Physical Geography of Brazil
Student Name
University
Course
Professor Name
Date
Physical Geography of Brazil
The geographical nature of the world is an essential aspect that is pivotal to each individual and mainly geographical learners. It is critical to understand the physical, human, and environmental geography of a region since it defines the people’s way of life. In relation to my coursework research, I focus on Brazil, a country I look forward to visiting in the near future. Brazil is a nation in South America and is formally known as the Republica Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese. It makes up around half of the continent’s land area. Geographic experts claim that Brazil is the fifth-biggest country in the world and the largest country in South America (Gamilis & Frankline, 2021). On the eastern edge of South America, it has a 4,5000-mile Atlantic Ocean coastline and is shaped like a gigantic triangle. All of South America, with the exception of Chile and Ecuador, is inside its borders. It has an area of 3.29 million square miles and extends from the Amazonia equatorial plains at latitudes 4 degrees north to cool uplands at 30 degrees South. Its capital city is located in Rio de Janeiro. The proceeding paragraphs of this blog offer a comprehensive and precise analysis of the physical geography of Brazil, highlighting the topography, weather and climate, plants and animals, soils, and the physical features in Brazil and how these features contribute to the lifestyle of Brazilian residents.
Topography of Brazil
Generally, topography describes the land surface, particularly defining the foundation of a landscape, the shape, relief, and other dimensions of the Earth’s surface. Topographical features of a particular area give detailed visualization of that specific region. The terrain of Brazil is characterized by a flat surface that is regarded to be flat to rolling lowlands in the northern part of the state. It is characterized by some plains, hills, and a narrow coastal belt. It is essential to note that 60% of the Amazonian forest is contained in Brazil, with a covered area of 3,300,000 square kilometers. The total area of Brazil is 8,514 417 square kilometers of land, whereas water covers 55460 square kilometers. (Gamilis & Frankline, 2021) Brazil has a couple of cities that are growing gradually. Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, and Curitiba are just a few of the notable cities in the nation. Brazilian geography is diverse. This is thanks to the country’s northern regions’ thick forests, arid grasslands (pampas), rocky hills, expansive marshes, enormous plateaus, and a lengthy coastal plain.
Weather and Climate
Brazil is a vast territory that is a habitat for a mosaic of ecosystems. As such, the country has weather and climatic diversities. It experiences equatorial, tropical, and sub-tropical climates. Due to the presence of the Amazon forest, the northern part of Brazil experiences heavy rainfall. (Booker, 2021) Moreover, this country has other humid and seasonal forests that enhance the growth of Savannah. A good example is the predominant Steppe Savannah formations in northeastern Caatinga and Pampa biome plateaus. Northern and central Brazil is dominated by equatorial and tropical climates of very high temperatures. On the other hand, Southern Brazil experiences a humid subtropical climate, whereas the eastern side has a semi-arid climate that receives an average of 700 mm of rain annually (Booker, 2021). Climate variability in the country is attributed to the South American Monsoon System (SAMS), the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Early October marks the beginning of the monsoon season, while the period between December and February marks the country’s austral summer. This type of weather is responsible for the agricultural practices common in the more significant part of the state through farming.
Plants and Animals
Brazil has a rich biodiversity, which is regarded as having the largest variety of plant and animal species on earth. It is the habitat of 60% of the Amazon, a tropical rainforest home to 10% of all species on earth. With many different bird species, including parrots (macaw), eagles, hawks, and falcons, Brazil is a well-known location for birdwatchers. The 1.4 m tall flightless rhea is the tallest bird in Brazil, and hummingbirds are the smallest. Marine organisms have a home in Brazil’s rivers and shore. Pink dolphins live in the Amazon basin, while grey dolphins are found in most rivers, including the Parana and Iguazu. The nation is home to around 689 different types of mammals (Douglas & Livingstone, 2021). They include both people and cats. This nation is home to 80 of the 300 species of primates in the globe. The squirrel, howler, spider, and capuchin monkeys are examples of common primates.
Additionally, there are numerous varieties of plants around the nation. The number of species is believed to reach 55,000, and they are dispersed widely across the mangrove forests, tropical savannah, and wetlands (Chemaseb, 2017). Princess Flower (Tobouchina Semidecantra), Lady Ackland’s Cattleya (Cattleya Aclandiae), Brazilwood (Paubrasilia Echinacea), and Mangabeira (Hancornia Speciosa) are only a few examples of native plants found in Brazil. Bright, vibrant, and colorful flowers that thrive in many places give this country its own floral collection. Spanish Cedar Egg Nut, Globe Amaranth, Acai Do-Amazonas, White Ipe, and Quinine Bark are some of the main blooms in this area. They are used throughout the nation for economic and medical purposes.
Physical Features
The physical characteristics of Brazil can be divided into five basic physiographic divisions. These are the Pantanal in the central-west, the Guiana highlands in the north, Amazon lowlands, the highlands, and the coastal lowlands. The country has different landforms such as rainforest rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and hills. Examples of these features include the Amazon rainforest, the Amazon river, and the Iguacu falls. These rivers serve as a source of livelihood for the people who engage in fishing for social and economic reasons. Brazilian residents living near them take part in fishing to acquire food and finances from selling fish. The country is also characterized by 7 magnificent mountains (Sayej, 2020). The Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, the Pico da Bandeira that borders two states, and the Pico da Neblina that overlooks the Venezuelan border are some of the mountains that the country brags off. Brazil has various hills that serve as tourist sites. Some of them are Porto Alegre hills, Ipanema hill, and Morro do Diabo.
Soils
Brazilian soils are of intermixed patterns courtesy of the different climatic regions in the country. The Southern part of the country is dominated by reddish-purple soil, natively known as terra xoxa. These soils are of significant nutritional value and are utilized by the residents for agriculture (Booker, 2021). Courtesy of this soil, Brazil brags of high cotton, wheat, rice, and millet production. In the Brazilian highlands, laterite soils are prevalent and have iron oxides which limit the yield of crops grown in the region.
This extensive research in my coursework improved my knowledge and understanding of Brazil. The geographical nature of Brazil is characterized by different aspects ranging from its topography, climatic conditions, species of plants and animals as well to its physical features. These features define the culture of Brazilian citizens.
References
Booker, H. A. (2021, October 12). World Bank climate change knowledge portal. Changeclimatics. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/brazil/climate-data-historical#:%7E:text=Dominated%20by%20equatorial%20and%20tropical,mm%20per%20year%20of%20rain.
Chemaseb, J. (2017, April 25). Native plant species of Brazil. WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/native-plant-species-of-brazil.html
Douglas, S. A., & Livingstone, M. S. (2021, April 18). Brazil – Nature and wildlife. Goway Travel. https://www.goway.com/travel-information/central-and-south-america/brazil/nature-and-wildlife/
Gamilis, N. A., & Frankline, M. A. (2021, February 10). Brazil. Geography. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/brazil#:%7E:text=Th e%20Brazilian%20landscape%20is%20very,and%20a%20long%20coastal%20plain.
Sayej, N. (2020, December 23). 7 magnificent mountains in Brazil. G Adventures Blog. https://www.gadventures.com/blog/7-magnificent-mountains-brazil/