SERTÕES DO LESTE: The construction of a geographic region

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/geouerj.2014.8740

This article aims to present the process of territorial configuration of an area known as “Sertões do Leste” in Colonial Brazil. That area presents an imprecise delimitation that covered the Paraiba do Sul River Valley, the “Mata Mineira” Zone and the Doce River Valley. We intend to demonstrate that the scope of the term sertão transcends the definition related to natural domains such as cerrado and caatinga (applied here to the occurrance area of Mata Atlântica). We will also analyze the political and economical interests of the Portuguese kingdom in that area, in order to control the outflow of gold and diamonds from the mines. Afterwards, we intend to show the rising of a geographic region resulting from the former mentioned processes, as well as the inclusion of the referred area in the economical order of coffee production. The region in focus, as a result of natural and social reciprocal processes, allows an interactionist approach to it, and can thus be analyzed in the light of Environmental History.