Diario las Américas., 1958-08-13
Know thy
Neigh.borI
BY mic RUIZ

D1tEA61L 1AlC
states of Amazonas and Para, with
the territories of Amapa, Rio Bran
co and Guapore, and parts of the
neighboring countries, lie in the
plain of the Amazon Valley, or
Amazonia, which has been built up
of horizontal sedimentary depo-
sits, on which the dense tropical
forest thrives in a hot, damp eli
mate. The network of waterways in
this region is the widest in the
world, and the Amazon itself, ma
vigable as far as Peru, has an out
flow as great as all the rivers of
Europe put together.
Economic activities in the region
are largely confined to collection
of forest products, such as rubber,
Brazil, nuts, etc, but some crops
are grown on the alluvial flats,
while cattle r raised on the up
land pastures and on Marajo, a
large island at the mouth of the
of, the Amazon River. The Disco
very of iron and manganese in the
territory of Amapa and the pos
sible existence of oil lend a new
Importance to Amazonia.
The transition between Amaze
mia and the region called the
Northeast may be perceived in the
states of Maranhao and Piau, where
the effects of the dry climate are
mitigated by the capacity of reten-
ton of the sedimentary soils, soils,
where, moreover, it is possible that
coal and petroleum may be found.
The vegetation, equatorial to the
west and semi-desert to the east,
is chiefly made up of babaSSu, car
nauba and buriti palms, which are
of great economic importance, but
the principal activity is stockrais-
ing.
On the other hand, in the north
east, strictly so called the Sedimen-
tary layers have been worn away
by erosion and the crystalline base
emerges, bare and inhospitable.
The climate is hot but dry, and
the periodical droughts are often
serious. Residual butteS, remnants
of the ancient sedimentary mesa,
are still damp enough for crops
and woodland vegetation. StockraiS-
ing and the preparation of vegeta-
Bile oils and wakes, and fibers, are
the mainstay of the population in
this semi-arid region.
From the middle-western pla-
teau flow the streams that go to
feed the three main river basins
of Brazil: the Amazon Valley, the
Sac Francisco Valley, and the Ri
yer Plate. The soils in these re-
gions vary considerably despite
their general uniform appearance
and there is abundant mineral
wealth, including gold, diamonds,
quartz, and nickel. Large stretches
of scrub and coarse g%rasslands are
cut by forests lining the water
courses. Stock raising is the prin-
cipal activity of these regions.
Western Mato Crosse is very diff
ferent. Mostly low-lying and sub
ject to periodic floods, it is parti-
cularly suitable for cattleraising;
in a part where the land is a little
higher there are immense deposits
of manganese and iron.
A range of metamorphic and Sc
dimentary rocks, barred and furrow-
ed by erosion, extends from the
north of Bahia to the center of
Minas Gerais. Called the "back-
bone" of Brazil, this is essentially
the mining region of the country,
for it is rich in iron and manga
nese ore, gold, diamonds, etc.
The Sac Francisco Valley sepa-
rates the preceding region from
the middlewestern plateau. The
middle course of the Sac Francis
co River runs parallel to the coast
at an altitude of about $50 feet and
is cut off from the upper and
lower reaches by waterfalls. Be-
tween them, however, it is a busy
waterway and has long provided an
essential means of transportation
between the south and the north
of the country. As a source of
electric power and irrigation it
has immense possibilities which