Historia Naturalis Brasiliae is the first scientific book about Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, written by Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

 naturalist Willem Piso

Willem Piso

Willem Piso was a Dutch physician and naturalist who participated as an expedition doctor in Dutch Brazil from 1637 - 1644, sponsored by Earl Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen and the Dutch West India Company...

  and published in 1648. Piso makes use of observations made by the German naturalists Georg Marcgrave

Georg Marcgrave

Georg Marcgrave was a German naturalist and astronomer.- Life :Born in Liebstadt in the Electorate of Saxony, Marcgrave studied botany, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine in Germany and Switzerland until 1636 when he journeyed to Leiden in the Netherlands.In 1637, he was appointed astronomer of...

, and H. Gralitzio, in addition to John de Laet. It was dedicated to John Maurice, Count of Nassau.

It is based on Piso's trip to Brazil in 1637 and offers an important early western insight into Brazilian flora and fauna by analysing plants and animals and studying tropical diseases and indigenous therapies.