Brazil is characterized by four major geographical units:
- The tropical coastal strip that was originally covered with rain forest ( Mata Atlântica ). Here's colonization began and are most major cities. Further to the south, this area is humid subtropical.
- The Brazilian Highlands . This area consists of tropical rainforest in the north, to the south becoming forested savanna ( Cerrado ).
- In the northeast of Brazil one finds Sertão , a dry and desert-like area.
- The Amazon basin in the north and west. This is primarily the endangered Amazon rainforest and the most water-rich river of the world, the Amazon . The climate in this area belongs to the tropical rainforest climate .
- north of the Amazon basin lies the highlands of Guyana . Here is also the highest mountain in Brazil, the Pico da Neblina .