ABSTRACT
Brazil: General features Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world in terms of population, with 163 million inhabitants (IBGE, 2000), as well as land area (8,574,761 km2). Brazil occupies almost half of South America's land area and is the economic leader of the subcontinent, with the ninth largest economy in the world. The state of Amazonas has the largest area (1.5 million km2) and the most populous state is Sao Paulo (about 35 million inhabitants). From the Amazon basin in the north and west to the Brazilian Highlands in the southeast, Brazil's topography is quite diverse. Extensive uplands lie in the southeast and drop off quickly at the Atlantic Coast. Much of the coast is composed of the Great Escarpment which looks like a wall from the ocean. The fact that 92% of Brazil's land mass lie between the tropics, together with its relatively low topography, accounts for the predominantly hot climate, with annual average temperatures above 20°C. Almost all of Brazil is humid as well with either a tropical or subtropical climate. Brazil's rainy season occurs during the summer months (ANA, 2002). Northeast Brazil, a semiarid region, suffers from regular drought,
forming the "drought polygon". The climate varies due to geographical and topographical factors, the continental dimensions of the country and the dynamics of air movement, directly influencing temperatures and rainfall (ANA, 2002, Figure 19.1).
