The Northeast Region is divided, or regionalized, into Zona da Mata, Agreste, Sertão and Meio-Norte, these are called Northeast sub-regions, each with its social and natural particularities, are where the entire Northeastern population lives. distributed.
In the population context, the Northeast Region is extremely centralized, since the majority of the population lives in large urban centers located along the entire coastline.
Thus, it is evident that of its 53,081,950 inhabitants, around 40% live in the forest zone, the population is irregularly distributed throughout the northeastern territory.
Unlike the forest zone, the mid-north and the hinterland are quite unpopulated. The lack of inhabitants automatically corresponds to the lack of productive means (industries, strong trade, among others), in addition to the main aggravating factor: drought.
The zona da mata sub-region is the most populous, as it is the most developed area, in industry and economy, this sub-region annually attracts thousands of people from the sertão.
Most of these migrants live in conditions of extreme poverty, a reality that becomes worse when droughts occur in the Sertão, trying to escape this reality, they head towards the large centers, located in the forest zone, in search of work and a better life, but unfortunately this is not always the case. possible.
However, the new reality of these people is not attractive, as they almost always work in the informal sector, due to the lack of professional qualifications, and thus have a restricted income.
Due to not having enough financial resources to acquire a good house, the only solution is to occupy peripheral residential areas or even slums, places lacking all the basic services offered by the government (sewage, treated water, paving, public lighting, schools, among others others).
These places are points of diffusion for prostitution, crime, violence, among many others.
Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/brasil/a-irregularidade-na-distribuicao-populacao-nordeste.htm