Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with an area of 8.5 million square kilometers, covering approximately half of South America. The length of Brazil's borders is 4,420 kilometers from north to south, 4,328 kilometers from east to west, the Atlantic coastline of Brazil is 7,367 kilometers and the total border is 23,102 kilometers. Brazil borders every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador.
The country is divided into five regions: northern Brazil - mainly includes the Amazon basin; including the states of Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Rondonia, Pará, Amapa and Tocantins; northeastern Brazil, consisting of the states of Maranhau, Piaui, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia; Central West of Brazil - consisting of the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias and the federal center of Brasilia; Southeast Brazil - consisting of the states of Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo; Southern Brazil - consisting of the states of Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
More than half of Brazil lies 200 meters or more above sea level, and only a small part lies above 1,000 meters, with the highest peaks around 3,000 meters.
Brazil's river system is extensive. The Amazon and its tributaries, which are large rivers in their own right, feed more than half of Brazil. Other large Brazilian rivers are the San Francisco in the northeast and the Paraná and Paraguay, which flow south to empty into La Plata. Over the past 35 years, the significant hydroelectric potential of Brazil's rivers has been increasingly exploited.
Forests still cover large areas of Brazil, and farmland is found mainly in the South, Southeast and Central West of the country, with large areas converted to pasture. Brazil has some of the largest reserves of iron ore in the world and large quantities of many other metals, minerals and precious stones.
Geography of Brazil - brief statistics
Brazil area:
total: 8,511,965 sq. km.
land: 8,456,510 sq. km.
water: 55.455 sq km
Land borders of Brazil:
total: 16.885 km
Border countries with Brazil:
Argentina - 1261 km, Bolivia - 3423 km, Colombia - 1644 km, French Guiana - 730 km,
Guyana - 1606 km, Paraguay - 1365 km, Peru - 2995 km, Suriname - 593 km,
Uruguay - 1068 km, Venezuela - 2200 km
Coastline of Brazil:
7.491 km
Water boundaries of Brazil:
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles
contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles
exclusive economic zone: 200 m.m.
continental shelf: 200 nm or on the edge of the continental margin
Lowest point in Brazil:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point in Brazil:
PICO-DA-Neblina 3.014 m
Land use of Brazil:
arable land: 6.93%
Permanent grain crops: 0.89%
others: 92.18% (2005)
Irrigated lands of Brazil:
29,200 sq km (2003)
Brazil's total renewable water resources:
8.233 cu km (2000)
Drinking water - consumption (population/industrial/agriculture):
total: 59.3 cubic km/year (20% / 18% / 62%)
per capita: 318 cubic meters/year (2000)
Natural disasters in Brazil:
recurring droughts in the northeast, floods and sometimes frosts in the south
Environment - current issues:
Deforestation - Deforestation in the Amazon is destroying habitats and putting many species of plants and animals at risk of extinction. There is a lucrative and illegal trade in wildlife elements; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, as well as a number of other large cities; land degradation and water pollution resulting from improper mining; wetland degradation; heavy oil pollution.
Environment - international agreements:
Party: Antarctica - Environmental Protocol; About marine living resources of Antarctica; Antarctic Treaty; biological diversity; changing of the climate; climate change - Kyoto Protocol; Desertification; Endangered species; Environmental Modification; Hazardous waste; Law on the Sea; sea burial; Protection of the ozone layer; ship pollution; for tropical wood-83; for tropical wood-94; about wetlands; whaling
(none of these agreements have been signed but not ratified).
The largest country in Latin America is Brazil. Having significant natural resources, the state is in a difficult economic situation.
Geographical characteristics
Brazil is located on the continent of South America and is the fifth largest country in the world by area. Its territory is 8.5 million square km.
Brazil borders most countries on the continent. Its neighbors are: French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay.
The territory of the state of Brazil includes the islands: Sao Paulo, Trinidadi e Martin Vas, Fernando de Noronha, Rocas.
The population of Brazil exceeds 200 million people. According to racial composition data, the majority of people come from mixed marriages.
