Brazilian Portuguese signed into law by the President on 21 July 2008 allowing for a 6-year adaptation period, during which both orthographies co-existed. All of the CPLP countries have signed the reform. In Brazil, this reform has been in force since January 2016. Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries have since begun using the new orthography. Regional varieties of Brazilian Portuguese, while remaining mutually intelligible, may diverge from each other in matters such as vowel pronunciation and speech intonation. The existence of Portuguese in Brazil is a legacy of the Portuguese colonization of the Americas. The first wave of Portuguese-speaking immigrants settled in
1st Summit of the Americas 1st Summit of the Americas The First Summit of the Americas was convened in Miami, Florida, United States, on December 9–11, 1994. This summit was the first of a series of events for leaders from countries of the Americas. From across North and South America thirty-four nations met in Miami and agreed to create Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). All countries were welcome to participate except for Cuba. Cuba was the only country not invited to participate in Miami. The Summit of the Americas accepted a Declaration of Principles to aid in the process of discussing a continent