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| Centro-West Region, Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centro-West Region |
| Native name | Região Centro-Oeste |
| Settlement type | Region |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Brazil |
| Area total km2 | 1574093.9 |
| Population total | 16700000 |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Seat type | Largest city |
| Seat | Brasília |
Centro-West Region, Brazil is one of the five official regions of Brazil. It comprises the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District, hosting the national capital Brasília. The region links the Amazon Basin, the Cerrado, and the Pantanal, and serves as a strategic hub for agriculture, energy, transportation and federal administration.
The region occupies the central-western portion of South America and includes major biomes such as the Cerrado, the world's most extensive tropical savanna, and the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland. Its terrain spans the Central Brazilian Plateau, the Chapada dos Guimarães, the Serra das Araras, and river systems like the Araguaia River, Tocantins River, Paraguay River and Guaporé River. Climatologically the area is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone and seasonal winds, producing distinct wet and dry seasons that shape the Pantanal flood pulse and the Cerrado fire regime.
Indigenous peoples including the Xavante, Kayapó, Terena, Guató and Bororo inhabited the plateau and floodplain prior to European contact. Portuguese exploration reached the interior via bandeirantes such as Antônio Raposo Tavares in the 17th century, linking to colonial outposts like Belém and Salvador, Bahia. The 18th and 19th centuries saw bandeirante incursions, cattle ranching expansion and missions tied to religious orders like the Society of Jesus. The 20th century brought infrastructural projects, agrarian frontiers, and the construction of Brasília designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, inaugurated in 1960, which shifted national settlement patterns and federal investment.
Population centers include Brasília, Goiânia, Campo Grande, Cuiabá and Rondonópolis, reflecting urbanization driven by public administration, agribusiness and services. The demographic fabric mixes descendants of Indigenous peoples, Portuguese people, Africans, Italians, Germans, Japanese Brazilians, Lebanese Brazilians and migrants from Northeast Region, Brazil and Southeast Region, Brazil. Languages primarily include Portuguese language, with indigenous languages such as Kayapó language and Xavante language present. Religious composition features Catholic Church in Brazil, Protestantism in Brazil, and indigenous spiritual practices.
The Centro-West economy is anchored by large-scale agribusiness: soybean production in Mato Grosso and Goiás, beef cattle ranching in Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, and corn and cotton cultivation across the plateau. Agro-industrial complexes connect to exporters, commodity traders such as Bunge Limited, Cargill, and ADM and ports on the Atlantic Ocean via rail corridors like the Ferrovia Norte-Sul and highways such as the BR-163 and BR-060. Energy sectors include hydroelectric plants on the Paraná River basin and biofuel facilities producing ethanol from sugarcane. Public administration centered in Brasília drives federal employment and agencies including ministries and the Central Bank of Brazil. Research institutions such as the Embrapa network and universities including the University of Brasília, Federal University of Goiás, and Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul support agricultural innovation and technology transfer.
The region contains critical conservation units like Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, and biological corridors connecting to the Amazon Rainforest. Iconic fauna include the jaguar, giant otter, hyacinth macaw, maned wolf, capybara and migratory birds that use the Pantanal floodplain. Environmental pressures include deforestation for pasture and cropland, conversion of Cerrado to agriculture, invasive species, and conflicts over land tenure involving indigenous territories recognized under laws such as the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. NGOs and agencies including the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources engage in conservation, while global instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity frame international cooperation.
Key transportation corridors include the north–south BR-163 highway, the BR-070 corridor to Brasília, and rail lines like the Ferrovia Norte-Sul linking interior terminals to export gateways. Major airports serve domestic and international flights at Brasília–Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport, Goiânia Airport, Cuiabá–Marechal Rondon International Airport and Campo Grande International Airport. Waterways on the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway facilitate barge traffic for grains and livestock. Hydroelectric infrastructure includes dams on rivers such as the Paraná River and associated transmission networks integrated into the National Interconnected System (Brazil).
The region comprises three federative states—Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul—and the Federal District, each with state-level executive and legislative bodies established under the Federal Constitution of 1988. The Federal District hosts national institutions including the Supreme Federal Court, the National Congress of Brazil and presidential offices, while state capitals like Goiânia, Campo Grande and Cuiabá administer regional affairs, public security forces such as the Military Police, and state courts under the Superior Court of Justice jurisdiction.