Nature
Mountains and waterfalls
The mountains of Brazil occupy a relatively small part of the territory and are represented by the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands. The heights of individual peaks of mountain systems reach an altitude of 2,890 m above sea level, in particular Mount Bandeira, which belongs to the Brazilian Highlands. There are low hills, steep cliffs with cliffs, and plateaus.
The features of the topography and dense river network determined the presence of many waterfalls in Brazil. Many of them are located in national parks, for example, the waterfall on the Iguazu River in the gorge nicknamed the “Devil's Throat”. The height of the falling column of water is 80 m.
Also among the famous and popular waterfalls among tourists are: Caracol, Angel, Salto Floriano, San Martin, etc...
Rivers and lakes
The most famous river flowing through Brazil is the Amazon.
Other major rivers in the country include the Paranaiba, Rio Grande, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as San Francisco.
The Amazon is suitable for navigation with its tributaries located in the western and eastern parts of the country, as well as small sections of rivers flowing through the plateau.
The rivers have rapids, the water level in them is not constant, the drops are significant, even to the point of floods.
Most lakes in Brazil are located in river basins. The largest in Latin America is Lagoa Mirin.
Another lake, Patus, is the world's largest shallow body of water. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbar.
Interesting lakes that form exclusively during the rainy season are fresh water reservoirs in the Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Their lifespan is only 4 months, but during this period fish, crabs, etc. manage to appear here...
The ocean surrounding Brazil
On the eastern side, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the ocean coast of Brazil is almost 7.5 thousand km. Throughout the year, the sea temperature remains approximately in the same range, 20 - 25 degrees Celsius with a plus sign.
Direct access to the ocean influenced history and continues to regulate the economic life of the state.
Today, the coastline, in addition to well-maintained beaches and resort areas, has large ports, whose territories occupy up to ten kilometers. Some of them are city-forming enterprises...
Plants and animals of Brazil
In the Amazon basin, the flora of Brazil is represented by evergreen moist equatorial forests with valuable tree species.
In the central part of the country there are savannas where shrubby plants grow. In the southern part of the country there are evergreen deciduous plants and mixed forests with coniferous araucaria.
Brazil is the country with the largest species diversity of primates, amphibians, reptiles and birds. According to these indicators, it is among the top five world leaders.
There is a problem in the country related to the threat of extinction of certain animal species. This mainly concerns the inhabitants of ecosystems that are being deforested...
Climate of Brazil
The country is located within the equatorial, subequatorial tropical and subtropical climate zones. It is characterized by a hot and humid climate. Temperatures throughout the year range from 16 to 29 degrees Celsius. Frosts are possible only in the eastern part of the state.
The amount of precipitation depends on the zone. There are regions with a drought period of up to 4 months. In general, temperature fluctuations across the country are insignificant. The exception is the central part of the Brazilian plateau, where differences can reach 45 - 50 degrees...
Resources
Natural resources of Brazil
The location of the state provides Brazil with significant reserves of natural resources. Their list includes wood materials, including valuable tree species, as well as iron ore, which not only meets the needs of the state, but is exported.
The presence of an extensive river network, as well as access to the sea, provides the country with fish and fresh seafood...
Industry and Agriculture of Brazil
In terms of GDP, Brazil is the leader among Latin American countries, but in reality it is experiencing serious economic difficulties, aggravated by corruption, social conflicts and the lack of adequate quality of services provided to the public.
The country produces cars, computers and components for them, petroleum products, as well as consumer goods. Aviation equipment, vehicles, as well as light industrial goods, such as textiles, shoes, and ready-made clothing, are exported.
Agriculture is developed in the country. The share of Brazilian products in the world market is 6%. The population is employed in the production of corn, salt, sugar cane, bananas, cocoa, coffee, etc.
Livestock farming is represented by cattle and accounts for 40% of the volume of all agricultural products...
