Why was Brazil named Brazil?

The official name of the country is the Federal Republic of Brazil.

Originally, after the discovery of this South American country in 1500 by the Portuguese Navigator Pedro Cabral, it was called Terra da Vera Cruz, which means the Land of the True cross.

A little later, the first Portuguese settlers discovered a tree in the coastal rainforests that resembled the famous “fire tree” (in Portuguese, pau-brasil), which was brought to Europe by Arab merchants. Continue reading →