View source for Federative units of Brazil

{{Short description|Subnational administrative units of Brazil}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{About|modern subdivisions of Brazil|the subdivisions of the Empire of Brazil|Provinces of Brazil}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name               = Federative units of Brazil<br/>{{lang|pt|Unidades federativas do Brasil}}
| alt_name           = 
| image              = Mapa_do_Brasil_atualmente.png
| caption            = Map of modern federated units of Brazil
| category           = [[Federated state]]
| territory          = [[Brazil|Federative Republic of Brazil]]
| start_date         = 
| current_number     = [[#List|26 states]] and [[Federal District (Brazil)|1 federal district]]
| number_date        = 
| population_range   = 636,707 ([[Roraima]]) – 44,411,238 ([[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]])
| area_range         = {{convert|5761|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} ([[Federal District (Brazil)|Federal District]]) – {{convert|1559168|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} ([[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]])
| government         = [[State government]]
| subdivision        = [[Municipalities of Brazil|Municipalities]]
| map                = {{File:Brazil Labelled Map.svg}}
}}

[[Brazil]] is divided into federative units which have a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and are endowed with their own government and constitution. There are [[#List|26 states]] (''{{lang|pt|estados}}'') and [[Federal District (Brazil)|one federal district]] (''{{lang|pt|distrito federal}}''). The states are generally based on historical, conventional borders which have developed over time. The states are divided into [[municipalities of Brazil|municipalities]], while the [[Federal District (Brazil)|Federal District]] assumes the competences of both a state and a municipality.

==Government==
{{Politics of Brazil}}

The government of each state of Brazil is divided into [[executive branch|executive]], [[legislative branch|legislative]] and [[judiciary]] branches.

The state executive branch is headed by a state governor and includes a vice governor, both elected by the citizens of the state. The governor appoints several secretaries of state (each one in charge of a given portfolio) and the state attorney-general.<ref name=constitution1988/>

The state legislative branch is the legislative assembly, a [[unicameral]] body composed of deputies elected by the citizens of the state.<ref name=constitution1988/>

The judiciary in each of the states is composed of judges of law, who constitute the [[trial court|courts of first instance]], and a [[Court of Justice (Brazil)|Court of Justice]], which is the court of second instance of the state and is composed of judges called ''[[desembargador]]es''. Judges qualify through exams or are appointed.<ref name=constitution1988/>

The states are divided into [[Municipalities of Brazil|municipalities]], which have different competences and are considered autonomous from the states. Municipalities have a mayor, vice mayor and a chamber of aldermen, all elected by the citizens of the municipality, but do not have a separate judiciary.<ref name=constitution1988/>

The [[Federal District (Brazil)|Federal District]] has the same executive, legislative and judiciary organization as a state, but it cannot be divided into municipalities, which is why its territory is composed of several [[Administrative regions of the Federal District (Brazil)|administrative regions]]. These regions are directly managed by the government of the Federal District, which exercises constitutional and legal powers that are equivalent to those of the [[Federated state|states]], as well as those of the municipalities, thus simultaneously assuming all the obligations arising from them.<ref name=constitution1988/>

[[Fernando de Noronha]] is not a municipality, but a state district of Pernambuco (the only state district in the country). It is governed by an administrator-general, appointed by the governor of Pernambuco, and a council whose members are elected by the citizens of the district.<ref>[http://legis.alepe.pe.gov.br/Paginas/texto.aspx?id=2249&tipo=TEXTOANOTADO Law no. 11304, of 28 December 1995], Legislative Assembly of Pernambuco. {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

All states and the Federal District are represented in the [[National Congress of Brazil|national congress]], each with three [[Brazilian Senate|senators]] and between eight and 70 [[Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)|deputies]], depending on their population. The citizens of all states and the Federal District vote for these national representatives and for [[President of Brazil|president]] and [[Vice President of Brazil|vice president]].

==History==
{{History of Brazil}}
{{See also|Captaincies of Brazil}}
[[File:Brazilian State Map with Capitals and Flags.png|thumb|220x220px|The States of Brazil, their respective flags, their state capitals, and their largest cities.]]
The present states of Brazil trace their history directly to the [[Captaincies of Brazil|captaincies]] established by [[Portugal]] following the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] which divided the World between Portugal and Spain.