Culture
Peoples of Brazil
The presence of colonialists in the country for a long time influenced the culture of citizens. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, and other languages spoken here include French, Spanish, Italian and English. Most of the population is literate, 90% have an education.
More than half of the population professes Catholicism and about 20% are Protestants. Also present among religious movements are the beliefs of African cults brought by slaves from Africa...
Brazil- the largest state in Latin America. In the north it borders with Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, in the northwest - with Colombia, in the west - with Peru and Bolivia, in the southwest - with Paraguay and Argentina, in the south - with Uruguay. In the east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The name of the country comes from the Portuguese brasa, which means “heat, hot coals” (this is how the Portuguese called red sandalwood, which for some time was the main export item from Brazil to Europe).
Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil
Capital: Brasilia
The area of the land: 8,547.4 thousand sq. km
Total Population: 201.1 million people
Administrative division: The state is divided into 23 states, one capital district and 3 federal territories.
Form of government: Republic, with a federal government structure.
Head of State: President, elected for 5 years.
Population composition: Ethnic groups: white - 53.9% (Portuguese - 20%; Italians - 14%; Spaniards - 8%; Germans - 6.6%; Arabs - 5.3%); mulattoes - 38.5%; black - 6.2%; Asians - 0.5% (Japanese, etc.); Indians - 0.43% (Tupi-Guarani, Arawaks, Caribs, Panos, etc.).
There are also sambo (Afro-Indian) and pardo (brown) - their number is not known exactly.
Official language: Portuguese. Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Ukrainian, English and Native American languages are also used.
Religion: 73.6% Catholic, 15.4% Protestant, 1.3% Spiritualist, 0.3% Bantu/Voodoo, 7.4% Atheist, 2% Other.
Internet domain: .br
Mains voltage: ~127 V/220 V, 60 Hz
Country dialing code: +55
Country barcode: 789-790
Climate
Despite the fact that 90% of the country's territory is located in the tropical zone, more than 60% of Brazil's population lives in a zone of moderate temperatures, formed under the influence of prevailing altitudes, offshore winds and cold air fronts.
Brazil has five climate types: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, tropical highland, and subtropical. Cities located on flat terrain, such as Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, are characterized by moderate temperatures with an average value of + 19 degrees.
The cities of Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador, located on the coast, are characterized by a hot climate, which is moderated by tropical winds.
The subtropical climate of southern cities such as Porto Alegre and Curitiba is comparable to some regions of the United States and Europe, where periodic frosts occur. In winter, temperatures in this zone can drop below zero.
Despite the popular belief that the Amazon basin is unbearably hot, the temperature in this area does not exceed + 32 degrees, and its annual average is + 22-26 degrees with minor seasonal variations in the hottest and coldest months of the year.
The hottest region of Brazil is the northeast. During the dry period, which lasts from May to November, the air temperature in the northeast rises to +38 degrees. Compared to the Amazon, this region of Brazil is characterized by sharper seasonal temperature fluctuations. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, the average temperature ranges from + 23 to + 27 degrees.
In elevated areas in the interior of the country, the temperature drops to + 18-23 degrees. South of Rio de Janeiro, the differences between the seasons become more distinct and seasonal temperature variations become more pronounced. In this area of the country, the average annual temperature ranges from + 17 to + 19 degrees.
The seasons in Brazil are distributed as follows:
Spring: from September 22 to December 21
Summer: from December 22 to March 21
Autumn: from March 22 to June 21
Winter: from June 22 to September 21
Geography
Brazil is located in South America and covers an area of 8,547.4 thousand square meters. km. Most of the territory is in the Southern Hemisphere.
Brazil is bordered to the north by the French overseas department of Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia; in the west - from Peru; in the southwest - with Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. In the east, Brazil is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the coastline from the border with Guiana to the border with Uruguay is 6840 km.
The main features of the geography are the Amazon River basin and the Brazilian plateau or plateau. The plateau occupies most of the southeastern half of the country. The height of the plateau is from 300 to 900 meters; in many places it is crossed by river valleys and low mountain ranges.
