Portuguese linguistic policy in Brazil has passed through different stages in history and has determined the consolidation process of the Brazilian nation. By means of a bibliographic revision, this article will make a historical overview of Portuguese linguistic policy in Brazil from colonialism to the expansion process of the language at an international level in the XXI century. The reasons that have consolidated and positioned Portuguese in Brazil are: first, the Portuguese language supported the construction of the nation during colonial times, Independence and the beginnings of the Republic, in detriment of indigenous and African languages. In the second place, Brazilian Portuguese established itself as a variety distinct from the Portuguese of Portugal rooted in the emerging nationalism, which was then to become problematic in the definition of its cultured variety. Finally, in the context of globalization, two supranational institutions have been created to promote the Portuguese language and benefit the processes of worldwide language expansion.