The first administrative divisions of Brazil were the hereditary captaincies (''capitanias hereditárias''), stretches of land granted by the Portuguese Crown to noblemen or merchants with a charter to colonize the land. The first such captaincy was the [[Fernando de Noronha|island of São João]], granted in 1504 to [[Fernão de Loronha]]. The continental land was divided into captaincies in 1534, generally following lines of latitude, although some followed meridians or diagonal lines.<ref>[http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-47142013000200002&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=pt Reconstructing the map of the hereditary captaincies], Jorge Pimentel Cintra, ''Annals of the Museum of São Paulo'', July/December 2013. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> Each of the holders of these captaincies was referred to as a [[donatário|captain donatary]] (''capitão donatário''). The captaincies were to be inherited by the holders' descendants, but the Crown retained the power to reacquire them.

In 1549, the Portuguese Crown appointed [[Tomé de Sousa]] as the first [[governor-general]] of the vast Portuguese dominion in South America, known as the [[State of Brazil]] (''Estado do Brasil''). In 1621, the northern part of the dominion was detached, becoming a separate entity known as the [[State of Maranhão (colonial)|State of Maranhão]]. However, captaincies continued existing under both states as regional administrations.<ref name=captaincies>[http://www.revistas.usp.br/rdg/article/view/53693 The political-administrative organization and the regionalization process of the Brazilian colonial territory], Paulo Pedro Perides, ''Department of Geography Magazine'', 7 November 2011. {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

During the [[Iberian Union]] (1580–1640), which allowed Portuguese settlers to enter Spanish domains, the territory of Portuguese colonial domains in South America was more than doubled, with both states of Brazil and Maranhão greatly expanding westward. After the union ended, Portugal asserted its territorial claims, which Spain eventually accepted with the [[Treaty of Madrid (13 January 1750)|Treaty of Madrid]] in 1750. Several captaincies were created or merged during this period, in both the original and western domains, and some were returned to the Crown, becoming royal captaincies.<ref name=captaincies/>

The government of the [[Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal|Marquis of Pombal]] (1750–1777) significantly centralized the administration of the Portuguese colonies. By 1759, all captaincies had been returned to the Crown, with captains becoming appointed rather than recognized by inheritance. Some captaincies were designated as [[Captaincy general|captaincies-general]], to which other captaincies were subordinated.<ref name=captaincies/> In addition, the [[State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro]] and the [[State of Maranhão and Piauí]], which had been split from the State of Maranhão, were reincorporated into the State of Brazil in 1775, under a single governor-general. This centralization later helped to keep Brazil as a unified nation-state, avoiding fragmentation similar to that of the Spanish domains.

The captaincies became [[Provinces of Brazil|provinces]] in 1821, during the final years of the [[Kingdom of Brazil]] ([[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|united with Portugal]]), and maintained that designation after [[independence of Brazil|independence]] in 1822 under the [[Empire of Brazil]]. Most internal boundaries were kept unchanged from the end of the colonial period, generally following natural features such as rivers and mountain ridges. Some changes were made to suit domestic politics (transferring the [[Triângulo Mineiro]] from [[Goiás]] to [[Minas Gerais]], transferring the south bank of the [[São Francisco River]] from [[Pernambuco]] to Minas Gerais and later to [[Bahia]], separating the capital city of [[Rio de Janeiro]] as a [[Neutral Municipality]] outside any province, splitting [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]] from [[Pará]], and splitting [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] from [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]]), as well as international border adjustments resulting from diplomatic settlement of territorial disputes. The [[Cisplatina|Cisplatine Province]] was annexed into Brazil in 1821, declared independence as [[Uruguay]] in 1825, and was recognized by the [[Treaty of Montevideo (1828)|Treaty of Montevideo]] in 1828.

When Brazil became a republic in 1889, all provinces became states, and the Neutral Municipality became the Federal District. In 1903, Brazil acquired the territory of [[Acre (state)|Acre]] from [[Bolivia]] with the [[Treaty of Petrópolis]].