The main mountain ranges of the Brazilian plateau are the Sierra da Mantiqueira, Sierra do Mar and Sierra Geral. Their height usually does not exceed 1200 meters, but individual peaks rise to a height of more than 2200 meters (Pica da Bandeira - 2890 meters and Nedra Acu - 2232 meters).
The largest rivers are the Amazon, Madeira, Tapajos, Rio Negro, Parnaiba, Uruguay.
The Amazon basin occupies more than one third of the territory. Plains prevail there, and the height of the territory rarely exceeds 150 m. Most of the basin is occupied by swamps and floodplains, as well as dense jungle.
In the north of the Amazon Basin there is a mountain range - the Guiana Highlands - consisting of Sierra Tumucumaque (height up to 850 m), Sierra Acari (up to 600 m) and Sierra Parima (up to 1500 m). On the border with Venezuela is the highest point in Brazil - Mount Pica da Neblina (3014 m).
A very special natural region of Brazil is the Pantanal (port. "swampy area") It is located in the upper reaches of the Paraguay River, almost in the center of South America. This is a vast tectonic depression, limited to the north, east and southeast by the cliffs of the Brazilian Plateau, and to the west by the slopes of the Bolivian Highlands. Fast mountain rivers flowing from the Brazilian plateau slow down their flow on the low-lying plain and overflow widely during the summer rains, flooding almost the entire depression. During the dry winter, the Pantanal is a mosaic of marshes, lakes and subtle meandering riverbeds, salt marshes, sandbanks and grassy areas.
Flora and fauna
Vegetable world
The variety of climatic zones, together with the characteristics of the drainage system and soil, affected the type of Brazilian vegetation. In the Amazon basin, as well as along the Atlantic coast with heavy rainfall, there is a tropical forest with luxurious broad-leaved trees, conventionally divided into Amazonian and Atlantic.
The rainforest is rich in diverse plant species: approximately 3,000 different plants on an area of 2.6 sq. km.
The plains and plateaus of the eastern coast have a semi-arid climate zone with moderate rainfall and long dry periods. Low vegetation predominates here, and during dry periods the trees shed their leaves.
In the north-west of the country, with a semi-arid climate, caatinga predominates, characterized by dry shrubs and low-growing trees.
Much of central Brazil is covered with cerrado, a type of vegetation that consists of drought-resistant trees and shrubs.
In the south are the Mata Araucaria pine forests, occupying the Southern Plateau. The plains, located at sea level, are covered with pastures.
The wetlands of Mato Grosso, covering 230,000 square kilometers in the west-central part of the country, are covered with tall grass, weeds and trees. During the rainy season, the soil becomes flooded.
Brazil represents 55 thousand of the 250 thousand plant species that exist in the world. Brazil has about 250 thousand species of palm trees, the largest number in the world, 2.3 thousand species of orchids and a huge number of different fruits, grains, roots and nuts.
Animal world
Brazil represents 10% of the world's mammals and amphibians, as well as 17% of all birds. In addition, Brazil is home to 55 different species of primates, the highest number in the world. Of the twelve types of tropical mammals found in the Western Hemisphere, eleven are found in Brazil, numbering more than 600 species. This includes several species of the cat family, such as the spotted jaguar, and smaller ones such as the puma, sucuarana, jaguarundi and ocelot. Other mammals include: sloths, anteaters, tapirs, armadillos, dolphins, capivars (river rodents that weigh up to 66 kg) and 30 species of monkeys.
Brazil has the world's largest diversity of birds, with 1,600 different species, including parrots. There are at least 40 species of turtles, 120 species of lizards, 230 species of snakes, 5 species of crocodiles, 331 species of amphibians and 1,500 species of freshwater fish. Biologists have cataloged about 100,000 species of invertebrates, including 70,000 insects.
