Southeast Region, Brazil

The Southeast Region of Brazil (Região Sudeste do Brasil) includes the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. It is the country’s wealthiest region, generating about 53% of Brazil’s GDP in 2022. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais are the three richest states in Brazil, and the region as a whole has the highest GDP per capita. The Southeast also holds roughly 44% of Brazil’s total population, leading all regions in urban population, population density, number of vehicles, industries, universities, airports, ports, highways, hospitals, schools, and housing.

**Geography**

**São Paulo** The Ribeira Valley contains the largest continuous remnant of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its biological and ecosystem diversity is notable, with around 400 species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. The Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park (PETAR) is a destination for ecotourists, featuring diverse geological formations such as grottos, caves, rivers, and waterfalls. The Brazilian Society of Speleology records 454 caves in São Paulo, all in the Ribeira Valley, and the 280 caves within PETAR form the highest concentration of caves in Brazil.

**Minas Gerais** The state’s landscape is marked by mountains, valleys, and caverns, with notable caves and waterfalls in Serra do Cipó, Sete Lagoas, Cordisburgo, and Lagoa Santa. Minas Gerais is the source of major Brazilian rivers, including the São Francisco, Paraná, and, to a lesser extent, the Rio Doce. It also hosts many hydroelectric plants, such as the Furnas dam. Some of Brazil’s highest peaks lie in the southern mountain ranges—Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Cervo—which border São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The most prominent is Pico da Bandeira, the third highest mountain in Brazil at 2,890 meters, located on the border with Espírito Santo. The state has large iron ore reserves and significant deposits of gold and gemstones, including emerald, topaz, and aquamarine.

**Rio de Janeiro** Rio de Janeiro is part of the Mata Atlântica biome, with a topography of mountains and plains between the Mantiqueira Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Its coastline is shaped by the bays of Guanabara, Sepetiba, and Ilha Grande. Steep slopes near the ocean create diverse environments, including restinga vegetation, bays, lagoons, and tropical forests. It is the smallest state in the Southeast and one of the smallest in Brazil, but it has the third longest coastline in the country (635 kilometers), after Bahia and Maranhão.

**Espírito Santo** Covering 46,180 square kilometers—about the size of Estonia or half of Portugal—Espírito Santo has varied habitats: coastal plains, lakes, mountain forests, mangroves, and more. The main river is the Doce; other important basins include the Santa Maria River Basin (northern branch) and the Jucu River Basin (southern branch), both flowing into the sea near Vitória. The climate is tropical along the coast, with dry winters and rainy summers. North of the Doce River it is generally drier and hot. In the mountainous south and southwest, altitude strongly influences the tropical climate, making average temperatures cooler. The state is divided into a low-lying coastal zone and a highland area called Serra, part of the larger Serra do Caparaó range. The 2,890-meter Pico da Bandeira mountain lies in this highland, shared with Minas Gerais.

**Demographics** *(Largest cities and racial groups are noted in the source but not detailed here.)*

**Economy**

**Agriculture** The region leads in many crops. It produces 85% of Brazil’s coffee (the world’s largest producer), 65% of its sugarcane, 85% of its oranges, 80% of its lemons, 90% of its peanuts, 35% of its bananas, 30% of its sorghum, 70% of its persimmons, 44% of its tomatoes, 60% of its tangerines, 40% of its papayas, 27% of its pineapples, and 13% of its cassava. It also grows more than 20% of the country’s beans, 7% of its soy, and over 50% of its potatoes, carrots, and strawberries.

**Livestock** The Southeast is the second largest milk producer in Brazil, accounting for 34.2% of national output.