Development & Health Variations In Development WITHIN a Country – Case Study of Brazil

Variation in the Level of Development within a City in Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Variations In Development Within A Country One problem associated with using indicators of development is that they don’t always give a true picture of levels of development throughout the entire country. This is because indicators are usually given as an average for the country as a whole. Within average figures there may be enormous variations between different parts of the country. The table on the next page highlights variations in levels of development between North East Brazil and South East Brazil.

Regional Variations in Brazil Brazil is an excellent example of a country with regional inequalities in terms of economic development. We will now look at some of the reasons why SE Brazil is more developed than NE Brazil… During the early years of Portuguese colonial rule, the NE of Brazil became the wealthiest part of the country. Its wealth was based on plantation crops (particularly sugar cane).

Regional Inequalities In Brazil Salvador and Recife (NE Brazil) grew as ports exporting sugar and receiving large numbers of European immigrants and slaves brought from Africa. Since 1950, however, it is the South East region of Brazil where industrialisation, urbanisation and the creation of jobs and wealth has been most rapid – leaving the North East region lagging well behind. Today the North East has 30% of Brazil’s population but only 14% of the country’s wealth. The South East region where 42% of the country’s population now live has 64% of the nation’s wealth.

North East Brazil Most people in NE Brazil are subsistence farmers or are landless sharecroppers who farm the land for someone else and receive a share of the produce in return. The soils once used to produce plantation crops are now mainly exhausted and eroded. The poor soils and frequent drought mean that crop yields are often insufficient to feed the local population. Where soils are better, the crops grown are usually for export (e.g. sugar cane and cocoa) rather than for home consumption.

North East Brazil High birth rate and lack of natural resources means that the region is overpopulated. Despite one large HEP station in the region, energy supplies are insufficient for domestic use or for the development of industry. Lack of investment has meant that transport systems and industry have not developed and services have not been provided. Lack of jobs, services and food supply has caused thousands to migrate away from the region. Many migrants have moved to the South East and a few have been resettled in Amazonia.

South East Brazil The initial development of the South East region of Brazil was centred on coffee growing (Sao Paulo), gold and diamond prospecting (Minas Gerais) and their export through the natural port of Rio de Janeiro. Real growth followed with the mining of iron ore, the production of steel and the manufacture of ships and cars. HEP produced locally and oil imported and refined at Rio provided the necessary supply of energy.

South East Brazil The region has become Brazil’s centre of commerce, education, administration, transport and culture. The prospect of more and better paid jobs, a more reliable food supply, improved services and the perception of the ‘bright lights’ have all acted like a magnet to attract many people to the area. The region has also received most government and foreign investment and has the highest standard of living in the country.

Amazonia – The North Remote with hot & wet climate. Low population density due to the dense vegetation cover (rainforest). Soils are poor due to leaching. Less accessible, this has hindered development as it is too expensive. However, more recently the trees and land are seen as a resource to be exploited. Areas are being cleared for industry, farming, mining & settlement. This is aiding development as better jobs are available. Government spending has increased; facilities and services are increasing as a result.

Sample Question: Levels of development can vary greatly in different areas in a developing country. For a named country you have studied, suggest reasons for the variations in development. (10 marks)

From the Mark Scheme: The South East is much more prosperous than other regions due to the concentration of industry and commerce in the “Golden Triangle” of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. this area has the best transport system in Brazil, the greatest number of services, and has benefited most from Government help coffee growing has long been carried out on the rich terra rossa soils around Sao Paulo producing job opportunities and creating wealth for the area and the national economy Rio de Janeiro – until 1960 the capital of Brazil, had the advantages of a good natural harbour which encouraged trade, immigration, industry, and more recently, tourism. The North East, in contrast, is handicapped by more ‘negative’ factors such as periodic droughts, fewer mineral resources and a shortage of energy supplies all of which have encouraged outwards migration The North (Amazonia) suffers from its more peripheral location, its inhospitable (Rainforest) climate, poor soils, dense vegetation and inaccessibility. Not surprisingly, it is the poorest of Brazil’s five main regions. Until recently, there was also a lack of government investment and much of the region has lost out on basic services such as health, education and electricity. In addition to explaining the sorts of marked socio-economic regional variations which exist in a huge and diverse country such as Brazil, candidates may also comment on the marked differences in living standards which exist between relatively wealthy and better provided for urban areas compared to poorer more isolated rural areas and to the contrasts that can be found within urban areas – eg hillside favelas such as Rocinho in Rio versus the prosperous apartments overlooking Copacabana Beach.