The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-08-03
Rio in Its Valleys Among Towering Peaks.

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. ID. c.
Just as the United States celebrated
with an exposition in 1876 the compile
ton ,Of the first century of its indie
pendence, so Brazil will celebrate next
September her first centenary as ma
tiOn by means of a great world fair in
Rio de Janeiro.
II Is an occasion and a ceremony
which the people Of the United States
are particularly well fitted to under
stand and appreciate. In number of
ways Brazil stands where the United
States stood 46 years ago, though in
many others. of course, this neighbOr
to the south, equipped with modern
machinery and assisted by modern
methods, is far in advance of the
United States of 1876.
Brazil is much more than zone of
the South American republics" In
area it is in class with the United
States. Its flag floats over practically
one-half of South America and one
fifth of the western hemisphere. Leav-
ing Alaska out of consideration, Brazil
is actually 100000 square miles great
er than the United States! 1t has
boundaries of greater or less length in
common with every other country in
south America except Ecuador and
Chile. The land boundary of Brazil.
following all the twistingS Of rivers and
mountain ranges, is probably not far
from 10000 miles long, and there is a
coastline of 6,000 miles as well. The
largest river in the world. tremendous
potential water power, and huge de-
posits of minerals are among some Of
Brazil out for big things.
1t is particularly in the possession
of vast, undevelOped resources that
Brazil is comparable to the United
States of half a century ago. II too,
has its West; but it is West strik-
ingly different from the plains country
of central North America. The equa-
tor crosses northern Brazil, and more
than nine-tenths of the huge country
lies within the tropics. BraZil's West
consists for the most partof dense
tropical forest-A veritable ocean Of
verdure-rich in hard woods and rub
Der trees. Into this largely undevel-
Oped country stretches the broad Anna
zon and its tributaries up which ocean
vessels steam for 1000 miles-as
though ocean steamers in our own
country could steam up the Mississippi
and Ohio past Cincinnati. River
steamers ascend the main streams for
another 1000 miles and run up nu-
merous tributaries for several hun
dred miles. The possession of this
great Amazon waterway and its net
work of tributaries greatly cheapens
transportation In Brazil in comparison
with a country in which dependence
must be placed largely on railroads.
Heart of Brazil Is Southeast.
In addition to its northern forests,
Brazil has a prairie country in its
Middle West"-the south central p0g-
ton of the country lying north of Par
aguay and extending northward into
the hill country. Large herds of cat
tie are graZed and there is room for
great expansion of the industry.
The southeastern edge of Brazil, par
adoxically, is the heart of the coun-
try. The white population. numbering
probably between 9,OOO,0O0 and 10000
600 is largely concentrated in the re-
gion of temperate climate in the south
ern coastal highlands which extend in
land 200 to 800 miles. This region in
cludes the southeasternmost states of
Rio Grande do Sol, Santa CatharIna,
Parma. Sac PaulO Rio de Janeiro, Es-
perito Santo and Minas Geraes.
Northward along the coast is Brazirs
black belt" where negro ex-slaves and
heir descendants are more numerous
han elsewhere In the country. Inland
IRE the Indians, many of them unciv-
ilized.
Brazils temperate region along the
South Atlantic coast Is the region to
which manufacturing enterprise is
largely confined Just as 1t was to our
own North Atlantic coast half CEN
fury ago. As yet manufacturing plays
only an unimportant part in the coun-
try's life, but textile factories, tan.
neries and meat packing plants, as
well as various other Industrial estab.
lishments are on the increase This
portion Of Brazil's map is peppered
with cities and towns and is covered
with q close network Of railroads. 1t
Is In this climatically delightful re-
gion Of Brazil that Is developed the
country's chief industry-coffee grow
ing. Thousands of square miles are
covered by the orchards of trees which
make Brazil the foremost coffee pro-
ducing country In the world.