Of all these, the Hispanic influence of the Portuguese has been the strongest. For example, the official language of Brazil today is Portuguese. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the Portuguese spoken in Brazil differs slightly from that in the homeland, just as modern American English differs from that spoken in Great Britain (Thompson, 1988, p. 35). In addition to language, the Portuguese left a strong cultural heritage through their introduction of the Roman Catholic religion. Today, approximately 90 percent of the Brazilian population remains Catholic (Nyrop, 1983, p. 139). Perhaps the strongest Portuguese influence on Brazilian culture, however, can be seen in the political and social institutions which were introduced by the Portuguese ruling class in colonial times (p. 3).

The origins of Brazilian literature and art can also be traced to the colonial period. As early as the sixteenth century, Portuguese writers in the Brazilian colonies provided the world with travel narratives and other forms of literature. It has been noted that "the content and style of these works expressed the Portuguese spirit in their detailed description, taste for the picturesque, and lyric quality" (Nyrop, 1983, p. 13). In later centuries, prior to Brazil's independence from Portuguese rule in the 1800s, the influences of Hispanic culture con

In the 1920s, Brazilian culture began to undergo a new development with the "Modernismo" movement in literature and art (Franco, 1967, p. 94). This concern for cultural modernism soon broke down into nationalist and regionalist concerns. Regional artists tend to point toward the cultural diversity making up the nation as a whole. With nationalism, on the other hand, an attempt was made to create a unique, identifiable form of Brazilian culture which would be distinct from that of Portugal or any other nation. It has been noted that the concept of nationalism in modern Brazil was based on the idea of the nation being a "product of the union of the New World with the old" (Burns, 1980, p. 247). Nevertheless, at the same time, it can be seen that "the domination of the values of the Old World was explicit" (p. 247). Thus, even in the twentieth century, the Hispanic influence of Portugal has continued to be strong in Brazilian culture. The various ethnic peoples making up Brazil have all had a part to play in the development of the nation as a whole. Some things which are considered typically Brazilian today, such as the Carnival samba dance, are actually derived from the culture of Africa. However, throughout Brazil's history, the Hispanic influences have always played the strongest role. This assertion is supported by the fact that the language, religion, society, and politics of modern Brazil are all grounded in Portuguese cultural values.

Franco, J. (1967). The modern culture o