In order to understand the history of a country, sometimes it is worth paying attention to its geographical location. The natural conditions and resources of Brazil determine a lot in the development of the state. What climatic zones can be found here and what distinguishes each of them? Let's take a closer look.
What is natural zoning?
The life of the country's inhabitants is directly affected by the geography of Brazil: population, topography, climate, resources - all this is interconnected and must be taken into account. In the country there are several different natural zones. What it is? Natural zoning is called the regular change of environmental components according to geographical latitude. The complex includes not only climate, but also Quaternary sediments, soil, vegetation, wildlife, the presence of groundwater. The formation of the natural zone occurs under the influence of moisture and heat received by a certain territory.
Atlantic forest
If you describe the natural areas of Brazil briefly, it is worth mentioning that there are four of them. And the first one is the Atlantic Forest, Mata Atlantica. This is a zone that stretches along the entire Brazilian coast, starting at the city of Recife, which is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, and ending with the borders of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located on the low mountains of the Serra do Espinhasu, Serra do Mar massif and others, and part is located in the mountainous valley of the Parana River. Many natural areas of Brazil can boast of some unique phenomenon on their territory. In the Atlantic Forest, these are Iguazu Falls, a favorite destination for tourists. Most of the zone is occupied by evergreen dense forests of low trees, sometimes turning into dense thickets. It is home to a variety of species of animals and birds. Among them you can meet howler monkeys, coatis, sloths, forest dogs, deer, tapirs, anteaters, otters, ocelots, jaguars, forest cats, boas, a lot of reptiles and snakes, as well as vampire bats and an impressive number of birds. In the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, coniferous araucaria and broadleaf oaks are added to tropical trees.
Kaatinga
Enumerating the natural areas of Brazil, it is worth moving to the second, located in the northeast. In the inner part of the plateau is arid kaatinga - a zone of low woodlands and shrubs. It differs from others in the minimum rainfall - not more than five hundred millimeters per year. Sometimes it may not be rainy for several years. In such seasons, kaatinga resembles a desert, only on the banks of the rivers flowing here there are evergreen shrubs. Because of these features, the animal world can be called quite scarce. It is represented mainly by small creatures and reptiles. In kating, you can find forest cats, crabeater foxes, desert hares, bats, anteaters, armadillos, poisonous snakes and several species of birds.
Cerrado
Listing the natural areas of Brazil, it is worth mentioning this one. Cerrado is a large savannah, in some areas it is distinguished by tall grasses, in others - by the absence of trees, and in the third - by light forest. The zone is located on the territory of the Brazilian plateau. Unlike the previous zone, there is stable rainfall - from 1000 to 2000 millimeters per year. They provide a constant presence of green cover. In cerrado, an amazingly diverse fauna, including one hundred and sixty species of mammals, one hundred and fifty - amphibians, one hundred and twenty - reptiles, 837 - birds. In addition, thousands of trees and shrubs and more than three thousand species of herbs grow here. Geographical features make Cerrado an ideal place for year-round grazing of pets. This area has a small population and a comfortable climate for living.
Selva
It is impossible to describe the natural areas of Brazil without mentioning the Amazon basin. The greatest river with many tributaries is located in the eponymous lowland, flowing from the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. On the vast territory of the Selva there are evergreen equatorial forests. Here more than three thousand millimeters of precipitation falls annually. In the rainy season, the river overflows, creating vast wetlands. Many inhabitants of the Selva live not in the thick of the forest, but along the banks of the Amazon or its tributaries Zhutai, Zhupua, Zhurura, Rio Negru, Purus, Madeira, Trombetas, Tapajos, Shingu. The local ecosystem is important not only for Brazil, but also for the entire planet - the selva can be called the lungs of the Earth. The minimum number of people on the territory allows us to say that the unique properties of the local nature here remained untouched. Reservations of the Indians, where industrial activity is prohibited, remain untouched here. In Brazil, there is even a law under which Aborigines have the right to kill uninvited guests. All this provides the Selva historical and natural uniqueness.