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Southeast Region, Brazil

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Southeast is a very important part of Brazil.

São Paulo city (Bela Vista)
São Paulo city (Bela Vista)

It is made of four states: Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. This region is the richest part of the whole country. In 2022, it was responsible for about 53% of Brazil's GDP. That is the total value of all goods and services made in the nation.

Southeast Region, Brazil (Köppen)
Southeast Region, Brazil (Köppen)

The Southeast also has the most people in Brazil. About 44% of the country's total population lives here. Because of this, there are many cities, schools, and airports. It is a very busy and crowded place to live.

The land in the Southeast has many different shapes.

Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra 2
Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra 2

In the Ribeira Valley, you can find the Atlantic Forest. This area is a special reserve for nature. About 400 kinds of birds, reptiles, and mammals live there. The Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park has many amazing caves. In fact, there are 454 registered caves in the state of São Paulo.

Guarapa
Guarapa

Rio de Janeiro has mountains and flat plains near the ocean. It has a very long coastline that is 635 kilometers long. Minas Gerais is also full of mountains and valleys. The state is home to the Pico da Bandeira. This is the third highest mountain in Brazil at 2890 meters.

Nature provides many things that people use in the Southeast.

Coffee Plantation
Coffee Plantation

Minas Gerais has many big rivers like the São Francisco. People use these rivers for hydroelectric power plants. The state also has many minerals in the ground. They mine iron, gold, and even gemstones. You can find beautiful emeralds, topaz, and aquamarine there.

Itabira MG Brasil - Mina de Ferro da Vale - panoramio
Itabira MG Brasil - Mina de Ferro da Vale - panoramio

Brazil was once the world's largest producer of diamonds. This mining happened in the Serra da Canastra region. Even today, the region is famous for its many colorful gems. The state of Minas Gerais is a top producer of many different minerals.

Farming is another huge part of life in this region.

Laranjal Cutrale 050806 REFON 3
Laranjal Cutrale 050806 REFON 3

The Southeast grows a lot of what the world eats. It produces 85% of Brazil's coffee and oranges. It also grows much of the country's sugarcane and peanuts.

Vaca leite
Vaca leite

Many people also raise animals here. The region is the second largest producer of milk in Brazil. It has the largest herd of milk cows in the country. The Southeast is also very important for poultry. It produces 38.9% of all the chickens in Brazil. This includes many hens used to make eggs.

Large factories also make the Southeast a center for work.

Fábrica Volkswagen em São Bernardo do Campo
Fábrica Volkswagen em São Bernardo do Campo

The state of São Paulo has the largest industrial park in South America. Many different things are made here. For example, the region makes about 90% of all the steel in Brazil.

Embraer 190
Embraer 190

You can also find big companies that make cars and airplanes. The city of São José dos Campos is home to Embraer. There are also many chemical and pharmaceutical companies. From chocolate factories to oil platforms, the region helps run the country's economy. It is a place where many different jobs happen every day.

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🖼️ Images & Media (30)
File:Southeast Region, Brazil (Köppen).svg
Southeast Region, Brazil (Köppen).svg
File:Ipês lilás na coronel quirino cambuí 001.jpg
Ipês lilás na coronel quirino cambuí 001.jpg
File:Christ on Corcovado mountain.JPG
Christ on Corcovado mountain.JPG
File:Guarapa.jpg
Guarapa.jpg
File:São Paulo city (Bela Vista).jpg
São Paulo city (Bela Vista).jpg
File:Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra 2.jpg
Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra 2.jpg
File:PracaEstacaoMonumentoBH.jpg
PracaEstacaoMonumentoBH.jpg
File:Uberlandia Minas Gerais.jpg
Uberlandia Minas Gerais.jpg
File:Coffee Plantation.jpg
Coffee Plantation.jpg
File:Laranjal Cutrale 050806 REFON 3.jpg
Laranjal Cutrale 050806 REFON 3.jpg
File:Vaca leite.JPG
Vaca leite.JPG
File:Visita Microbacia de João Ramalho - João Ramalho 07-02-2015.jpg
Visita Microbacia de João Ramalho - João...

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