The Amazon jungle is the largest tropical forest in the world, covering an area of 5.5 million square meters. km., of which 60% are in the Brazilian states of Acre, Amazonas, Para, Mato Grosso and Maranhao. The remaining 40% covers the territory of both Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The Amazon forest is the largest reserve of biological resources in the world, containing 30,000 of the 100,000 plants that exist in Latin America. It is not known exactly how many animal species live there, but scientists estimate the number to be between 800,000 and 5 million, representing between 15 and 30% of all species inhabiting the planet.
Biologists have cataloged new species of freshwater fish, resulting in an estimated 3,000 species of fish in Amazon lakes and rivers. Among the typical fish of the region are the following: pirarucu, the largest freshwater fish in the world, some specimens of which reach 2 meters in length and 125 kilograms in weight; tambaci from the family of caracids, fruit eaters, whose teeth easily chew the bones of the rubber tree and jauari palm; and finally piranha.
The ferocity of this bloodthirsty fish is often exaggerated. Despite the fact that occasionally piranhas kill animals of impressive size and even people, their behavior is determined by their number in the environment. In the beds of large rivers and lakes, piranhas usually do not harm swimmers. They become aggressive only when there is a lack of food.
The Amazon is also the largest hydrographic basin in the world, with a total area of 6 million square meters. km. The largest river in this basin is the Amazon, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The average water flow is 175 million liters per second, which corresponds to 20% of the flow of all rivers on the planet.
Attractions
A country of exotic nature, almost 8 thousand km. picturesque beaches, cheerful people, ancient Indian traditions and colorful colonial architecture, in addition, one of the most developed countries on the continent, Brazil attracts the attention of millions of tourists.
There are almost all the conditions for a wide variety of recreation, but the most attention, of course, is attracted by the famous jungle of the Amazon and the pampas of the south, glorified in numerous novels, Iguazu Falls and mountainous areas, as well as, undoubtedly, the noisy and eternally dancing Rio with its famous Carnival.
- Cathedral of San Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro
- Sambadromo Marques de Sapucai
- Maracana Stadium
Banks and currency
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Real (BRL), equal to 100 centavos. There are coins in circulation in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos and 1 reais, as well as banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 reais.
Money can be changed at specialized currency exchange offices (Cambios), in banks (the most favorable rate), exchange offices at travel agencies and shopping centers, in hotels (usually only dollars), at airports and train stations.
Banks are open from 10.00 to 15.00-16.30 from Monday to Friday. Bank branches at the airport and major train stations are usually open 24 hours a day.
Useful information for tourists
Traditional purchases include interesting and entertaining souvenirs: Indian vessels, Negro amulets or pau-Brazil mahogany products. The best place to buy souvenirs is the Hippie Fair, which takes place on Sunday. Rio also has large shopping centers - Rio Sul and Barra Shopping. Serious purchases worth making in Brazil are natural gemstones: diamonds, emeralds, topazes.
Brazil is one of the ten most criminal countries in the world. It is not recommended to wear expensive jewelry, large sums of money, leave clothes, cameras and wallets unattended on the beach, or accept invitations from strangers. Avoid visiting torch (slum) areas even during daytime. Never leave documents, money or jewelry in your hotel room (hotels are not responsible for items missing from your room). It is safe in the resort outskirts of Rio, in Manaus, and at the Iguazu Falls.
Tips in expensive restaurants and bars are 10% of the bill (if it does not include a service charge); in cheap eateries - 1-2 reais; the cafes on the beach are not accepted; the porter at the hotel or airport is given 1 real; The taxi driver's bill is rounded up.
Brazil is a country in Latin America. The full name is the Federative Republic of Brazil (Republica Federativa do Brasil).
The largest cities in Brazil are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Sadvador, Fortaleza.
The area of Brazil is slightly smaller than the territory of Europe - 8.5 million square meters. km. This is the fifth place in the world. The state is divided into 26 states and one federal district. The President of Brazil is the head of the executive branch and is elected every four years.
The population of Brazil is almost 188 million people. Half of them are white, about 1/3 are mulattoes and mestizos, 1/10 are blacks. The indigenous people, Indians, make up only 1%.
In Brazil, almost the entire population of the country speaks Portuguese. It is also the state language.