In 1942–1943, with the entrance of Brazil into [[World War II]], the [[Getúlio Vargas|Vargas regime]] detached six strategic territories from the borders of the country to administer them directly: the archipelago of [[Fernando de Noronha]] (from Pernambuco), [[Amapá]] (from Pará), [[Roraima|Rio Branco]] (from Amazonas), [[Rondônia|Guaporé]] (from [[Mato Grosso]] and Amazonas), [[Federal Territory of Ponta Porã|Ponta Porã]] (from Mato Grosso) and [[Iguaçu Territory|Iguaçu]] (from Paraná and [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]]).<ref>[https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/declei/1940-1949/decreto-lei-4102-9-fevereiro-1942-414714-publicacaooriginal-1-pe.html Decree-law no. 4102, of 9 February 1942], Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref><ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/decreto-lei/1937-1946/Del5812.htm Decree-law no. 5812, of 13 September 1943], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref><ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/decreto-lei/1937-1946/Del6550.htm Decree-law no. 6.550, of 31 May 1944], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> Shortly after the war, the Brazilian constitution of 1946 returned Ponta Porã and Iguaçu to their original states.<ref name=constitution1946>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao46.htm Constitution of the United States of Brazil, of 18 September 1946], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> Guaporé was renamed Rondônia in 1956,<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/LEIS/1950-1969/L2731.htm Law no. 2731, of 17 February 1956], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> and Rio Branco was renamed Roraima in 1962,<ref>[https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/lei/1960-1969/lei-4182-13-dezembro-1962-354017-publicacaooriginal-1-pl.html Law no. 4182, of 13 December 1962], Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> while remaining territories along with Amapá and Fernando de Noronha. Acre became a state in 1962.<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/L4070.htm Law no. 4070, of 15 June 1962], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

In 1960, the rectangular-shaped [[Federal District (Brazil)|Distrito Federal]] was carved out of Goiás to contain the new capital, [[Brasília]].<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/LEIS/1950-1969/L2874.htm Law no. 2874, of 19 September 1956], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref><ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/L3273.htm Law no. 3273, of 1 October 1957], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}></ref> The previous federal district became the state of [[Guanabara (state)|Guanabara]],<ref name=constitution1946/> but in 1975 it was reincorporated into its original state of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]], becoming its capital as the city of Rio de Janeiro.<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/LEIS/LCP/Lcp20.htm Complementary law no. 20, of 1 July 1974], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

In 1977, the southern part of Mato Grosso became the state of [[Mato Grosso do Sul]].<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/lcp/Lcp31.htm Complementary law no. 31, of 11 October 1977], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> In 1981, Rondônia became a state.<ref>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/LEIS/LCP/Lcp41.htm Complementary law no. 41, of 22 December 1981], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> The [[Constitution of Brazil|Brazilian constitution of 1988]] created the state of [[Tocantins]] from the northern portion of Goiás, established Amapá and Roraima as states, and returned the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha to Pernambuco.<ref name=constitution1988>[http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988], Government of Brazil. {{in lang|pt}}</ref> The constitution thus ended all remaining territories, although it maintained the possibility of creating others in the future.

=== Proposed federative states ===
{{Main|Proposed federative units of Brazil}}

==== Proposed division of Pará ====
{{Main|2011 Pará state division plebiscite}}
On 11 December 2011, a consultative [[referendum]] was held in the state of [[Pará]] about creating two new states from parts of it ([[Tapajós (proposed Brazilian state)|Tapajós]] and [[Carajás (proposed Brazilian state)|Carajás]], with the rest of the state remaining as Pará). Both proposals were rejected by about 66% of statewide voters, but reflecting a strong geographic split with over 90% approval by voters in the proposed breakaway regions and over 90% disapproval by those in the rest of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/3145/ |title=Voters Reject Division of Brazilian State| newspaper=Americas Quarterly |date=13 December 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2011/12/em-plebiscito-eleitores-do-para-rejeitam-divisao-do-estado.html In referendum, voters of Pará reject division of the state], G1, 11 December 2011. {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

===Maps===
<gallery widths="200px" perrow="3">
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1534.png|1534<br/>[[Captaincies of Brazil]]
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1574.png|1574<br/>The division of Brazil into two governments.
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1647.png|1647<br/>[[Dutch invasions of Brazil]]
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1709.png|1709<br/>Expansion and mergers
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1823.png|1822<br/>Imperial provinces
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1851.png|1822<br/>Division of the [[Pará Province|Grão-Pará province]]
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1889.png|1889<br/>States at the start of the republic
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_em_1943.png|1943<br/>Border territories
Image:Mapa_do_Brasil_atualmente.png|1988<br/>Current states
</gallery>

== List ==
{{seealso|List of Brazilian states by highest point|List of Brazilian states by literacy rate|List of Brazilian states by life expectancy|List of Brazilian states by infant mortality|List of Brazilian states by murder rate}}

