Aspectos geográficos de Andrade Pinto

Resumo

The author, geographer of the Conselho Nacional de Geografia, analyses in his article the geographical aspects of Andrade Pinto, a district from the municipality of Vassouras, in Rio de Janeiro State.

            In the first chapter, the author examines the natural landscape, emphasizing the relief features and the geology and showing the influence of topography and geological structure on the local economy.

            In the second chapter he studies the economical evolution of the region and the present resources, establishing three different economic phases; those of coffee and sugar cane and the present one, consisting of cattle and a poor agriculture.

            In the coffee phase the author analyses the high period of coffee, plantations and the agricultural systems employed, showing that, in Andrade Pinto, the favorable conditions of the topography make possible the employment of those systems.

            Next he shows the aims of the present sugar cane plantations and points out the factors of its failure as a basic economical resource, calling the attention to the errors still practiced in the surrounding Districts.

            The present phase is subdivided in: little farming, cattle, aviaries and industries:

            In the study of little farming, the author emphasizes the importance of the humus concentration at the bottom of the valleys and of the fertile soils originated from basic rocks; as well as the influence of the crops in Avelar, Maçambará and Werneck fairs. Cattle is now the principal activity and an improving one. Aviculture is also studied, the advantages of the cooperativism being pointed out through the "Cooperativa de Benfica". The industrial development is shown in the last part of the paper.

            Concluding, the author points out the reasons for the occurring phenomena saying of  he promising future of Andrade Pinto.