The Great Escarpment in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

is a major geological formation that runs along much of the eastern coast of Brazil south of the city of

Salvador Salvador, meaning " salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...

. The

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''esca ...

runs along the central and south Atlantic coasts of Brazil, rising sharply and separating the highland plateau from the coast. The escarpment rises steeply from the coastal plain to as much as in height. The top of the escarpment forms a drainage divide between the interior and the coastal plains. Apart from the

São Francisco River The São Francisco River (, ) is a large river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and t ...

, most streams flow into the central basin rather than to the coast. The escarpment defines the eastern edge of the

Serra do Mar The Serra do Mar (, Portuguese for ''Sea's Ridge'' or ''Sea Ridge'') is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil. Geography The Serra do Mar runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state ...

and other mountain ranges.

References

Citations Sources * * * * * Cliffs of Brazil Escarpments {{Bahia-geo-stub