PS120: Earth Science

Exploring Brazil

one of the most culturally rich countries, the most diverse Ecosystematic country in the World.

Bastião of the South: Depicting Atlas carrying brazil.

Brazilian 17th Century Map

Ancient Brazil Landscape: A classical rendering capturing early colonial settlements, dense native flora, and coastal terrains that initially met early European explorers.

The Amazon Basin: A breathtaking view of the modern, intricate web of fluvial networks running through the world's most vital rainforest ecosystem.

Historical & Cultural Context

The nation of Brazil, located in the eastern half of South America, spans an immense latitudinal range from approximately 5°16' North to 33°45' South, allowing it to encompass diverse ecosystems ranging from the equatorial Amazon basin to more temperate southern plains. Historically, this vast territory forged its own independent destiny starting in 1822, when it declared independence from Portugal to establish the Empire of Brazil. From 1822 until the present day, the country has evolved through imperial and republican eras to become the largest nation on the continent, permanently shaping the geopolitical and economic landscape of South America.

Continental Position

Located prominently in South America, Brazil occupies roughly 47% of the entire South American landmass, bordering almost every single nation on the continent except for Ecuador and Chile.

Latitudinal Range

Brazil boasts an extraordinary latitudinal reach, stretching approximately from 5° 16' North down to 33° 45' South. This span generates climates ranging from equatorial zones in the north to temperate biomes in the south.

Milton Santos — Map Making

To truly understand how space, maps, and society interact in Brazil, one must study the work of Milton Santos (1926–2001). One of South America's most influential geographers, Santos revolutionized how we analyze technical-scientific spatial systems and urban design networks.

The Scholar: Professor Milton Santos

An exceptional thinker, lawyer, and geographer whose theories on space, globalization, and shared territory flipped traditional geography on its head. He analyzed maps not merely as geometric coordinate lines, but as dynamic records of human economic activity, movement, and social inequalities.

Various Brazilian Maps

Select any category below to inspect dynamic visual formats of Brazilian spatial records. Click directly on the main display view to zoom in and out to closely read specific details.

Weather & Climate

Topological Relief

State Boundaries

1822 Independence

Click to Zoom Weather Map Display

Atmospheric & Climatological Map

This specialized projection details macro-climatic patterns across the landscape, distinguishing the heavy precipitation signatures of the humid equatorial North from the semi-arid interiors of the Northeast and the subtropical temperature cycles of the South.

Sources & References

Geographic Data: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE Official Portal) — Latitudinal ranges and territorial metrics.
Theoretical Context: The Nature of Space (Milton Santos, Duke University Press), For a New Geography (Milton Santos, University of Minnesota Press), and O Brasil: Território e sociedade no início do século XXI (Milton Santos & María Laura Silveira).
Archival Cartography: Original "Four Brazils" (Os Quatro Brasis) Map Graphic and Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil Digital Repository — Historical colonial mapping layouts from 1822.
Historical Context: A Concise History of Brazil (Boris Fausto, Cambridge University Press).
Visual Catalog: The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics (Green, Langland, & Fischer, Duke University Press), plus Educational Creative Commons Imagery / Archival Public Press Records.