Why the Amazon rainforest is so important to Brazil?
Student tasks
1. Read the paragraphs written by a Y8 student below:
In some areas of Brazil, the people live good lives and have enough money for a lovely
home. However, in other parts of Brazil, the people are very poor; many struggle to
earn a decent salary or even live in a proper house.
The government feels that everyone in Brazil should enjoy a decent standard of living.
Although Brazil is getting richer, the government feels it needs to ‘develop faster’ in
order to look after everyone who lives there. The Amazon rainforest is full of valuable
things; the government think it is an ideal place to develop to make money.
Since the 1970s, the Brazilian government have had a large interest in the rainforest.
They have encouraged development to bring money into the country. The Amazonian
rainforest has many minerals and valuable products, which can help Brazil, grow as a
country. All these developments have brought money to Brazil and provided jobs for
the local people.
Developing the rainforest has created problems in some areas as it has caused
considerable damage to the local population and wildlife.
Destruction of Amazon rainforest, Suriname
© 2013 Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. http://quest.eb.com/images/139_1892935
2. Use the information above to answer the question …
Why is the rainforest so important to Brazil?
Start your answer with … ‘The rainforest is important to Brazil because…’
and give at least two reasons.
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