What is the terrain and geography like in Brazil?
The vast regions of the Amazon and La Plata River basins occupy about three-fifths of the total area. The country’s main physical feature is the huge plateau that rises from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level between São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. This is intersected by two mountain ranges. The highest, 9,823 feet is near Rio de Janeiro. The second mountain system, located in central Brazil, has an eastern range with a maximum altitude of 4,206 feet and a western peak of 4,500 feet near the city of Goiánia. Due to its great plains and basins, 40% of the country has an average altitude of only 650 feet.
Although Brazil is immense in size and varies in topography from the sweeping sea-level Amazon basin in the north to the mountainous areas of São Paulo and Porto Alegre in the south, the temperature range is slight.
Summer runs from December to February. The rainy season runs from October to March, but varies greatly by region.
Although Brazil is immense in size and varies in topography from the sweeping sea-level Amazon basin in the north to the mountainous areas of São Paulo and Porto Alegre in the south, the temperature range is slight.
Summer runs from December to February. The rainy season runs from October to March, but varies greatly by region.
Geographic Location | South America |
Total Area |
3,287,594 Square Miles 8,514,877 Square Kilometers |
Land Area |
3,266,181 Square Miles 8,459,417 Square Kilometers |
Water Area |
21,413 Square Miles 55,460 Square Kilometers |
Land Boundaries |
10,492 Miles 16,885 Kilometers |
Irrigated Land |
20,849 Square Miles 54,000 Square Kilometers |
Border Countries | Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km |
Coastline |
4,655 Miles 7,491 Kilometers |
Geographic Coordinates | 10 00 S, 55 00 W |
Terrain | mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt |
Highest Point | 2,994 Meters |
Highest Point Location | Pico da Neblina 2,994 m |
Lowest Point Location | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
Natural Resources | bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber |
Time Zone |
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Brazil has three time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands note: Brazil is divided into three time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands |
Daylight saving time | +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February |