Video : Introduction -the video will
look at the migration of people from certain areas in Brazil to the
major cities.
Sao Paulo area is the most industrial state in the south-east of
Brazil. It is about as big as the United Kingdom and there are 31
million inhabitants.
Q.1 At the beginning of the video what
contrasts can be seen in Sao Paulo?
Now, let's look at the north-east
of Brazil. Remember that this area is bigger than
France, Germany, the UK and Spain put together !!
Below in Table Two the north-east
is compared with the rest of Brazil and to Argentina.. See if you can
identify why over 60% of Brazilian migrants come from this region i.e.
why do so many people leave the north-east ?
| |
GNP per person (US$)
|
Infant Mortality
(deaths per 1004 births) |
| Brazil |
2920 |
57 |
| North-east Brazil |
1890 |
100 |
| Argentina |
2780 |
29 |
Q.2 What reason are given in the video as to
why people are leaving the region ? Name four things
which are missing in the countryside.
Jose is a cane cutter. For the last 200 years the north-east region
has been an important area for the production of sugar. However, most of
the land is made up of large plantations. It is very difficult for small
landowners to make a living. Many can barely make enough to survive.
Q.3 Listen to Jose describing his life. What
difficulties does he face? How many days a week does he work? How long
does he work each day What would he like to do? Why can't he?
Belo Horizonte is an important industrial area. Its iron ore deposits
have been used in many industries.
Q.4 What industries are shown on the video?
Why have many industries decided to locate in this area and not in other
parts of Brazil?
Q.5 On the video we see examples
of multinational companies. What does this mean?
What does a multinational company look for when it decides to build a
factory in a developing country?
Inequality in Brazil
One of the major problems in Brazil is that of
inequality.
This means that the wealth
of the country is not spread out (divided) evenly between the people.
There are some very rich people in Brazil but there are also some very
poor people. In the major towns, as you will see on the video, many
people live in favelas or squatter
settlements. There are also between 7-8 million children living on
Brazil's city streets.
Listen to the description of life in a
favela.
Q.6 Describe the difficulties faced by
Pedro?
Q.7 Why did Mr and Mrs da
Silva come to the city? How long have they lived there?
Q.8 Describe Vera's typical day? Why can't
she fulfil her dream to be a nurse?
Q.9 How much do Vera and her
Dad earn?
Now that you have heard about some of the difficulties faced by
people living in Brazil, what do you think could be done to change
things. Write a paragraph explaining your ideas.
The
Open Door Web Site