Answer: Agriculture and mining are two of the most important primary occupations of Brazil.
Agriculture:
- Brazil is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world; coffee, sugarcane, soyabean, maize, cotton, rice, cocoa, oranges, bananas and tobacco are its main crops.
- Brazil is the largest producer of coffee and sugarcane, and its coffee is famous as the ‘coffee pot’ of the world.
- Large plantations (fazendas) and mechanised farming are common in the south-east and south; cattle rearing is widespread on the grasslands of the south and in the Amazon region.
- The forest region yields rubber, timber and Brazil nuts; fishing is carried on along the coast.
Mining:
- Brazil is rich in minerals; iron ore of high quality is mined at Carajas and the Iron Quadrangle of Minas Gerais.
- Manganese, bauxite, gold, diamonds, quartz, mica, asbestos and rock salt are also mined.
- Coal is mined in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, and petroleum and natural gas are obtained off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
- Minerals are exported to many countries and supply the iron and steel and other industries of Brazil.