Last update: April 11, 2005

SOUTHEAST REGION

Area: 924 573.8 sq.km. Population (Census 2000): 72 412 411. Percentage of the country's population: 42.63

POPULATION

It's the most populous and has the highest demographic density among the Brazilian regions: 78 inhabitants per sq.km. But the distribution of its population is not uniform: while in the capital cities it may surpass 3,000 inhabitants per sq km, in other areas, like the Pontal do Paranapanema (extreme west of São Paulo state) or in the northwest of Minas Gerais it's just a little more than 10 inhabitants per sq.km. Rio de Janeiro has the highest demographic density of Brazil: 328 inhabitants per sq.km. São Paulo is the second highest in the region (149 inhabitants per sq.km), followed by Espírito Santo (67.2) and Minas Gerais (28.4). Almost 90 percent of the region's population live in cities (urban population). The four states together produce 58.7 of Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The GDP per capita surpasses the national rate: 4,086 dollars (statistics from year 1999).

Large cities and metropolis are located in it: the most important one is Sao Paulo's metropolitan area (around the capital of the state), together with two other metropolis nearby: the metropolitan area of Santos (in the litoral), and the metropolitan area of Campinas, located 90 kilometers northwards from the capital. At the north of Sao Paulo state, 310 kilometers far from the capital, we have the important industrial and commercial city of Ribeirão Preto. At 100 kilometers west from the capital is located the industrial city of Sorocaba. Going eastwards, along Presidente Dutra Highway and penetrating the west of Rio de Janeiro state, is located the industrial region of Paraíba do Sul valley. São José dos Campos (located 98 kilometers east of São Paulo city) and Resende (in Rio de Janeiro state) are two important cities in this region.
The populational concentration in the Southeast region can be explained by historical and economical factors. These cities began to grow rapidly by the end of the 19th century, a time when the regional economy was based in coffee plantations. Coffee was transported by railroad to the port of Santos to be exported, and the richness created by this commerce made possible, at the beginning of the 20th century, the creation of industries in São Paulo and other cities and the development of an internal market. After the Second World War, specially during the 1950s and 1960s, this industrial - and also populational - expansion assumed a much more intensive rhythm. Nowadays, this industrial expansion is gradually reaching the south of Minas Gerais state, along Fernão Dias Highway (BR-381). This occurs because in the south of Minas Gerais there are many terrains that can be used for industrial settlements, and the distances from this region to the city of São Paulo (Brazil's most important consuming market) are inferior to 300 km.
Other important metropolis are Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Vitória, which concentrate considerable population, jobs, commerce, industries, and services. In Minas Gerais, another important city (although not a metropolis) is Juiz de Fora.

TOPOGRAPHY

Most of the Southeast Region is a plateau, divided in two portions: the Atlantic Plateau (in Portuguese, Planalto Atlântico) and the Meridional Plateau (in Portuguese, Planalto Meridional). In this plateau we find mountain ranges named in Portuguese "serras" (Serra de Paranapiacaba, Serra do Mar, Serra da Cantareira, Mantiqueira) situated parallel to the coast. Some of these mountains surpass 2,000 or even 2,500 meters above the sea level. These high mountain ranges start at the border between ES and MG states (where we find Bandeira Peak, with 2890 mts of altitude); then lower in MG; then become higher again in Serra dos Órgãos mountains, in RJ; and finally form a natural border between the states of MG and RJ (the highest point in this region is the Pico das Agulhas Negras mountain, with 2.793 mts above the sea level) and between MG and SP (highest point: Pedra da Mina, in Serra da Mantiqueira mountain ridge).
After the plateaus, when we go from the coast to the interior, we find topographical depressions: on the west of SP (Paraná river valley) and on the north of MG (São Francisco river valley) the altitude decreases to 300 meters above the sea level.
The coastal plain is irregular in extension. For instance, it's almost inexistent in Sao Paulo state's northern coast, but it's very wide nearby the city of Rio de Janeiro (forming a region called Baixada Fluminense) and at the south of Sao Paulo state (border with Paraná state, forming the Juréia Ecological Reservation - in Portuguese, Estação Ecológica da Juréia).

