Brazil
Relief / Topography

Brazil occupies about 75% of the South American Platform representing the oldest part of the South American Continent. Therefore and different from the much younger Andean mountain chain, Brazil's topography can be described as relatively modest (see relief map).

The plateaus and highlands of the ancient Precambrian shields (e.g. Atlantic Shield) represent 60% of the countries territory and the younger Phanerozoic sedimentary basins (e.g. Paraná Basin) about 40%.

Apart from a small area close to the border with Venezuela, the highest elevations (up to 3.000 m) can be found along Brazil's southeast coast.

The fantastic landforms of the Serra do Mar and Mantiqueira mountain chains which are connected by the Continental Rift of the Southeast with their magnificent escarpments, highlands, lower coastal mountain ranges and hills such as isolated coastal rocks, islands and peninsulas are today one of the most scenic natural landscapes of South America and were declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999.