North (Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins) The Amazon, the rain forest and frontier life, with remarkable Native American indian influence. Note the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás in the Center West region (below) are mostly within the Amazon Basin as well. |
Northeast (Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe) Strong black culture (especially in Bahia) mingles with early Iberic folklore and Indigenous traditions. This is often considered the country's most beautiful coastline, and has the sunniest and hottest climate; but it is also the country's driest and poorest region. Capital of the "Forró" musical style. |
Central West (Distrito Federal (Federal District), Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul) The Pantanal wetlands, great farms, young cities, the cerrado and the Federal District, with its outworldly modernist architecture. Birth place of the "sertenajo" music style. |
Southeast (Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo) The cosmopolitan heart of the country.São Paulo and Rio are the largest cities of the country and its economic and industrial hub; there are also some century-old colonial towns, especially in Minas Gerais. |
South (Rio Grande do Sul, Paran�, Santa Catarina) Is a land of valleys and pampas where a strong gaucho culture (shared with Uruguay and Argentina) meets European influences. It has the best standard of living in Brazil with only two large cities (Curitiba and Porto Alegre) and several mid-size cities and rural settlements. Greatt German, Italian, Polish and Ukranian took place in the region during the 19th century. |