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Article: Taken by surprise, again. (drought in Brazil)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- April 3, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Brazilians count their blessings in the wetter years, instead of preparing for the dry ones LIKE clockwork, since the early 19th century, epic droughts have punished north-east Brazil. Behind a toupee of lush coastal land lies a sprawling prairie three times the size of France and as dry as Africa's Sahel; it is struck by mild drought every three years, by a severe one every dozen. This year's drought is the worst in 40 years.
Some 10m people in more than 1,000 cities and towns covering 60% of the region have been hit. Great bridges arch over bone-dry rivers; peasants drive skinny cattle across the cracked mud of lake bottoms littered with fish bones. In Pernambuco, ...