Eli5 how did Brazil become so ethnically diverse?

Question

Eli5 how did Brazil become so ethnically diverse?

In: 12

Answer 1

I’ve heard that something that influenced its diversity was the fact that an island of Brazil was used as a penal colony / exile colony – this is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. So Portugal sent their prisoners including slaves to Brazil during the 19th century and this ethically diverse group ended up staying there.