THE INTERNAL BORDERS OF BRAZIL

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the theme of internal borders in Brazil. When we talk about borders, the immediate idea is the boundary between one thing and another. However, the definition of a border is something much more complex. Thus, when working with borders, it should be clear that separation between boundary and border, so that there is no doubt between one and the other definition. In the case of Brazil, the Treaty of Tordesillas was the country's first border, established even before its discovery. The establishment of the Hereditary Captaincies in 1530 constituted more borders for a newly discovered and entirely unknown territory to the Europeans. The cycles of Brazilwood, sugarcane, mining, and coffee contributed to the effective occupation of the territory, but public policies through state planning were, in a way, responsible for the integration of a large part of the sparsely populated areas into the Brazilian territory. There is clear evidence of borders within other borders, as seen in the Southeast region, which, due to its characteristics of occupation and settlement, unfolded into various zones of wealth and poverty, development, and backwardness. This can be observed by examining the data released by the UN and the IPEA, which show Brazil with areas of very high development levels, equal to those of first-world countries, along with medium, low, and very low levels.

Keywords: Borders. Territory. Development. Human Development Index (HDI).