sertões

Sertões is a Brazilian Portuguese term used to describe the interior hinterlands of the country, especially the semi-arid regions of the Northeast. It refers to a geographic and cultural concept rather than to a single administrative area, encompassing parts of several states where the landscape and life are shaped by drought, sparse rainfall, and long dry seasons.

Geography and climate in the sertões are defined by the caatinga biome, scrubby vegetation, and irregular rainfall patterns. Rain is concentrated in short, sometimes unpredictable wet seasons, with extended dry spells. The terrain includes plateaus, semi-arid plains, and river channels that can become dry beds for much of the year. These conditions have historically influenced settlement, agriculture, and water management.

Economy and society in the sertões have traditionally relied on subsistence farming, livestock, and, in some areas, irrigation projects. Drought cycles have driven migration to urban centers in search of opportunity, while some communities have pursued more resilient crops and cattle ranching adapted to aridity. Development efforts, such as infrastructure improvements and river-basin projects, have aimed to reduce vulnerability, though disparities persist.

In culture and literature, the sertões occupy a central place as a setting and symbol. Euclides da Cunha’s Os Sertões (1902) examined the War of Canudos in Bahia, combining ethnography and history. João Guimarães Rosa’s Grande Sertão: Veredas presents a mythic vision of life in the interior, influencing Brazilian regionalist literature and cinema. The sertões continue to be invoked in discussions of regional identity, development, and social history in Brazil.