Street in Business Section of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1921

Brazil is a vast country.  Covering almost half of South America, it is the fifth largest country in the world in size and population.  It has the largest rainforest in the world, but also one of the world’s largest cities.  The Portuguese settled the country in the sixteenth century and named it Brasil after the brasilwood tree, which was used to make red dye.  Today, Brazil is a republic with twenty-six states.  It is a melting pot of cultures and a country of contrasts – modern and primitive, rich and poor, industrial and agricultural, urban and rural and wild.

Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, is the largest city in South America and one of the largest cities in the world.  Founded in 1554 by Jesuit priests as a mission for Indians, Sao Paulo boomed with the coffee industry in the second half of the 19th century and continued to grow with the rise of manufacturing in the 1900s.  Today, half of Brazil’s industry is located in Sao Paulo and its suburbs.  Immigrants from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have helped to make Sao Paulo one of the world’s most diverse cities.  Sao Paulo’s museums, theaters, music, dance, fine dining, shopping, and entertainment make the city a popular tourist destination.

This photograph was taken in the center of Sao Paulo’s business district, called the Triangle.  In the 1500s, long before the buildings in the photograph were constructed, three mission buildings stood on the site.  They were connected by three paths that formed the shape of a triangle, giving the location its name.

 

How does geography impact human settlement and economy?

 

Describe Sao Paulo using evidence from the photograph and discuss the impact of geography on the development and economy of the city.