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The study of the Transamazonian territory of Altamira (Parб-Brazil) - Nathalie Paralieu
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| 2. POSITIONING OF THE STUDIED TERRITORY |
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Altamira’s territory is situated at the point of intersection between the Xingu river and the Transamazonian road which was opened up in the seventies at the same time with the much less used Cuiabб-Santarem road (picture 1). The Brazilian State policy was aiming at the integration of the Amazonian territory into the country. This road infrastructure, subsequent to the former waterway system has allowed many settlers to come and exploit the territory. It has also induced the planning of agricultural exploitation in Altamira’s territory. At the same time, the Federal State policy has favored the communications between the North and the South of the country by developing building sites and mining exploitation, and, as a result, the frontiers of Altamira adjust to the colonization process of Eastern Amazonia.
It is worth considering the Federal State Agricultural Program that was set up 25 years ago, in the light of the study of a unique social movement which aims at the preservation of the settlers’ installations: The Movimento pela Sobrevivкncia da Transamazфnica [A local organization for the preservation of the Transamazonian territory and society].This organization stands up against land concentration and puts up a resistance to the socio-economic decline subsequent to the lure of a program of equal opportunity and access to lands.
As the Federal State was the first actor in the planning program of this area, the State policy left its mark on the territory:
- By favoring the small colonization granting land pieces of 100 ha, and setting up an agrovillage system to offer basic services to the populations.
- By leaving to the settlers land pieces of 1000 and 3000 ha in the east of the territory, which led to a major colonization.
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As a result of the Federal State intervention, and perpendicular to the Transamazonian line, a network of by-roads (currently named travessхes) has been set up every 5 km (picture 2). In the form of a fishbone, with land pieces distributed along the main road and next to the by-roads, this network is limited south by an Indian reservation. Unfortunately, the local authorities do not take this frontier into account because it was delimited later on. It is a source of conflicts, as it brings out the question of access to the resources in a clash of interests.
The methodological approach of the study underlines the opposition between the East and the West of the territory, with Altamira’s urban center in the middle. Three geographical levels of analysis will reinforce the above approach and the choice of studying an opposition.
- The region of Altamira with the urban center as mainstay of the regional development.
- The two sub-regions the comparison of which reveals the influence of the Federal State policy in the success of the colonization process (picture 2).
- The first area, west of the territory, is characterized by its rich soils (terra roxas – purple lands). These soils have been operational objective for the State Extension Services to develop profitable crops (sugarcane, cocoa, and pepper plantations).
- The second area, east of the territory, has many sandy soils and is not favored by the Federal State policy, and its fertile soils are unfortunately far from the main road. The agricultural policy has induced cattle-ranching and rice cultivation.
- Two micro-local areas within each sub-region the comparison of which reinforces the above analysis.
Actually, these two micro-local areas are different in their evolutionary process and have a wide range of differences.
- The first micro-local area is a by-road 75km west of Altamira.
- The second one is a by-road 100km east of Altamira (picture 2).
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