Brazil is a country located in the western hemisphere between the meridians 34º47'30 ”and 73º59'32” and the parallels 5º16'20 ”north latitude and 33º44'42” south latitude. 90% of the country's territory is located in the southern hemisphere.
The main characteristic of Brazil
What is the geographical location of Brazil? The country occupies half of the South American continent. She owns the fifth place in the world in terms of area. Moreover, Brazil borders with almost all countries of South America, with the exception of Chile and Ecuador. From the east, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil unites 26 states, the number of which on the flag is marked by stars.
- Total area: 8 514 thousand sq. Km.
- The length of the land border: 15 719 km.
- The length of the Atlantic coast: 7,491 km.
Coast
With the exception of the mouth of the Amazon, the ocean coast is extremely indented, along which small islands are located. Only the Fernando de Noronha, Trinidad and Martin-Vas archipelagos have a remote geographic location. Brazil holds the world championship by the length of Praia do Cassino beach (250 km).
Climate
Located near the equator, Brazil, whose geographical location determines the presence of a tropical climate, the climate is already temperate in the southern regions farther from the equator.
Relief
Despite the gigantic size of the country, its relief is not very diverse. There are no high mountain ranges. The highest point is the peak of Cerro de la Neblin (2994 m). The country is located on two highlands: Brazilian and Guiana, the oldest on the planet. A significant part of the territory is occupied by the Amazon plain (4.5 million sq. Km).
Economic and geographical position
Brazil has a type of economy that is heavily dependent on exports. The main exporters are the neighboring states of South America, the EU countries, the USA and China. Despite the fact that the country's territory is one of the largest in the world, and its economy is significantly developed, per capita income is low and puts Brazil among the poor countries.
The most important component of the country's economy is the agricultural sector. The geographical position of Brazil, briefly described above, the country's climate determines favorable conditions for the fertility of the land. 20% of the population is employed in agriculture, although its share in GDP is only 5%. However, agriculture provides the opportunity for the successful functioning of agriculture, whose share is already 35% of GDP.
It is believed that Brazil became the first model of land use by plantation type. The geographical position of the first plantations is described precisely on the territory of this country. Since ancient times, agriculture here has been export-oriented, and domestic consumption has been growing slowly. Coffee, orange juice, grains, soybeans, sugar, tobacco and cigarettes, pulp and paper, cattle, pigs and poultry are the main products that Brazil produces.
The geographical location, climate and the presence of rivers led to the formation of huge forests with an area of the highest quality, but there are only a few hectares of high-quality trees in the rainforest, but it is also difficult to obtain them in impenetrable Brazilian trees. It is precisely because of the increased profitability of growing wood that wild forests are cleared of “useless” plants and thereby destroyed. The most popular varieties of grown trees: acai, cashew, Brazil nut, Paraguayan holly (mate), pine nut, etc.
Another important agricultural industry is animal husbandry. Mostly it is developed in the central and western regions of the country. Most often, cattle are bred, pigs are in second place (in the south of the country), then sheep (in the north-east and south of the country).
Minerals and minerals are also rich in Brazil. The geographical location of the main mineral deposits (gold, magnesium, nickel, iron, chromium and cobalt) is the southeast of the country. Also in Brazil there are oil fields. However, most of the reserves of natural resources are not yet used.
Brazil's industry contributes 30% to the country's GDP. The main surge in industrial development occurred in the 1960s, thanks to the import substitution program. The main industrial cities of Brazil are Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, also after the discovery of the oil field, Salvador was added to them.
The country has relatively cheap labor, which is why enterprises of transnational corporations are developing there. The best developed metallurgy, automotive, aircraft, shipbuilding, chemical industries, in particular oil refining and rubber manufacturing, agricultural, fabric, furniture and building materials.
A significant share of the economy is occupied by the service sector. However, with the exception of the tourism and financial sectors, this sector is low. The best situation is in the center and in the south of the country (on the coast), that is, in the most densely populated areas. As for tourism, Brazil is the most popular country in South America among tourists. Most often people come here from Europe and the USA to relax on the beaches, see the beauties of the Amazon and have fun during the famous Brazilian carnivals.