This article contains translated text and needs attention from someone approaching dual fluency in Portuguese. Please see this article's entry on Pages needing translation into English for discussion. If you have just labeled this page as needing such attention, please add {{subst:Duflu| pg=Brazilian Highlands| Language=Portuguese | Comments= }} --~~~~ to the bottom of Pages needing translation into English. Image File history File links Translation_arrow. ... Look up multilingual, multilingualism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Brazilian Highlands (or Planalto Brasileiro) are an extensive geographical region, covering most of the eastern, southern and central portions of Brazil, in all approximately half of the country's land area, or some 4,000,000 km² (1,544,000 sq mi). In addition, the vast majority of Brazil's population (186,112,794 2004 est.) lives in the highlands or on the narrow coastal region immediately adjacent to it. Geography (from the Greek words Geo (γη) or Gaea (γαια), both meaning Earth, and graphein (γραφειν) meaning to describe or to writeor to map) is the study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the Earth. ...

Ancient basaltic lava flows gave birth to much of the region. However, the time of dramatic geophysical activity is long past, as there is now no seismic or volcanic activity. Erosion has also played a large part in shaping the Highlands, forming extensive sedimentary deposits and wearing down the mountains. Basalt Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... An earthquake is a natural phenomenon that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as understood by materials science, see Erosion (materials science) For erosion as an English analogy, see Erosion (figurative) For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...

The Brazilian Highlands are notable for the great diversity to be found there: within it there are several different biomes, vastly different climatic conditions, many types of soil, and thousands of animal and plant species. In Ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities well adapted to the regions physical environment. ... For the American hard rock band, see Soil (band). ...

Major divisions

Due to its size and due to its sixe ad plex and poop and crap and wetard and wajajajacomplexity, the Brazilian Highlands are usually divided into three main areas, or plateaus:

• Atlantic Plateau, extending all along the eastern coast of Brazil. It was once almost completely covered by the Atlantic Rainforest, one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, of which only 7.3% remains.
• Southern Plateau, advancing inland in the southern and southern-central portions of the country. Large portions of this region were also covered by the Atlantic Rainforest, while araucaria highland forest and cerrado grasslands took up much of the rest.
• Central Plateau, occupying the central portions of Brazil. Approximately 85% was once covered by cerrado vegetation, of which only a small portion remains intact..

In addition to the plateau regions, several adjoining or enclosed mountain ranges are considered to be part of the Brazilian Highlands. Some of the most important are (from north to south): A typical ecosystem of Mata Atlântica at Serra do Mar Mata Atlântica is the Atlantic Rain Forest formerly covering the wet coastal hills along the Atlantic coast of Brazil (mostly in the Serra do Mar). ... The Araucaria moist forests are a subtropical moist forest ecoregion of southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina. ... The cerrado (Portuguese: thick, dense) is a vast area of savanna-like grasslands in Brazil. ...

• Serra da Borborema
• Chapada Diamantina
• Serra do Espinhaço
• Serra do Caparaó
• Serra da Mantiqueira
• Serra do Mar
• Serra Geral

The highest point of the Brazilian Highlands is the Pico da Bandeira in the Serra do Caparaó, which stands at 2,891 meters (9,485 ft). The Borborema Plateau (Portuguese Planalto do Borborema, also known as the Serra do Borborema) is a plateau in northeastern Brazil which extends across the states of Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Norte. ... The Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina in Portuguese) is a 1,520 km² national park in the Chapada Diamantina (literally Diamond Highlands) region of the Brazilian state of Bahia. ... The Espinhaço Mountains (Portuguese Serra do Espinhaço) is a mountain range in eastern Brazil. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mantiqueira Mountains. ... Guarumbi, part of Serra do Mar in the state of Paraná Serra do Mar (Portuguese for Mountain Range of the Sea) is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast, from the state of Esp... The Serra Geral is a mountain range in southern Brazil, constituting the southern portion of the Serra do Mar system which runs along Brazils southeastern coast. ... Pico da Bandeira is the third highest mountain in Brazil. ...