Brazil's Geography and Physiographic Divisions

Brazil's Geography

• Brazil is dominated by highlands, plateaus, and small mountains, with no very high or long-extending mountains.
• The country has no wide plains, except for the northern Amazon Basin and the southwestern Paraguay Basin.
• The coastal plains are restricted in their expanse.

Physiographic Divisions

• The Highlands: an extensive plateau in the southern part of Brazil, also known as the Brazilian Highlands or Brazilian Shield.
• The Coastal Region: a narrow coastal plain with a large number of beaches and sand dune complexes.
• The Island Groups: include coastal islands and marine islands.
• The Great Escarpment: a small but distinct physiographic region with a steep slope.
• The Plains: confined to the Amazon Basin and the Paraguay-Parana source region.

The Highlands

• The Brazilian Highlands are part of the Guyana Highlands, which form the core of the South American continent.
• The highest peak in Brazil, Pico de Neblina, is 3014 m high and lies on the border with Venezuela.
• The regions to the east and south of the Brazilian Highlands have an altitude of more than 1000 m.
• The highlands gradually slope towards the north, with tributaries of the Amazon flowing through and creating rapids and waterfalls.

The Great Escarpment

• The eastern slope of the highlands is steep and appears as an escarpment.
• The escarpment's altitude is 790 m, with some regions having a gradual decrease in height.
• The escarpment acts as a barrier to the Southeast Trade winds, creating a rain-shadow area in the northeastern part of the highlands.

Coasts of Brazil

• Brazil has a coastline of approximately 7400 km, divided into two parts: the Northern Coast and the Eastern Coast.
• The Northern Coast is characterized by mouths of many rivers, including the Amazon.
• The Eastern Coast receives a large number of smaller rivers.

Plains in Brazil

• The plains in Brazil are confined to two areas: the Amazon Basin and the Paraguay-Parana source region.
• The Amazon Basin is the largest plain in Brazil, sloping eastwards and covered by tropical rainforests.

Other Plains in Brazil

• The other plains in Brazil are located in the southwestern part of the highlands, forming the source region of the Paraguay and Parana rivers.
• The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world, located in the southwestern part of the highland areas.

Islands in Brazil

• Brazil has two categories of islands: coastal islands and marine islands.
• Marine islands are more than 300 km from the mainland in the Atlantic Ocean.

Drainage

• Brazil has three major river basins: the Amazon Basin, the Paraguay-Parana system, and the Sao Francisco Basin.
• The Amazon Basin is the largest river basin in Brazil, collecting its headwaters from the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in Peru.
• The Amazon River receives a huge discharge, washing off the load supplied to it from its catchment and depositing sediments at its mouth.