Brazil

C

Natural Resources

Although the area under cultivation totals only about 62 million hectares (about 153 million acres), or less than 7.5 per cent of the total land area, Brazil is an important agricultural country. It has immense timber resources, the forest areas covering some 5.7 million sq km (2.2 million sq mi). Mineral resources are extensive, including quartz crystal, industrial diamonds, chrome, iron ore, phosphates, coal, manganese, zirconium, beryllium, petroleum, mica, graphite, titanium, copper, gold, oil, bauxite, zinc, tin, and mercury.

D

Plants and Animals

The flora of Brazil is highly diversified, particularly in the Amazon Basin. Hundreds of species of plant life, including bignonias, laurels, myrtles, and mimosas, abound in this region. Palms and hardwoods are abundant, as are plants of the Euphorbiaceae family (one of the chief sources of crude rubber). Mangroves, cacaos, dwarf palms, and brazilwoods thrive in the coastal region. Among the indigenous and widely cultivated fruits are the pineapple, fig, custard apple, mango, banana, guava, grape, and orange. Vegetation in the river valleys of the plateau region is luxuriant, but in the highlands the forests consist largely of deciduous species, and are far less dense. This section also has extensive tracts of bushes and open plains. Coniferous trees thrive in those areas where temperate climatic conditions prevail. In the arid sections of the plateau region, cacti and other spiny plants are common.

The animal life of Brazil is also extremely varied and differs in many respects from that of North America and the eastern hemisphere. Larger animals include the puma, jaguar, ocelot, the rare bush dog, and foxes. Peccary, tapir, anteater, sloth, opossum, and armadillo are abundant. Deer are plentiful in the south, and monkeys of many species abound in the selva (rainforests). Many varieties of birds are indigenous to the country. The reptilian fauna includes several species of alligator and numerous species of snake, notably the bushmaster, fer-de-lance, and boa. Fish and turtle abound in the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters of Brazil. Animal smuggling is rife in Brazil; estimates suggest that over 35 million have disappeared from the rainforest in this fashion.

The issue of deforestation in the Amazon Basin is an international environmental issue. The country’s tropical rainforest is one of the most complex ecosystems in the world, containing much of the world’s biodiversity. During the early 1990s the forest was being destroyed, to make way for agriculture, at a rate of 35,000 sq km (13,500 sq mi) a year. A rainforest protection programme, funded by the Brazilian government, the EU, and the G-7 group, was agreed in 1996. In September 1999 an environmental bill came into force making deforestation (along with pollution) punishable by fines and prison sentences. A scientific report published in January 2001 predicted that deforestation would reduce the rainforest by 42 per cent by 2020, but this figure was fiercely disputed by Brazilian officials. However, the government agreed to reassess its development programme in the region. In August 2002 the Brazilian government announced the creation of the largest tropical forest reserve in the world—the Tumucumaque National Park in Amapá. The park covers some 3.8 million hectares (15,000 sq mi), an area roughly the size of Switzerland.

E

Soils

The soil is primarily tropical and subtropical terra rosa (red earth). Amazonia, the valley of the Amazon and its tributaries, is a vast alluvial plain in which flooding continually washes away and replenishes topsoil. A number of low alluvial plateaux, however, can be found above normal floor levels. Some inland regions of the north-east are semi-arid. In lowland areas, the soil supports dense rainforests. The state of São Paulo is marked by fertile, almost purple, terra rosa, because of basalt decomposition accelerated by heat and humidity.

F

Environmental Concerns

Access to sanitation and safe water is generally good, but local water pollution occurs in urban centres. Concentrations of lead and sulphur dioxide are within the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines in São Paulo because of the use of alcohol as fuel and because of curbs on emissions. Traffic growth still remains a cause of concern because of the resulting levels of carbon monoxide and damage to the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.

III

Population

Approximately 22 per cent of the population of Brazil is composed of mulattoes. People of Portuguese descent are the second-largest group (15 per cent), followed by mestizos (people of mixed European and Native American stock, 12 per cent), Italian (11 per cent), black (11 per cent), and Spanish (10 per cent), with the remaining 19 per cent made up of other groups, including Germans, Japanese, and Native Americans.