Natural zones of Brazil: definition and description

In order to understand the history of the country, sometimes it is worth paying attention to its geographical location. The natural conditions and resources of Brazil determine a lot in the development of the state. What climatic zones can be found here and what distinguishes each of them? Let's look at this in more detail.

What is natural zoning?

The life of the inhabitants of the country is directly influenced by the geography of Brazil: population, terrain, climate, resources - all this is interrelated and must be taken into account. There are several different natural areas in the country. What it is? A natural zonality is the natural change in the components of the medium according to geographical latitude. The complex includes not only the climate, but also Quaternary sediments, soil, vegetation, fauna, availability of groundwater. Formation of the natural zone occurs under the influence of moisture and heat, obtained by a certain territory.

Atlantic Forest

If we describe briefly the natural zones of Brazil, it is worth mentioning that there are four of them. And the first of these is the Atlantic Forest, Mata Atlantica. This is the zone that stretches along the entire Brazilian coast, starting from the city of Recife, which is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, and ending with the boundaries of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located on the low mountains of Serra do Espinhasu, Serra do Mar and others, and part is in the mountainous valley of the Parana River. Many natural areas of Brazil can boast of some unique phenomenon in their territory. In the Atlantic forest is the Iguazu Falls, a favorite place for tourists. Most of the zone is occupied by evergreen dense forests of low trees, sometimes turning into dense thickets. Here live a variety of species of animals and birds. Among them you can meet monkey-howler monkeys, coaches, sloths, forest dogs, deer, tapirs, anteaters, otters, ocelots, jaguars, forest cats, boas, a lot of reptiles and snakes, and bats and vampires and an impressive number of birds. In the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, tropical coniferous araucaria and broad-leaved oaks are added to tropical trees.

Kaatinga

Listing the natural areas of Brazil, it is worth going to the second, located in the north-east. In the inner part of the plateau is an arid kaatinga - a zone of low woodlands and shrubs. From others, it is characterized by a minimum amount of precipitation - no more than five hundred millimeters per year. Sometimes the rain may not be several years. In such seasons, kaatinga resembles a desert, only along the banks of the rivers flowing here are evergreen shrubs. Because of such features, the animal world can be called scarce. It is represented mainly by small creatures and reptiles. In the kaating you can meet forest cats, foxhole foxes, desert hares, bats, anteaters, armadillos, poisonous snakes and several species of birds.

Cerrado

Enumerating the natural zones of Brazil, it is worth mentioning this one. Serrado is a large savannah, in some areas it is distinguished by tall grasses, on others - by the absence of trees, and on others by light forests. The zone is located in the Brazilian plateau. In contrast to the previous zone, here stable precipitation - from 1000 to 2000 millimeters per year. They ensure a constant presence of green cover. In serrado is a stunningly diverse fauna including one hundred and sixty species of mammals, one hundred and fifty - amphibians, one hundred and twenty - reptiles, 837 - birds. In addition, there are thousands of trees and shrubs and more than three thousand species of herbs. Geographical features make serrado an ideal place for year-round pasturing of domestic animals. This zone is characterized by a small population and a comfortable climate for living.

Selva

It is impossible to describe the natural zones of Brazil without mentioning the Amazon basin. The greatest river with many tributaries is located in the lowland of the same name, flowing from the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. On the vast territory of the Selva are evergreen equatorial forests. There are more than three thousand millimeters of precipitation annually. During the rainy season, the river spills, creating extensive wetlands. Many inhabitants of the Selva live not in the thick of the forest, but along the banks of the Amazon or its tributaries, Zhutai, Zhupua, Zhurur, Rio Negru, Purus, Madeira, Trombetas, Tapajos, Shingu. The local ecosystem is important not only for Brazil, but for the entire planet - the selva can be called the lungs of the Earth. The minimal number of people on the territory allows us to say that the unique properties of the local nature have remained untouched here. There remain inviolable here and reservations of the Indians, where industrial activities are banned. In Brazil, even there is a law by which Aboriginal people have the right to kill uninvited guests. All this provides the selves with a historical and natural uniqueness.