Destination guide — Brazil

AccommodationAttractionsClimateEventsFood and drinkGeographical description
Global time zoneHealthPublic holidaysQuickfacts
ShoppingSocial hintsTippingTravel-Internal

Geographical description

fiogf49gjkf0d
BRAZIL IS IN THE CENTER-EAST PART OF SOUTH AMERICA, BETWEEN
LATITUDES 5.16'N AND 33.45'S AND LONGITUDES 34.47'E AND
73.59'W. THE TOTAL AREA OF THE COUNTRY IS 8.511.965 SQ. KM,
WHICH CORRESPONDS TO 1.66% OF THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE, 5.77% OF
THE CONTINENTS, 20.80% OF THE AMERICAS AND 47% OF SOUTH
AMERICA. THE GROUND AREA IS EQUIVALENT TO 8.456.508 SQ. KM
AND ITS RIVERS AND LAKES OCCUPY 5.545 SQ. KM. IN THE NORTH,
THE COUNTRY IS DIVIDED BY THE EQUATOR LINE, WHICH CROSSES THE
STATES OF AMAZONAS, RORAIMA, PARA AND AMAPA, AND IN THE SOUTH
BY THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN, WHICH CROSSES THE STATES OF MATO
MATO GROSSO DO SUL, PARANA AND SAO PAULO. THEREFORE, THE
GREATEST PART OF ITS TERRITORY (93%) IS IN THE SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE & IN THE INTERTROPICAL ZONE (92%). ITS HAS 23.127 KM
FRONTIERS, BEING 15.719 KM WITH NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES.
(THE BIGGEST WITH BOLIVIA - 3.126 KM - AND THE SMALLEST WITH
SURINAME - 593 KM). THE 7.408 KM LEFT ARE BOUNDED WITH
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

THE PREDOMINANCE OF HUMID CLIMATE CREATES A NUMEROUS NETWORK
OF RIVERS WITH HIGH VOLUMES OF WATER, FORMING BASINS CLASSIFIED
INTO TWO MAIN GROUPS:

PLATEAU RIVERS - WITH HUGE COURSES OF WATER DROPPING IN STEEP
SLOPES, WHICH MAIN EXAMPLES ARE "PARANA", "URUGUAI" AND
"SAO FRANCISCO".

PRAIRIE RIVERS - WHICH ALLOW NAVIGATION THROUGH MOST OF THEIR
PARTS & HAVE THEIR EXAMPLES IN THE AMAZON BASINS & "PARAGUAI"

ALL THE OTHER RIVERS HAVE LESS EXTENSIVE COURSES & ARE GROUPED
IN SLOPES:

NORTHERN SLOPE RIVERS - PERENNIAL, OF RELATIVELY GREAT OUT-FLOW
AND AUTUMN-WINTER FLOODS ("JAGUARIBE", "PARAIBA DO NORTE" AND
"CAPIBARIBE", FOR INSTANCE).

SOUTHEAST SLOPE RIVERS - PERENNIAL WITH SOME LOW FLUVIAL LEVELS
& SUMMER FLOODS ("JEQUITINHONHA", "PARAIBA DO SUL" & "DOCE"
ARE THE MAIN ONES).

SOUTHERN SLOPE RIVERS - WITH HIBRID FEATURES (PLATEAU &
PRAIRIE) & SUMMER FLOODS ("ITAJAI", "TUBARAO", "GUAIBA",
"CAMAGUA" & "JAGUARAO" ARE SOME EXAMPLES).

THE LONGER RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY ARE; "AMAZONAS" (7.025 KM),
"PARANA" (4.025 KM), "JURUA" (3.283 KM), "MADEIRA" (3.240 KM),
"PURUS" (3.120 KM) AND "SAO FRANCISCO" (3.161 KM).

THE LARGE EXTENSION FROM EAST TO WEST DIVIDES THE COUNTRY INTO
FOUR TIME ZONES, ALL OF THEM TO THE WEST OF THE GREENWICH
MERIDIEN, WITH DELAYED SCHEDULES IN RELATION TO IT.