ECONOMY

The most important economical activity is the industrial production, concentrated in the state of São Paulo (SP). An axis connecting the cities of Cubatão (nearby the Port of Santos), Campinas and Ribeirão Preto, crossing through the capital of the state and the neighbouring ABCM region (formed by the cities of Santo André, São Bernardo, São Caetano do Sul and Mauá) concentrates diversified manufacture activity. Another axis links the region of Sorocaba (whose main industries are textiles, cement and aluminium refinery) located 100 kilometers westwards from the capital, to the Paraíba do Sul River valley, located eastwards (which concentrates mechanical, electronical and aeronautical industries), also crossing the cities of Barueri, Osasco, Sao Paulo, Guarulhos and Arujá, also concentrate diversified industrial activities.
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, industries are mainly located in the region of Grande Rio (the metropolitan region of the state's capital, including the suburbs of Campo Grande and Santa Cruz, and the cities of Duque de Caxias, Queimados, Nilópolis, Nova Iguassu, Sao Gonçalo, and Niterói), and in Paraíba do Sul river valley, a.k.a. Vale do Paraíba Fluminense (the cities of Resende, Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa). In Minas Gerais the industries are concentrated nearby Grande BH (Belo Horizonte's metropolitan region); at the Triângulo Mineiro (cities of Uberaba and Uberlândia); and in the cities of Juiz de Fora (textiles) and Ipatinga (mining and siderurgy). In Espírito Santo state, industries are concentrated in Grande Vitória region (the metropolitan area of the capital of the state).
Industrial activity is diversified: metallurgy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; siderurgy (in Volta Redonda (CSN), in Cubatão (COSIPA), in Ipatinga (Belgo-Mineira)); oil refineries - in Cubatão (SP), in São José dos Campos (SP), in Duque de Caxias (RJ), in Santo André (SP) and Paulínia (SP)); aircraft manufacture (EMBRAER industry, in the cities of São José dos Campos and Gavião Peixoto); automobiles, trucks, buses and autoparts (in the cities of São Bernardo (SP), São José dos Campos (SP), Betim (MG), Sete Lagoas (MG), Juiz de Fora (MG) Resende (RJ), and Porto Real (RJ)).
Farming and cattle raising: On agriculture can distinguished the states of MG and SP. On the first one, we have the production of corn, soy, coffee, manioc, rice, and beans. On the second one we have soy, orange, sugar cane and coffee (for internal market and also for export) and also cultivation of banana, cotton (representing 60 percent of Brazil's production), corn, tomatoes, and potatoes. São Paulo and Minas Gerais also have important creations of bovines, poultry, and blood-horses. At the north of Rio de Janeiro is also remarkable the production of sugar cane and the creation of dairy cattle.
Mineral production: We can distinguish Minas Gerais, with its important production of iron ore. The state also produces limestone, zinc, aluminium, gold (a small production), and mineral water. In São Paulo we can distinguish limestone, dolomite, lead (in Ribeira River valley) and mineral water. In Rio de Janeiro the most remarkable is the production of petroleum (representing more than 60 percent of the Brazilian production), natural gas, and sea-salt. In Espírito Santo we also have the production of petroleum, and mines of granite and marble rocks (Espírito Santo is an important exporter of marble and granite articles).

In spite of these richnesses, some areas in the Southeast concentrate much poverty: the northern portion of Minas Gerais state (the valley of Jequitinhonha river), or the Ribeira River valley, in São Paulo, or some portions of Espírito Santo state, and also some of the ''favelas'' (slums) in large cities, are examples. Espírito Santo is the poorest state of the region and also one of the poorest in Brazil, but it's trying to attract investments. Its main economic activities are: coffee cultivation, and the production of paper and cellulosis on the north of the state. The ports of Vitória and Tubarão, both located nearby the capital of the state, are important to export iron ore produced in Minas Gerais, and to import manufactured items, especially automobiles.

