During the colonial period, human occupation of Brazil was sparse, fragmented, and uneven; their activities were dominated by slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle farming. The settlements were controlled by local elite groups. Until the mid-twentieth century, the overwhelming majority of the territory was covered by forests and native ecosystems. The most significant transformations in rural and urban landscapes in Brazil began in the mid-twentieth century, as part of a broader process of social and economic transformation which brought urbanisation and industrialisation to Brazil.
DOI: doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6262