The southern region of Brazil is the smallest among them all. However, this did not prevent it from reaching one of the best economic and social development indices in the country, many of them above national averages. Its population contingent is also significant - according to 2010 Demographic Census data carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Southern Region has 27,386,891 population.
The occupation process of the Southern Region is linked, especially, to two primary activities: agriculture and livestock. The region only intensified settlement from the 19th century onwards, until that moment the territory was almost completely uninhabited, except for native peoples, such as the Indians. Faced with this factor, the government promoted a settlement policy that attracted immigrants, especially of European origin. The Brazilian government wanted the settlement to facilitate the control and administration of the region, in addition, it feared the invasion of neighboring countries, if the region remained uninhabited.
European immigrants received plots of land from the Brazilian government, thus forming agricultural colonies, in which they developed agriculture and livestock. From the agricultural colonies, towns and cities emerged, some of them of expression, such as Blumenau and Itajaí (Santa Catarina), including São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo (Rio Grande do Sul). This happened in Italian colonies that gave rise to Criciúma (Santa Catarina) and Caxias do Sul (Rio Grande do Sul).
Nowadays, the region has two metropolitan regions that stand out: Greater Porto Alegre and Curitiba. There are also medium-sized cities of great relevance within the region, such as Londrina and Maringá.
By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/brasil/aspectos-populacao-regiao-sul.htm