 With the abolition of slavery in 1888 and an attempt of Brazil's government to "bleach" its ethnic composition which was greatly formed by descendants of enslaved Africans, the government began attracting Europeans such as Italians, Spanish, and Germans, in Western Europe, and in the East Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and Russians by offering them lands.After those, came the Japanese, Catholic Syrian and Lebanese.Thus, the majority of the Chavantes's population is formed by Portuguese and/or African-Native Brazilians, Spanish-, Italian-, Japanese-, and Syrian-Lebanese- Brazilians.