{|class=" wikitable sortable"
!rowspan=2|[[List of Brazilian flags#First-level_administrative_divisions|Flag]] and [[List of Brazil state name etymologies|name]]
!rowspan=2|[[ISO 3166-2:BR|Code]]
!rowspan=2|[[List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil|Capital]]
!colspan=2|[[List of Brazilian states by area|Area]]<ref>[https://www.ibge.gov.br/en/geosciences/territorial-organization/territorial-structure/18092-areas-of-the-municipalities.html Areas of the municipalities], [[Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics]], 2018.</ref>
!rowspan=2|[[List of Brazilian states by population|Population]]<br/>{{small|(2024)}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estimativas da população residente para os municípios e para as unidades da federação {{!}} IBGE |url=https://www.ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/sociais/populacao/9103-estimativas-de-populacao.html |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=www.ibge.gov.br}}</ref>
!colspan=2|[[List of Brazilian states by population density|Density]] {{small|2022}}
! rowspan="2" |Established<ref>{{Citation |title=Ordem de precedência no Brasil |date=2025-08-08 |work=Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre |url=https://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ordem_de_preced%C3%AAncia_no_Brasil&oldid=70630458 |access-date=2025-08-10 |language=pt}}</ref>
{{small|(year)}}
! rowspan="2" |[[List of Brazilian federative units by gross regional product|GDP]] {{small|([[Brazilian real|R$]]<br/>millions, 2022)}}<ref>[https://www.ibge.gov.br/en/statistics/economic/national-accounts/19567-gross-domestic-product-of-municipalities.html Gross domestic product of municipalities], [[Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics]], 2016.</ref>
|-
!{{small|km<sup>2</sup>}} !! {{small|sq mi}}
!{{small|per km<sup>2</sup>}} !! {{small|per sq mi}}
|-
|{{flag|Acre}} || AC || [[Rio Branco, Acre|Rio Branco]] || {{convert|164,123|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|880,631}}|| {{convert|6.34|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1962
|| {{right|21,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Alagoas}} || AL || [[Maceió]] || {{convert|27,779|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|3,220,104}}|| {{convert|125.52|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1817
|| {{right|73,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Amapá}} || AP || [[Macapá]] || {{convert|142,829|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|802,837}}|| {{convert|2.63|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1988
|| {{right|9000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Amazonas}} || AM || [[Manaus]] ||{{convert|1,559,159|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|4,281,209}}|| {{convert|2.58|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1850
|| {{right|103,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Bahia}} || BA || [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] || {{convert|564,733|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|14,850,513}}|| {{convert|30.52|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1534
|| {{right|257,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Ceará}} || CE || [[Fortaleza]] ||{{convert|148,921|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|9,233,656}}|| {{convert|60.33|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1799
|| {{right|410,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Distrito Federal}} || DF || [[Brasília]] || {{convert|5,780|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|2 982 818}}|| {{convert|493.00|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1960
|| {{right|249,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Espírito Santo}} || ES || [[Vitória, Espírito Santo|Vitória]] ||{{convert|46,096|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|4,102,129}}|| {{convert|80.63|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1810
|| {{right|125,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Goiás}} || GO || [[Goiânia]] || {{convert|340,112|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
||{{right|7,350,483}}|| {{convert|18.46|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1748
|| {{right|202,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Maranhão}} || MA || [[São Luís, Maranhão|São Luís]] || {{convert|331,937|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|7,010,960}}|| {{convert|19.03|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1534
|| {{right|102,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Mato Grosso}} || MT || [[Cuiabá]] || {{convert|903,366|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|3,836,399}}|| {{convert|4.01|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1748
|| {{right|142,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Mato Grosso do Sul}} || MS || [[Campo Grande]] || {{convert|357,146|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|2,901,895}}|| {{convert|7.83|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1979
|| {{right|107,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Minas Gerais}} || MG || [[Belo Horizonte]] || {{convert|586,522|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|21,322,691}}|| {{convert|31.72|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1720
|| {{right|583,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Pará}} || PA || [[Belém]] ||  {{convert|1,247,955|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|8,664,306}}|| {{convert|7.02|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1616
|| {{right|156,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Paraíba}} || PB || [[João Pessoa, Paraíba|João Pessoa]] || {{convert|56,470|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|4,145,040}}|| {{convert|78.93|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1799
|| {{right|60,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Paraná}} || PR || [[Curitiba]] || {{convert|199,308|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|11,824,665}}|| {{convert|43.46|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1853
|| {{right|417,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Pernambuco}} || PE || [[Recife]] ||{{convert|98,148|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|9,539,029}}|| {{convert|103.83|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1534
|| {{right|201,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Piauí}} || PI || [[Teresina]] ||{{convert|251,578|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|3,375,646}}|| {{convert|9.73|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1811
|| {{right|26,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Rio de Janeiro}} || RJ || [[Rio de Janeiro]] || {{convert|43,780|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|17,219,679}}|| {{convert|387.46|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1565
|| {{right|693,000}} 
|-
|{{nowrap|{{flag|Rio Grande do Norte}}}} || RN || [[Natal, Rio Grande do Norte|Natal]] ||{{convert|52,811|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|3,446,071}}|| {{convert|62.74|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1817
|| {{right|76,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Rio Grande do Sul}} || RS || [[Porto Alegre]] || {{convert|281,730|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|11,229,915}}|| {{convert|36.84|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1760
|| {{right|444,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Rondônia}} || RO || [[Porto Velho]] || {{convert|237,591|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|1,746,227}}|| {{convert|7.34|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1982
|| {{right|19,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Roraima}} || RR || [[Boa Vista, Roraima|Boa Vista]] || {{convert|224,301|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|716,793}}|| {{convert|2.54|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1988
|| {{right|8,000}}
|-
|{{flag|Santa Catarina}} || SC || [[Florianópolis]] || {{convert|95,736|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|8,058,441}}|| {{convert|69.74|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1821
|| {{right|293,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|São Paulo}} || SP || [[São Paulo]] || {{convert|248,223|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|45,973,194}}|| {{convert|175.73|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1709
|| {{right|1,964,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Sergipe}} || SE || [[Aracaju]] ||{{convert|21,915|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|2,291,077}}|| {{convert|97.64|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1820
|| {{right|38,000}} 
|-
|{{flag|Tocantins}} || TO || [[Palmas, Tocantins|Palmas]] || {{convert|277,721|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|| {{right|1,577,342}}|| {{convert|5.74|/km2|/sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|1988
|| {{right|21,000}} 
|}

