Geography

Brazil is a country in South America, making it the largest nation in Latin America and the fifth largest in the world, following Russia, Canada, the United States, and China (Momsen and Martins). It has a total land area of 8,459,417 square kilometers, extending 4,328 km from north to south and 4,320 km from east to west, which creates a diverse range of tropical and subtropical landscapes, including wetlands, savannas, plateaus, and low mountains (James and Momsen). Brazil is composed of 26 states. Seasons in Brazil are opposite to those in countries north of the equator; summer runs from December to March, while winter lasts from June to September, during which occasional frost can occur (“World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal”). To the east of Brazil lies the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west is Bolivia. Ten different countries border Brazil: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela (James and Momsen). Brazil is divided into five major regions known as the (Grandes Regiões): North (Norte), Northeast (Nordeste), Central-West (Centro-Oeste), Southeast (Sudeste), and South (Sul) (James and Momsen). The tropical North (Norte) mostly consists of the Amazon rainforest and river and parts of the Guiana Highlands, which contain a tropical and wet climate and mostly have elevated ground in the Amazon Basin. Additionally, the North experiences an average temperature ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius (“World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal”). 

Meanwhile, the Northeast (Nordeste) has a near-semi-arid climate with some of the hottest and driest conditions in the country, receiving some of the least amount of rainfall—averaging around 15 to 30 inches per year. In certain areas, temperatures can reach up to 38 degrees Celsius, which is extremely hot (“World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal”). Moving closer to the South (Sul), the climate becomes humid subtropical, characterized by more mountainous regions like Pico Paraná, and maintains a standard temperature of approximately 20 degrees Celsius (“World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal”). Across all Brazilian regions, there is a vast range of wildlife and climates that highlight the uniqueness of the country.