Portuguese (language) in the context of "Rufous-collared sparrow"

The Brazilian gold rush was a gold rush that started in the 1690s, in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil in the Portuguese Empire. The gold rush opened up the major gold-producing area of Ouro Preto (Portuguese for black gold), then known as Vila Rica. Eventually, the Brazilian gold rush created the world's longest gold rush period and the largest gold mines in South America.

The rush began when bandeirantes discovered large gold deposits in the mountains of Minas Gerais. The bandeirantes were adventurers who organized themselves into small groups to explore the interior of Brazil. Many bandeirantes were of mixed indigenous and European background who adopted the ways of the natives, which permitted them to survive in the interior.

Ilha de Vera Cruz (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈiʎɐ dʒi ˈvɛɾɐ ˈkɾu(j)s]) (Portuguese for Island of the True Cross) was the first name given by the Portuguese navigators to the northeast coast of what later became Brazil. The name was changed to Terra de Santa Cruz (Land of the Holy Cross) in 1503.

When the Portuguese fleet, under Pedro Álvares Cabral, first officially touched land in South America on 22 April 1500, they thought they had found an island, as reflected in the chosen name. They took possession for the Kingdom of Portugal of what was believed to be an island of strategic importance on a western connection between Portugal and the Moluccas and other islands of the East Indies. This discovery marked the beginning of Portuguese colonization in South America. The name was changed to Terra de Santa Cruz when it was realized that it was not an island, but in fact part of a continent.