===Approximate correspondence between historical divisions===
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:90%; line-height:1.3; text-align:center"
|+Approximate correspondence between divisions in selected years
! rowspan=2 | [[Name of Brazil|Land of Brazil]]
! style=background:#AFA | [[State of Maranhão (colonial)|State of Maranhão<br>and Grão-Pará]]
! rowspan=2 | [[State of Brazil]]
! rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Empire of Brazil]]
! rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[United States of Brazil]]
! rowspan=2 colspan=3 | [[Federative Republic of Brazil]]
|-
! [[State of Brazil]]
|-
! 1534 !! 1654 !! 1775 !! 1822 !! 1853 !! 1889 !! 1943 !! 1967 !! 1977 !! 1988
|-
! rowspan=3 colspan=2 | [[Captaincies of Brazil|captaincies]] !! rowspan=3 | [[Captaincies of Brazil|captaincies<br>general]]
! rowspan=3 | [[Provinces of Brazil|provinces]] !! [[Provinces of Brazil|provinces]]
! colspan=5 | [[States of Brazil|states]]
|-
! rowspan=2 style=background:#FFA | neutral<br>municipality
! rowspan=2 style=background:#FFA | federal<br>district
! colspan=3 style=background:#FFA | federal district
! rowspan=2 style=background:#FFA | federal<br>district
|-
! colspan=3 style=background:#AFF | territories
|-
| rowspan=5 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Province of Tierra Firme|Tierra Firme]]<br>and [[Governorate of New Castile|New Castile]]''
| colspan=3 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Peru]]''
| colspan=2 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Bolivia]]''
| style=background:#AFF | [[Acre (state)|Acre]] || colspan=3 | [[Acre (state)|Acre]]
|-
| rowspan=4 style=background:#AFA | Grão-Pará || rowspan=4 colspan=2 | Grão-Pará
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]] || colspan=4 | [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]]
|-
| style=background:#AFF | [[Roraima|Rio Branco]] || colspan=2 style=background:#AFF | [[Roraima]] || [[Roraima]]
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Pará]] || colspan=4 | [[Pará]]
|-
| colspan=3 style=background:#AFF | [[Amapá]] || [[Amapá]]
|-
| [[Captaincy of Maranhão|Maranhão]] (west) || rowspan="2" style="background:#AFA" | Maranhão || rowspan=2 | Maranhão || colspan=7 | [[Maranhão]]
|-
| Maranhão (east) || colspan=7 | [[Piauí]]
|-
| Ceará || style=background:#AFA | Ceará || rowspan=6 | [[Captaincy of Pernambuco|Pernambuco]] || colspan=7 | [[Ceará]]
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Captaincy of Rio Grande|Rio Grande]]|| colspan="7" | [[Rio Grande do Norte]]
|-
| Itamaracá || Paraíba || colspan=7 | [[Paraíba]]
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Fernando de Noronha|São João]] || rowspan=2 colspan=3 | [[Pernambuco]] || colspan=3 style=background:#AFF | [[Fernando de Noronha]] || rowspan=2 | [[Pernambuco]]
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Captaincy of Pernambuco|Pernambuco]] || colspan=3 | [[Pernambuco]]
|-
| colspan=7 | [[Alagoas]]
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=height:3em | [[Captaincy of Bahia|Baía de Todos os Santos]] || rowspan=5 | [[Captaincy of Bahia|Bahia]] || colspan=7 | [[Sergipe]]
|-
| rowspan=3 colspan=7 | [[Bahia]]
|-
| colspan=2 | Ilhéus
|-
| colspan=2 | Porto Seguro
|-
| colspan=2 | Espírito Santo || colspan=7 | [[Espírito Santo]]
|-
| São Tomé || rowspan=2 colspan=3 | Rio de Janeiro || colspan=4 | [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]] || rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]]
