)

São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...

, which then sought to alleviate its poverty by penetrating the hinterlands in search of Indian slaves and precious metals and stones.

History

Brazil became officially a Viceroyalty around 1763, when the capital of the Estado do Brazil was transferred from Salvador

Salvador, Bahia

Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...

 to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

. In 1775, all Brazilian Estados (Brasil, Maranhão

Maranhão

Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...

 and Grão-Pará

Grão-Pará

The vice-kingdom of Grão-Pará was one of the two Portuguese vice-kingdoms in South America, corresponding to today's North Brazil. Its capital city was Belém do Pará....

) were unified into the Viceroyalty of Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro as capital.

The driving force was the then tiny village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga

São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga

São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga was the village that grew into São Paulo, Brazil in the region known as Campos de Piratininga...

, and its capital was made São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro as a result of the Emboabas' War

Emboabas' War

The Emboabas' War , was a war waged in the early 18th century between two generations of Portuguese settlers in the vice-kingdom of Brazil, then merely the Capitaincy of São Vicente....

 against Portuguese recent arrivals and coloners from Bahia

Bahia

Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...

, and the consequent shift of economical power to the gold-producing Minas dos Matos Gerais: São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro was the port where the gold was sent to Portugal, and consequently the point of contact between metropolis and colony.