
Brazil Travel / Tours - Prior to the European colonization, more than 1.000
indigenous societies
(between 2 and 4 million people) are estimated to have lived in
Brazil.
Nowadays, their population has declined drastically to about 220 indigenous societies with
approximately 370.000 people distributed all over Brazil.
In order to protect this valuable
social / cultural
diversity, Brazil has established about 1 million square kilometers of indigenous reservations which corresponds to
approximately 12 % of its territory. Further information can be found
at the website of
Instituto Socioambiental.
Sometimes, indigenous reservations are overlapping with
conservation units
such as
Barra Velha and
Monte Pascoal
National Park
in Bahia,
Parati-Mirim and
Cairuçu Environmental Protection Area in
Paraty
(
Rio de Janeiro),
Rio Branco and
Serra do Mar
State Park
or
Itariri with the
Juréia - Itatins
Ecological Station
(both in
São Paulo State).