Brazil is a country of immense diversity. It continental dimensions contain the most important industrial complex of the South as well as the largest rainforest reserve in the world, the Amazon. The 1970s witnessed a period of immense economic growth in Brazil, yet more than half the population live in poverty. In this textbook Professors Becker and Egler examine these contemporary dilemmas by exploring the process of Brazil's entry into the capitalist world-economy. They trace this development from the country's origins as a Portuguese colony to its status as a regional power in Latin America and the eighth-largest world economy. Becker and Egler combine geography, history, economics and political science in a comprehensive view of Brazil's development and this innovative and compelling approach enables comparative analysis with other countries. Brazil: A New Regional Power in the World Economy will be widely read by students and specialists of geography, Latin American history, political science, development economics, urban and regional planning and public administration. It will also be an invaluable reference source for journalists, government analysts and policy-makers in international development agencies.