Dr. Brannstrom plans to lead TAMU undergraduates on a Study Abroad during Summer 2008 (Second Summer Session) to Brazil. Two courses will be taught: Geog. 450 (Field Geography; 3 credit hours) and Geog. 489 (Geography of Brazil; 3 credit hours). The two proposed courses will be taught together as a coherent program of field research methods and in-depth understanding of Brazil’s environmental, economic, and cultural geography.

The itinerary offers several sites that illustrate the key issues in both couses. The program begins in Salvador, Brazil’s colonial economic center, now a major metropolis (population 2.4 million) with serious urban environmental problems, such as squatter housing and sanitation. From Salvador, we travel north to Praia do Forte, where we meet with non-governmental organizations and state officials regarding disputes between hotel development and turtle nesting conservation. After Salvador, we will visit Lençóis (425 km west of Salvador), a former colonial-era diamond-mining center has radically changed in the past 20 years to become a popular ecotourism destination. Next, we will visit Juazeiro (population 174,100; 510 km northwest of Salvador), a leading center for production of export-quality fresh fruit on the banks, situated within a semi-arid Caatinga region, known for recurring drought and extreme poverty, on the banks of the São Francisco River. Nearby is the massive Sobradinho hydroelectric dam. We then travel to Barreiras (population 110,000; 900 km west of Salvador), where we visit farms producing soybeans, cotton, and irrigated coffee, and meet with municipal officials. Finally, we travel to the national capital, Brasília, where we tour the planned modernist architecture, visit the sprawling satellite communities, and prepare for return to the U.S.

	Beach in Salvador, Brazil.		Study Abroad student observing satellite imagery during field work in western Bahia state, Brazil.
	Study Abroad students near Lençóis, Brazil.		Turtle conservation sign in Praia do Forte, Brazil.
	Study Abroad students after eating grilled goat in Petrolina, Brazil.		Study Abroad students before 10-km field trip to observe beach trash, turtle nesting, and hotel development in coastal Bahina state, Brazil.
	Brannstrom delivering post-field-trip lecture in Praia do Forte, Brazil.		Lower-middle-class district in Salvador, Brazil.
	Waterfall in Lençóis, Brazil.		Study Abroad students conducting field work in western Bahia state, Brazil.