In addition to the Brazilian regional division made up of five macro-regions (South, Southeast, Midwest, North and Northeast), there is another division of the national territory (not yet official). This other proposal of regionalization has as criteria the natural aspects and, mainly, the socioeconomic ones, they are called geoeconomic regions of Brazil.
This division establishes three geoeconomic regions - the Amazon, the Northeast and the Center-South. The states that make up these regions have several characteristics in common, however, it is It is necessary to emphasize that there is no homogeneity, and each unit has peculiarities socioeconomic factors.
According to this proposal of regionalization of the Brazilian territory, the north of Minas Gerais is part of the northeastern regional complex, the extreme south of Mato Grosso belongs to the region Center-South and the rest of its territory is part of the Amazon region, the western portion of Maranhão is part of the Amazon, and the extreme south of Tocantins belongs to the region South Center.
1 – Amazon
It comprises the entire extension of the Amazon forest located in Brazilian territory. Integrated by all states in the North region, in addition to Mato Grosso (except its southern portion) and western Maranhão. It is a region that has a low population density.
The economic activities developed are: agriculture, which constitutes the most important, plant extraction, mining and the industrial sector, with emphasis on the industrial zone of Manaus.
2 – Center-South
The Center-South regional complex corresponds to almost a third of the national territory, comprising the states of the South and Southeast regions. (except the extreme north of Minas Gerais), to the state of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, extreme south of Mato Grosso and extreme south of Tocantins.
It is the most economically developed regional complex, housing most of the industrial park, the areas of more modern agricultural activities, from banks, capital markets, transnational companies, businesses and universities from the country. It is extremely urbanized.
3 – North East
The Northeast regional complex extends from the eastern portion of Maranhão to the north of Minas Gerais, including all the northeastern states. It covers about 30% of the national territory.
It is the region where the country's population process took place. It has great natural and socioeconomic contrasts between the more urbanized coastal areas, industrialized and economically developed, and the interior with a predominance of semi-arid climate and large social problems.
The main economic activities developed in this regional complex are:
mid north – vegetal extraction, traditional cotton, sugarcane and rice agriculture.
Sertão – extensive and beef cattle raising, agriculture (maize, beans and sugar cane) and the irrigated cultivation of fruits and flowers. In coastal areas, salt extraction takes place. There is also the presence of industries (textile and clothing).
Wood zone – Large agricultural properties that practice sugarcane monoculture for the export of sugar predominate. In addition to sugarcane, cocoa and tobacco are grown. Also noteworthy is the production of sea salt, mainly in Rio Grande do Norte.
wild – the main economic activity in the driest stretches of the agreste is extensive cattle raising; in the wetter stretches it is subsistence agriculture and dairy farming.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
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¹ Image Credits: Raphael.lorenzeto / Wikimedia Commons
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/brasil/as-regioes-geoeconomicas-brasil.htm