TOURISM

The Southeast region is the origin of most of the Brazilian tourists that travel to other Brazilian regions or abroad. But it also has various touristical atractions, and it's an important destination for many Brazilians and also for foreign visitors. Examining state by state, we can distinguish in:
RIO DE JANEIRO - Mountain cities: Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Nova Friburgo, Itatiaia, Penedo. National Parks and Reservations: Serra dos Órgãos, Serra da Bocaina, Itatiaia, Tijuca (located in the city of Rio de Janeiro). Beach cities: Parati, Angra dos Reis, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Niterói, Araruama, Cabo Frio, Búzios, Arraial do Cabo, Macaé. Historical cities: Parati and its historical centre; historical buildings in Petrópolis and in the city of Rio de Janeiro; old coffee plantations from the 18th and 19th century, in Paraíba River valley.
SÃO PAULO - Mountain cities: Campos do Jordão, São Francisco Xavier, Santo Antônio do Pinhal. Mineral Water resorts: Águas de Lindóia, Lindóia, Águas de Santa Bárbara, Águas da Prata, Serra Negra, São Pedro, Águas de São Pedro, Socorro, Monte Alegre do Sul. Places for Ecological Tourism: the city of Brotas; Serra da Bocaina National Park; Touristical Park of Alto Ribeira (PETAR); Juréia Ecological Reservation; the island of Ilhabela; trekking in Serra do Mar mountain ridge. Beach cities: Peruíbe, Itanhaém, São Vicente, Santos, Guarujá, Bertioga, São Sebastião, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba, Ubatuba. Places to buy handicrafts or pottery: Campos do Jordão (wool articles); Serra Negra (candies); Pedreira (pottery). Rodeo Festivals: The most well known is the one that happens in the city of Barretos, named Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro; rodeo festivals also occur in the cities of Americana and Jaguariúna. Religious tourism: the pilgrimages to the cities of Aparecida, and Bom Jesus de Pirapora.
MINAS GERAIS - Mineral Water resorts: Araxá, Cambuquira, Lambari, São Lourenço, Caxambu, Poços de Caldas. Handicrafts: in Monte Sião and Jacutinga (wool clothes); Jequitinhonha River valley (pottery); São Lourenço (candies and liquors). National Parks (NP) and Ecological Reservations (ER): NP Serra da Canastra; NP Serra do Cipó; NP Caparaó; State Park of Ibitipoca; Maquiné Cave and Rei do Mato Grotto; NP Grande Sertão Veredas. Historical (colonial) cities: Ouro Preto, Mariana, Sabará, Congonhas do Campo, Diamantina, Tiradentes, São João Del Rei. Ecological Tourism: Itamonte; Gonçalves; Maringá village. Moutain Resort: Vila Monte Verde.
ESPÍRITO SANTO - Mountain cities: Domingos Martins, Venda Nova do Imigrante, Santa Teresa. Beach cities: Guarapari, Marataízes, Vila Velha, Vitória, Itaúnas.
Also important for tourism, specially in São Paulo city, are events such as the Biannual Book Fair (Bienal do Livro), the Automobile Saloon, FENIT (Textile Industrial Fair) and others attract Brazilian visitors and also foreigners. And events such as the Sao Paulo Formula One Race, in Interlagos. Cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Santos, Vitória and Campinas also attract business conventions. In São Paulo city is also important the "shopping tourism": in the districts of Brás and Bom Retiro, and in 25 de Março Street we find a concentration of wholesale and retail stores specialized in clothes and textiles, which attract visitors and customers from the rest of the state and from the neighbouring states.

TRANSPORTATION

In the Southeast is located Brazil's most important sea harbour: Santos (SP). Also important are the harbours of São Sebastião (in SP, specialized in petroleum), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Sepetiba (RJ), Niterói (RJ), Vitória and Tubarão (ES). Tubarão is the main export harbour in Brazil for iron ore, which is brought from Minas Gerais state by Vitória-Minas Railroad (EFVM).
In the Southeast are also situated three important airports: Cumbica International Airport (in Guarulhos, neighbor to São Paulo city); Tom Jobim International Airport (in Rio de Janeiro) and Congonhas Domestic Airport (in Sao Paulo city). We can also distinguish other two: Viracopos Airport (in Campinas, 95 km far from São Paulo city) and Confins (20 km far from Belo Horizonte). The São Paulo - Rio airline is the most active in Brasil.
The main roads in the region are:
- Presidente Dutra Highway (from São Paulo to Rio)
- Fernão Dias Highway (from São Paulo to Belo Horizonte)
- Bandeirantes and Anhangüera Highways (connecting São Paulo city to the interior of the state, Minas Gerais, and Brasília),
- Anchieta and Imigrantes Highways (from São Paulo city to Santos)
- Régis Bittencourt Highway (part of the now called "Mercosur Highway", connecting São Paulo to the south of Brasil and the neighboring countries - Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile)
- Castello Branco and Marechal Rondon Highways, which connect São Paulo to Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, also serving the interior of the state.
- BR-101 Highway, from the litoral of São Paulo state to the city of Campos (in Rio de Janeiro state) reaching the border with ES and serving the city of Rio de Janeiro.
- and also BR-040 Highway, which connects Rio de Janeiro to Juiz de Fora(MG) and Brasília
Railroads nowadays are mostly used for cargo transportation (minerals, petroleum derivates, cement, soy). For this task (cargo transportation) we can distinguish the railroads of São Paulo state (more than 5,000 km of total extension) and Minas Gerais (more than 6,000 km). Railroads gained renewed utility because they lower the costs of transportation for soy to be exported, in comparison to the high costs of transportation by trucks.
Finally, we can point the importance of Tietê-Paraná hydro-waterway, with a total extension of more than 1,000 km. This waterway can be used by large barks, which transport soy and calcareous rocks at a very low cost in comparison to trucks and trains.

OTHER PAGES RELATED TO THE SOUTHEAST REGION (under revision, update and translation)

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