Brazil: Geography#
Location | Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean |
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Geographic Coordinates | 10 00 S, 55 00 W -10.0,-55.0 |
Area | total: 8,514,877 sq km land: 8,459,417 sq km water: 55,460 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo [Verified in 8 databases] |
Land boundaries | total: 16,145 km border countries: Argentina 1,263 km, Bolivia 3,403 km, Colombia 1,790 km, French Guiana 649 km, Guyana 1,308 km, Paraguay 1,371 km, Peru 2,659 km, Suriname 515 km, Uruguay 1,050 km, Venezuela 2,137 km |
Coastline | 7,491 km |
Elevation Extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 2,994 m |
Highest Mountains | Due to difference in mountain rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists : According to Wolfram: Pico da Neblina 2994 m; Pico Da Bandeira 2890 m; Mount Roraima 2810 m; Pedra Da Mina 2798 m; Agulhas Negras 2787 m According to Geonames: Pico da Bandeira 2890 m; Pedra da Mina 2798 m; Pico das Agulhas Negras 2791 m Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office nospam@TUGraz.at @global-geography.org Important Mountains |
Terrain | mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt |
Natural Hazards | recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south |
Natural Resource | bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber |
Land Use | arable land: 8.45% permanent crops: 0.83% other: 90.72% (2011) |
Climate | mostly tropical, but temperate in south |
Irrigated Land | 54,000 sq km (2011) |
Renewable Water Resources | 8,233 cu km (2011) |
Environment_CurrentIssues | deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Large Cities | Due to difference in city rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists : According to Wolfram: São Paulo; Rio de Janeiro; Salvador; Brasilia; Fortaleza According to Geonames: São Paulo; Rio de Janeiro; Salvador; Fortaleza; Belo Horizonte Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office nospam@TUGraz.at @global-geography.org Important Cities |
Geography-note | largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador Important Lakes |