Brazil

Quest For Economic Growth

Brazil a Country of Extremes

• Rich in natural resources

• Largest gap between rich and poor

• Most important environmental issue

• 5th largest economy

• Largest Rainforest

• Largest river

Areas of Brazil

• Northeast– On the coast– Sertao – interior plateau suffers from draughts

• Southeast– 17% of the land but 40% of the population– Good agricultural area

Areas of Brazil

• Brazilian Highlands– Central plateau– Capital is located here (Brasilia)

• Amazon River Basin– Largest area with only 10% of population

• 280,000 Indians from 180 tribes

• Thousands of species of plants and animals

Brazil’s Poor

• Favelas – urban slums – Were most of the poor in Brazil live– Urbanization is causing the Favelas to grow– Pictures

• Farmers– Most are subsistence farmers– Sertao – area of poor soil, uncertain rainfall,

little grazing land, and no modernization

Policies For Growth

What is the Government doing?• Building industry

– Build steel mills and oil refineries– Build hydroelectric dams– Bank loans for new businesses

• Develop interior– Develop Amazon Basin

• Gave away land and mining permits

– Move the capital to the interior (Brasilia)

Development successes

• Manufacturing is 1/3 of the GNP

• ¼ of pop. work in the service industries

• 1/3 of pop. works in industry

• Increasing middle class

Negative Effects

• Increased poverty

• Urbanization has caused growth of Favelas

• Environmental impact– Destruction of rainforest– Loss of agricultural land