f Mexico City. In Brazil the poorer areas are known as favelas (253). The inhabitants of these areas in both cities are mostly recent migrants to the cities from more rural areas (221, 259). The people of Mexico and Brazil are both predominantly Roman Catholic. Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country in the world (254). Eighty-nine percent of Mexico’s population follows the Roman Catholic faith (Camp). During the colonial period the Portuguese and the Spanish placed importance on Christianizing the Amerindian populations. In Brazil the African influence has played an important role on the Catholic faith. Many Brazilians include the worship of African deities with their Christian religious practices. The Candomble sect is the most popular of these sects, its influence is strongest in the Brazilian state of Bahia (Microsoft Encarta).Brazil and Mexico are both rich with natural resources. Oil is an important natural resource in both regions (224, 255). Brazil has also begun to produce a sugarcane-based alcohol for use as fuel (256). Some of the resources of Brazil are large manganese deposits, iron, coal, limestone, and aluminum (255, 257, 260). Mexico’s resources include silver, salt, celestite, sodium sulfate, and graphite (Camp). Agricultural pursuits are more prevalent in Brazil than in Mexico. New areas of farming in Brazil, especially in the southwestern grasslands, have made commercial farming the fastest increasing economic force in the country (256). In Mexico only twenty percent of the land is suitable for growing crops (Camp). The arid region of northern Mexico has become an area of increased commercial agriculture because of major irrigation projects (be Blij and Muller 223). Mexico and Brazil both produce coffee, sugar, and citrus fruits (223,258). Cattle ranching is important in Mexico and Brazil (224, 257). Mexico and Brazil are both working towards economic growth (219, 256). Brazil is the eighth largest ...
