2 - Explain the location of the Carajas project within Brazil.
The Carajas project in Brazil is set in the hills of east Amazonia. The main reason for this is because there are huge deposits of high-grade iron and other minerals found here. Here, an estimated of 18 billion tones of iron has been found and is the recorded as the most ever been found. It has been known to hold vast minerals, forestry and hydroelectric resources. It covers an area of 900,000 sq Kilometers. The Grand Carajas Project covers a tenth of Brazil, which is equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom and France combined. The point of a project as huge as this is to extract raw material and exploit and explore them to over countries. It has been defined as being a project of mineral exploration and due to all the exporting of iron ore, a huge train that could withstand the flow of such mineral riches was built up from central Carajas to St Luis and then from there is exported, mainly to Japan.
3 – From your reading on Brazil, and the Carajas project in particular, explain some possible reasons why the country embarked on such a massive development project.
First things first, It’s a B.R.I.C for a reason. Carajas gave Brazil the development push it needed. Otherwise it would still be a L.E.D.C. Anything that gives a country a change and development is significant and it definitely changed it for the better. Before the Grande Carajas, it was an L.E.D.C and a huge project like this, which would evidently provide Brazil with a steady income and also give countries with low magnesium and copper levels raw minerals like Japan from Amazonia. Another possible reason why the country embarked on such a massive development project is that it supplies the people and residents of Brazil with jobs and opportunities to work and provide an income for their own family and lifestyle. Due to the huge scale of the project, there will also be a huge amount of professions to agree with the scale. It has supplied 7000 people with jobs and working opportunities. Furthermore, due to the income it can supply, it can also create a better education opportunity for children. Seeing as the country was once an L.E.D.C, It was most probably that the children didn’t have useful resources so there education could persevere. It was also most probably that there weren’t many teachers with good pay and teaching qualifications but now, with a bigger income and brazil now known as a B.R.I.C would have more teaching resources and teachers with knowledge and qualifications for each subject. Finally, one last possible reason why the country embarked on such a massive development project was because of transport from each major city to the carajas region. The roads are better quality and there are now more of them due to the income developed from the project. Something all this possible reasons have in common is the possibility of a bigger income, which is proved to be correct. The reasons are all only due to only money and what it could be used towards to or if people could provide for them.
4 - in your view, as an expert on Brazil, compile a list of benefits and disadvantages of the carajas project. Explain as a summary whether or not you feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Fully justify your opinions.
Advantages
- Opens a lot more job opportunities for people in Brazil.
- Forest cut down for firewood or timber for furniture and musical - instruments such as the piano.
- Repaying debt.
- Will be able to withstand up to 400 years.
- Very large development project including hydroelectric power, railways, and mining.
- It’s the biggest iron ore position eternally.
Disadvantages
- Most wealth at stake in the middle of the rainforest.
- Covers 1/10 of Brazil.
- Will cost up to as much as 2billion.
- 1.6% of area was deforested.
- Life is artificial (closed community)
- Land was cleared for agriculture but soil wasn’t as rich as it looked.
I feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. My reasons why are down to the project in general only bringing good benefits to the situation and whether or not one feels upset or aggravated by the 1.6% of area deforested is, of course, up to them but shouldn’t feel like that due to it will (like I said before) only bring in good benefits for the Southern Amazonian rainforest. On the other hand, one is completely entitled to both these emotions, as there is a chance that with the benefits and income coming in there could also be newer ideas, which could harm Amizonia and the environment etc. Furthermore, more money would be spent. But, The fact that it will be able to withstand up to 400 years is a long time and people would definitely prefer and think more of this option than just the fact that it covers 1/10 of Brazil. Whether we are keeping the rainforest sustainable is a matter of how much further this project will go. If it stops now, it will be perfectly capable of being sustainable but if more ideas are thought of and carried through then a lot more than 1.6% of area will be deforested. This is the point where it becomes unsustainable, where we’re destroying trees to extract even more raw minerals and materials than we’ve already done and already have a huge amount of raw and materials. Moreover, because it it’s the middle of the rainforest, even more money and wealth is at stake. But, if the human and governments natural instinct of curiosity does not pull through and ideas aren’t suggested and if a further bigger project isn’t explored then it can repay debt for the country, produce hydroelectric power, railways, and mining. When one makes a decision to weigh out the advantages and the disadvantages, you can not choose what is right for you and only you but on the contrary, must choose the better decision for your country, region, town or villiage.