Serra do Mar

The Serra do Mar is a huge system of mountains in Brazil.

These mountains run along the Atlantic Ocean coast. They stretch from the state of Espírito Santo down to Santa Catarina. Some books say the range goes even further south. This range is part of a much larger feature. It is part of the Great Escarpment. This Great Escarpment runs down the eastern coast of Brazil. It starts way up near the city of Salvador in Bahia. The mountains form a steep wall. This wall sits between the sea and the high land inside the country.

These mountains are not just one single line. They are broken up in many places. This means there are gaps between different parts of the range. Because of this, many parts have their own names. You might hear of the Serra de Bocaina or Serra Negra. Other names include Serra de Paranapiacaba and Serra dos Órgãos. The range even reaches out to some large islands. These islands include Ilhabela and Ilha Anchieta. The mountains are made of very hard rock. This rock is part of a stable platform in South America.

The history of these mountains goes back a very long time. Most of these high places formed about 60 million years ago. They are part of a massive crystalline rock platform. This platform makes up much of Eastern South America. The land is very stable there. One of the highest points is called Pico da Caledônia. It is located in Nova Friburgo. The mountains have stayed mostly the same for a long time. This makes them a very important part of the Earth's shape.

In the year 1500, Europeans discovered Brazil. At that time, the mountains were covered in thick green trees. This lush tropical rain forest is called the Atlantic Forest.

It is also called the Mata Atlântica. This forest was full of many different kinds of life. Today, much of this forest has been lost. People have built large cities nearby. These cities include São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Other big cities include Curitiba and Vale do Itajaí. Most of the forest that is left is on the steep cliffs facing the sea.

Protecting the forest is a very hard job today. Many people use the land for farms or cities. This is called encroachment. Other problems include forest fires and pollution. Some people also cut down trees without permission. This is called clandestine logging. There is also the problem of acid rain. To help, many special areas have been made. These include national parks and biological reserves. These places try to save the plants and animals. It is very hard to grow the forest back once it is gone.