The dominant religion (89%) is Christianity. Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world.
Blue, yellow, green - these are the colors of the Brazilian flag. Blue is the endless sky in Rio de Janeiro, yellow is the gold for which this land was famous, green is the richest tropical forests, because Brazil ranks first in the world in terms of timber reserves.
In this photo, the Brazilian flag looks somewhat like an eye.
The geographical position of Brazil is characterized by the fact that the main part of the country is located on the Brazilian Plateau and occupies almost half of South America. Brazil's borders extend both by land and water. Northern border - French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela; southern - Uruguay, western - Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina. The Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern and northern borders of Brazil.
The largest river in Brazil is the Amazon. Smaller ones are Parana and Uruguay. But only the Amazon River is navigable all year round. On a tributary of the Parana River is the beautiful and world famous Iguazu Falls.
The climate of Brazil is hot. The west of the Amazon is humid equatorial, the east is arid subequatorial. The center of Brazil is characterized by a humid subequatorial climate with high rainfall, the amount of which decreases in the northeast of the country.
Another physical map.
Map of the states of Brazil.
The fifth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, China and the United States of America).
- Length from west to east: 4328 km (as the crow flies).
- Length from north to south: 4320 km (as the crow flies).
Extreme points
- North - 8° north latitude and 60° west longitude.
- South - 32° south latitude and 70° west longitude.
- West - 10° south latitude and 75° west longitude.
- East - 7° south latitude and 34.5° west longitude.
Borders
The total length of the border is 14,691 km (border length: with Argentina - 1224 km; with Bolivia - 3400 km, with Colombia - 1643 km, with French Guiana - 673 km, with Guyana - 1119 km, with Paraguay - 1290 km, with Peru - 1560 km, with Suriname - 597 km, with Uruguay - 985 km, with Venezuela - 2200 km).
Coastline
See also: Islands of Brazil
Amazon Basin
Most of northern Brazil is occupied by the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its major tributaries Tocantins, Xingu, Tapajos, Madeira, Purus, Jurua, Japura and Rio Negro. This is the largest lowland on the globe, covering an area of 1.8 million square meters. km, one of the least populated and least developed territories. In the west, this lowland is widest - up to 1,290 km from north to south, it narrows greatly near the city of Santarém, where the distance between the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus is only 240 km. Below the confluence of the Xingu River, the lowland again expands greatly, and the mouth of the Amazon begins there. The rivers of the Amazon basin carry into the ocean on average more than 1 billion tons of silt-sand sediments per year, however, due to the tectonic depression in the estuarine zone, the river cannot create an extensive delta, and the island of Marajo, consisting of alluvium, was formed at the mouth. The murky yellow waters of the Amazon can be traced into the Atlantic Ocean at a distance of up to 300 km from the mouth. The Amazon regime is affected by sea tidal waves, which reach a height of 5 m and extend up the river for 1,400 km, flooding low floodplains - igapó.
There are floods on the main river and its tributaries, leading to flooding of an area up to 80 km wide. However, as a rule, floods spread along river beds, and between them rise interfluves, covered with trees or herbaceous vegetation, which are never flooded. The abundance of the Amazon is explained by the fact that its northern and southern tributaries are located in different hemispheres; Accordingly, floods occur at different times of the year: on the right tributaries - from October to April (summer season in the Southern Hemisphere), on the left ones - from April to October (summer season in the Northern Hemisphere). Accordingly, seasonal fluctuations in flow in the Amazon are smoothed out. The average annual flow of this river is approximately 7 thousand km³ - about 15% of the annual flow of all rivers on Earth. The Amazon is navigable throughout its entire length within Brazil and further upstream to the city of Iquitos in Peru, a distance of 3,700 km from the Atlantic Ocean.
Guiana Highlands
In morphostructural terms, the Guiana Highlands are the northern continuation of the Brazilian Highlands, but are separated from them by the Amazonian Lowland. The Guiana Highlands occupy the northern part of Brazil. Its peak is Mount La Neblina (2994 m) on the border with Venezuela and Mount Roraima (2772 m) at the junction of the borders of Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. Manganese deposits are being developed in the state of Amapa.