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Captaincy of São Vicente|São Vicente (north)]] || style=background:#FFA | [[Neutral Municipality|Município Neutro]] || colspan=2 style=background:#FFA | [[Federal District of Brazil (1891–1960)|Distrito Federal]] || [[Guanabara (state)|Guanabara]]
|-
| rowspan=11 | [[Captaincy of São Vicente|São Vicente]] || colspan=8 | [[Minas Gerais]]
|-
| rowspan=6 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Governorate of New Castile|New Castile]]<br>and [[Governorate of New Toledo|New Toledo]]''
| rowspan=3 colspan=5 | [[Goiás]] || rowspan=2 colspan=2 | [[Goiás]] || [[Tocantins]]
|-
| [[Goiás]]
|-
| colspan=3 style=background:#FFA | [[Federal District (Brazil)|Distrito Federal]]
|-
| rowspan=3 colspan=4 | [[Mato Grosso]] || style=background:#AFF | [[Rondônia|Guaporé]] || colspan=2 style=background:#AFF | [[Rondônia]] || [[Rondônia]]
|-
| [[Mato Grosso]] || rowspan=2 | [[Mato Grosso]] || colspan=2 | [[Mato Grosso]]
|-
| style=background:#AFF | [[Federal Territory of Ponta Porã|Ponta Porã]] || colspan=2 | [[Mato Grosso do Sul]]
|-
| Santo Amaro || rowspan=4 colspan=2 | São Paulo || rowspan=2 colspan=6 style=height:3em | [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]]
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Captaincy of São Vicente|São Vicente (south)]]
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 style=height:2.2em | [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] || [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] || rowspan=2 colspan=3 | [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style=background:#AFF | [[Iguaçu Territory|Iguaçu]]
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 | Santana || rowspan=3 | Rio de Janeiro<br>(dependencies)
| rowspan=2 colspan=3 | [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]] || rowspan=2 colspan=3 | [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]]
|-
| [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Governorate of New Andalusia|New Andalusia]]''
| rowspan=2 style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Peru]]''
| colspan=7 | [[Rio Grande do Sul]]
|-
| style=background:#BBB | ''part of [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Peru]]'' || [[Cisplatina]] || colspan=6 style=background:#BBB | ''[[Uruguay]]''
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Brazil}}
*[[Brazil socio-geographic division]]
*[[List of Brazilian federative units by Human Development Index|List of Brazilian states by Human Development Index]]
*[[List of Brazilian states by murder rate]]
*[[List of Brazil state name etymologies]]
*[[Provinces of Brazil]]
*[[Regions of Brazil]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ibge.gov.br/estadosat/index.php Economic statistical data for Brazil's 26 states and federal district (in English, Portuguese, and Spanish)]
*{{Wikiatlas|Brazil}}
*[http://pcdsh01.on.br/Imagens/MapaBrasilCor6_5fusosPara1Cor2014_2015.jpg Map of Brazil, showing states and their standard time zones]

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of South American countries}}
{{Brazil topics}}
{{States of Brazil}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Federative units of Brazil| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Brazil]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of Brazil|States]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|States, Brazil]]