Brazil

As promised, the following discussion attempts to take a closer look at Brazil and its incredible landscapes.  However, due to time constraints, this is not near as in depth as I had planned, but I hope it does give you a glimpse into at least one specific example of Latin America’s diverse physical geography. 

At 3,286,470 square miles, Brazil is Latin America’s largest country and covers nearly half of the continent of South America (brazil.org).  As you can see from the map shown, the country is located northeast corner of South American and occupies much of the coastline.  The country’s vast area traces all the way back to colonial Latin America when South America was divided between the two competing European powers present at the time: Spain and Portugal (McFarlane 10).  In 1494, at the Treaty of Tordesillas, the continent was split into Portugal’s territory, which later became Brazil, and the rest was claimed by Spain, becoming the other Latin American republics (McFarlane 10). 

 

Brazil is not only home to the Amazon (which most people already know), but also vast stretches of coastline, savannahs, and pampas (fertile plains).  In addition, the country also contains populated areas that range from major cities and popular tourist destinations all the way to tiny rural communities.  The country also contains a vast differences in climate: while rains are pouring in the tropical Amazon, the North East Region of the country is subject to chronic drought (brazil.org). 

As with the previous examples, it’s easy to get caught up in the grandeur and quickly peg Latin America as simply a place of gigantic wildness and remarkable beauty.  I’m certainly not trying to disprove this fact, but due to popular perceptions and interpretations of its landscapes, important – and less noticed – aspects of Brazil’s geography are often left out.  Since we are all aware of the old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words, I’ve included some of my favorites from Brazil.  I also found the following link to National Geographic very informative:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/brazil-guide/