Brazil: Location, Climate, and Natural Resources

Brazil is on the eastern side of South America, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and shares a border with nearly every country in South America! The Amazon River and Amazon Rainforest stretch across Brazil.

Climate 

Brazil’s location on the equator gives it the climate needed to support one of the world’s largest rain forests. Its climate is mostly hot and tropical. In the south, the climate is temperate (mild).

Brazil’s tropical climate helps farmers grow important crops like oranges, sugarcane, papayas, and soybeans. Brazil produces more coffee than any other country in the world. Even though only 7% of Brazil’s land is arable, agriculture is still a big part of the country’s economy. Only the US exports more farm products than Brazil. Many mineral resources are also found in Brazil, such as diamonds, bauxite, and iron. The abundance of iron ore has allowed Brazil to produce steel and then make automobiles, machinery, and other important goods that can be sold all over the world.

Brazil is the most populated country in Latin America. The majority of Brazilians live along the eastern coast (80% live within 200 miles of the Atlantic Ocean). Most Brazilians live in big cities where they can find work in the shipping, fishing, manufacturing, and service industries. Very few people live in central and western Brazil because it is covered by the Amazon Rainforest. The region is mostly undeveloped, but that is changing rapidly. Brazilians are cutting down more trees for timber and clearing more land for farming each year.

Most of Brazil’s industries are found in the country’s eastern coastal cities. This prime location on the Atlantic Ocean allows Brazil to ship products to its trade partners all over the globe. Brazil’s top trading partners are Argentina and the United States.