Brazilian Highlands
Almost the entire southern part of the country is occupied by the vast Brazilian Highlands. Most of the fertile lands and valuable minerals are concentrated there. The eastern edge of the highlands, east of the Parana River, is densely populated. The sparsely populated, arid interior areas of the highlands, including the São Francisco River basin, are called sertanams (sertão). The eastern edge of the highlands north of Rio de Janeiro has a stepped structure: steep cliffs, facing the ocean, rise in ridges, one above the other. South of Rio de Janeiro, the highland escarpment reaches a great height and makes an impressive impression, appearing in the form of a massive wall. It is called the Great Escarpment, and its individual sections are Serra Geral, Serra do Mar, Serra do Paranapiacaba, etc. Further inland, a series of massive mountain ranges extend parallel to the coast and the edge of the escarpment. The highest of them is the Serra da Mantiqueira and its part of the Serra do Caparao with the peak of Bandeira (2891 m). The Serra do Espinhaço range in central Minas Gerais contains the country's largest mineral reserves. The ridge of the ledge is cut in places by the valleys of the Jequitinhonha, Rio Dosi and Paraiba rivers, of which only the flat-bottomed Rio Dosi valley is easy to penetrate into the interior of the country. The Paraiba River valley stretches almost parallel to the ocean coast, and is connected to the railway and highway connecting the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
In the southwestern Brazilian Highlands, the Paraná River and its tributaries cross the very flat surface of the Paraná lava plateau. Here the Paraná River and its tributary Iguazu flow in wide, shallow valleys cut into ancient subhorizontal strata of diabase. These rivers fall from the edge of the plateau, forming the huge waterfalls of Guaira (now submerged by the Itaipu Dam reservoir) (on the border of Brazil and Paraguay), and Iguazu (at the junction of the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay), which are among the highest in the world.
There is a lot of extra-storied vegetation - lianas and epiphytes, many orchids. Non-flooded areas (terra firma) are especially rich in epiphytes. Epiphytes belong mainly to the families Bromeliads and Araceae, differing in the shape and brightness of the color of the flowers. Epiphytes form numerous aerial roots. Lots of cacti. Melon trees, cocoa, and hevea grow here, in the backwaters of the Amazon, Orinoco and other rivers - Victoria Region.
In places flooded during floods, the lower tree layer, formed by hydrophilic palms, tree ferns and other plants, rises up to 8 m above the reed and sedge swamps. In more illuminated areas, the lower layer is quickly covered with a dense, impenetrable thicket of vines, epiphytes, shrubs and small trees turning the community into an impenetrable jungle.
Mata (semi-deciduous tropical and subtropical forest)
Campos (savannas)
Campos is a type of vegetation formed by deciduous trees and savannah grasses. It grows in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias, Piaui and Tocantins almost to the Atlantic coast.
Types of campos.
Caatinga
In the arid northeast of the country, caatinga is common - open forest consisting of thorny deciduous trees and shrubs.
Pantanal
Prairies
On the high plateaus of the four southern states of Brazil there are areas of grass prairies or pampas, characteristic of temperate latitudes. Their area increases in the south of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where trees grow only in the valleys, and the interfluves are covered with a wavy carpet of steppe grasses.
Mangrove forests
The wetlands, which are found in many places along the Brazilian coast where rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, are covered with mangrove forests. Unfortunately, most of them have been destroyed today. These impressive ecosystems can still be found in the Lagamar region on the border of the states of São Paulo and Paraná, the Camamu Bay (Bahia), the Parnaiba River delta (Piahui) and around the mouth of the Amazon.
Political-administrative division
Brazil's twenty-six states and one Federal District (Distrito Federal) are generally divided into five geographical regions or regions: North (Norte), Northeast (Nordeste), Southeast (Sudeste), South (Sul) and Central West (Centro- Oeste). IN
