Amazonia

The Amazonia is an area of South America. It is a vast plain crossed by the the Amazon and its affluents, and covered on a great part of its surface by the Amazon forest. Its surface is of 4.5 million km ². Its climate is hot and wet. The average temperature reigning in Amazonia east of 26 °C. Average precipitations are of 2 100 mm/an with 2 450 mm/an, with however of the zones in the North-West presenting more 10 000 mm of pluie/an.

Amazonia sees a very rare phenomenon produire : two basins of rivers are connected by a natural channel which crosses the dividing line of the eaux : the Channel of Casiquiare, between the Orénoque and the the Amazon.

History

The itinerant culture prevailed (collecting of urucum by the Yawanawa Indians in Amazonia). The plantations on denshering lasted one or two years; the inhabitants produced only for their only use of the manioc, rice and the cane with sugar. Some made a cocoa, jute, pepper small shop.

Beside the traditional products of the Extraction intended for the United States and Europe (wood, Brazil nut, sorb, guarana, with which one manufactures drinks, fibers of jute and malva, etc) new products of advanced Technologie appeared (television apparatuses, hi-fi systems, printed circuits, calculating machines electronic but also razors, glasses for glasses, bicycles, boats, etc). The commercial movement is intense. As from the years 1970, the Amazonian countries, and in particular Brazil, encouraged the occupation and forest town and country planning in order to integrate it into the nation's economy. The objective was to constitute large farms, to better control the borders and to bring poor populations on the new grounds. Imposing projects of colonization were launched, which succeeded, with the agreement of the Brazilian government, with the formation of great private fields.

The Gouvernement reserved the control of all the public grounds located in a band of 100 kilometers on both sides of the Amazonian roads (1971). These measurements made it possible to open approximately 2,25 million square kilometers to colonization. At the beginning, they were small Agriculteur S which cultivated the grounds (in particular those of the Brazilian Nordeste struck by the Sécheresse: one created batches of Colonisation of a surface of 100 hectares as well as villages, the agrovilas).

Unfortunately, the exploitation of the resources was badly led and the results are very disappointing. The Brazilian State, obliged to re-examine these projects, is confronted, since the end of the year 1980, with the interventions of the World Bank, which imposes severe financial constraints to him.

From 1974 great fields controlled by powerful Brazilian and especially multinational financial groups appeared. The Rockefeller group has 500.000 hectares thus; another american company, Georgia Pacific, more than 646.000 hectares; Volkswagen C Brasil 220.000, etc

These groups created Pâturages on which are high more than 6 million heads of cattle. The American billionaire Ludwig is most famous of these new fazendeiros: its company “Jari” constituted in the north of Belem an immense agro-industrial field which reaches approximately 6 million hectares; it produces 50.000 bovines per annum in “the greatest breeding of the world”, of the cane with sugar, soya, corn, corn. But it also has agro-alimentary units, treatment plants of bauxite, factory of Cellulose and paper pulp. The whole is intended for export, in particular towards Japan. Some 30.000 workmen are employed under “semi-slave” conditions.

Environment

The essence of the basin of the the Amazon, of which entire surface is of approximately 6 million km ², is still covered today by ecosystem S of tropical forests. Amazonia constitutes of this fact the most important tank of diversity Biologique of the Biosphère. The principal threat for the environment results from its Déforestation related to the requirement of its economic development by the public authorities of the various countries which divide it. Brazil for example built a gigantic highway network intended to allow its “development”. This same process of deforestation is observed on all the periphery of the basin: in Colombia and in the Peruvian and Bolivian parts of this one, in the south of Venezuela and Guyanes. Brazil put its Virgin forest out of regulated cut. The soldiers traced the roads and the poor of the area of the Nordeste came to colonize Amazonia, new Promised land. After months of effort, the country cultivate an exhausted ground. Millenia of erosion washed the ground of all organic substances. For 2 years, it is necessary to go to clear even further. Some are resigned but, more and more often, peasants and unemployed ebb towards the cities and revolt. The peasants are followed by the adventurous and the multinational which the richnesses of the basement attract. a third of the forest disappeared. The ecological assessment is alarming. Amazonia is a gigantic building site. Thousands of men to the adventure dug the ground by hoping for fortune.

The only animals which adapt to the climate are the Zébu S of African race. Their breeding is profitable, on the condition of investing and to export their meat. What only the great landowners make a success of.

a new forest: pylons. Amazonia has little oil, but thousands of kilometers of rivers whose power will produce energy necessary to industrial rise. They represent a potential of 100 million megawatts.

Legal Amazonia Brazil ienne

Portion of the Brazilian territory defined by various laws in 1953,1966 and 1971 with like objective governmental programming.

It includes/understands the States of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and part of the States of Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Maranhão.

Amazonia Colombia

Cover 406.000 km ² and includes/understands the departments of Amazonas, Guainía, Vaupes, Putumayo and Caquetá. The forest, according to certain scientists, could disappear from here a few tens of year if one continues to clear it.

Amazonia Bolivia

Corresponds to the departments of Pando, Beni, Santa Cruz, part of that of La Paz, Cochabamba and Tarija.

Ecuadorian Amazonia

Its Eastern zone includes/understands the provinces of Morona-Santiago, Napo and Zamora-Chinchipe.

Amazonia vénézuélienne

It is the South-eastern area. The basin of the Orénoque is sometimes considered Amazonian as a whole, a somewhat abusive generalization.

Peruvian Amazonia

It is consisted of the departments suivants : Veined Loreto, of Dios, San Martín, Amazonas and Ucayali

French Amazonia

It is the French Guiana, which includes/understands only one department, and makes France a South American country bordering on the Brésil and Suriname

See too

Parentintins
Terra lent
Amazonian Bassin
Portail: Amazonia

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