POLITICALLY, BRAZIL IS DIVIDED INTO 26 STATES & THE FEDERAL
DISTRICT OF BRASILIA, WHERE THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION IS
LOCATED. THE STATES ARE DIVIDED INTO FIVE REGIONS, EACH WITH
ITS OWN DISTINCT FEATURES. BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND
GEOGRAPHICAL CONTRAST AMONG THE REGIONS, SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT
EACH OF THEM IS A COUNTRY WITHIN A COUNTRY.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE STATES AMONG THE REGIONS:

NORTH REGION - "ACRE", "AMAZONAS", "PARA", "RONDONIA", "RORAIMA",
"TOCANTINS", AND "AMAPA".
IT'S LOCATED WITHIN THE GUIANAS TO THE NORTH, THE
BRAZILIAN PLATEAU TO THE SOUTH, THE ANDES TO THE
WEST AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE EAST. THE
HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PEAK CAN BE FOUND ON THE BORDER OF
VENEZUELA AND IS CALLED "PICO DA NEBLINA", WHICH
RISES TO 3.014 M. THE "FLORESTA TROPICAL DA
AMAZONIA" - AMAZON RAIN FOREST - CONTAINS THE
LARGEST PART OF TROPICAL FOREST IN THE WORLD,
COVERING LARGE AREAS IN 9 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
BEING 60% IN BRAZIL. AT THE HEART OF THIS REGION
LIES THE AMAZON RIVER, THE SECOND LONGEST IN THE
WORLD, WITH THOUSANDS OF TRIBUTARIES AND 23.000 KM
THAT CAN BE NAVIGATED BY LARGE BOATS.

NORTHEAST REGION - "MARANHAO", "PIAUI", "CEARA", "PERNAMBUCO",
"RIO GRANDE DO NORTE", "PARAIBA", "ALAGOAS",
"SERGIPE" AND "BAHIA".
THE COASTLINE GOES FROM "MARANHAO" TO THE SOUTH OF
"BAHIA" & ITS WIDTH CAN BE UP TO 200 KM. "SAO
FRANCISCO" IS AN IMPORTANT RIVER IN THE REGION &
"SALVADOR", "FORTALEZA" & "RECIFE" ARE THE BIGGEST
CITIES WITH BEAUTIFUL BEACHES. "FERNANDO DE NORONHA"
AND "ATOL DAS ROCAS" ARE WONDERFUL ISLANDS IN THE
NORTHEAST.

SOUTHEAST REGION - "SAO PAULO", "MINAS GERAIS", "RIO DE JANEIRO"
AND "ESPIRITO SANTO". THIS AREA IS THE MOST
MOUNTAINOUS PART OF THE ATLANTIC PLATEAU, WHERE
"SERRA DA MANTIQUEIRA", "SERRA DO MAR" & "SERRA
DO ESPINHACO" CAN BE DETACHED AS MOUNTAIN CHAINS
"DEDO DE DEUS" IN "NATIONAL PARK OF TERESOPOLIS"
& "PAO DE ACUCAR" (SUGAR LAOF), BESIDES THE
BEACHES, ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN RIO. THE
OLD MOUNTAINOUS CITIES IN "MINAS GERAIS" ALSO
ILLUSTRATE THE NATURAL FEATURES OF THE REGION.

SOUTH REGION - "PARANA", "SANTA CATARINA" & "RIO GRANDE DO SUL".
FIRST TWO STATES & NORTH OF "RIO GRANDE DO SUL"
ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ATLANTIC PLATEAU CLOSE TO THE
COAST & THE MERIDIONAL PLATEAU IN THE INTERIOR.
THE REMAINDER OF "RIO GRANDE DO SUL" IS MARKED BY
PRAIRIES KNOWN AS "PAMPAS GAUCHOS". THE EUROPEAN
STYLE OF REGION CAN BE NOTICED IN SOME BEAUTIFUL
CITIES SUCH AS "BLUMENAU", "GRAMADO" & "CAXIAS DO
SUL".

WEST REGION - "GOIAS", "MATO GROSSO", "MATO GROSSO DO SUL" AND
"BRASILIA", THE FEDERAL DISTRICT. THE PREDOMINANT
RELIEF IS A VAST OLD PLATEAU PLANED BY EROSION.
IT IS THE LESS POPULATED REGION OF THE COUNTRY,
ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE MOVED TO BRASILIA AFTER IT
WAS BUILT. TO THE WEST OF "MATO GROSSO DO SUL" &
THE SOUTHWEST OF "MATO GROSSO" IS THE "PANTANAL
MATOGROSSENSE", THE WORLD'S LARGEST WETLANDS & THE
HOME OF THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF WILDLIFE IN
SOUTH AMERICA. WHEN THE FLOODWATERS RECEDE IN
MARCH, THE "PANTANAL" BECOMES AN ORNITHOLOGIST'S
PARADISE WITH HUNDREDS OF SPECIES TO BE SEEN.
AccommodationAttractionsClimateEventsFood and drinkGeographical description
Global time zoneHealthPublic holidaysQuickfacts
ShoppingSocial hintsTippingTravel-Internal

© NBportal.com, powered by Nota Bena Co. 2024
Close window