MATO GROSSO PLATEAU

Portuguese Planalto De Matto Grosso, part of the Brazilian Highlands of inland Brazil. It is an ancient erosional plateau that occupies much of central Mato Grosso state and extends from the border of Gois state westward to the Serra dos Parecis, which lies near the Bolivian border. In the south it gives way to floodplains called the Pantanal; this arca consists of often-inundated but rich grazing lands that make up a basin of the upper Paraguay and Cuiab rivers. The Mato Grosso Plateau, with an average elevation of approximately 2,000 feet (600 m) above sea level, forms the divide between the Amazon River basin to the north and the Paraguay River basin to the south. The plateau is covered with a mixture of savanna grasslands and woodland. The area was explored and partially settled by 17th-century miners, who combed the region in search of gold, diamonds, and other minerals. Although mining is still important in portions of the Mato Grosso Plateau, the primary economic activity is cattle raising. The transportation network is poorly developed, although there are a few highways. Cuiab, the state capital of Mato Grosso, is the principal urban centre.