The region is characterized by low mountains, hilly uplands, and tabular plateaus. In the north the plateau slopes gently down to the seacoast, but in the east it drops down abruptly, sometimes as much as 2,600 feet (800 meters). At its southern edge is Pico da Bandeira, which is one of Brazil's highest points—9,482 feet (2,890 meters). Where the São Francisco River cuts deeply into the plateau, the vegetation is so greatly diversified that it includes hardwoods and upland meadows as well as areas of deciduous woodland and savanna.

The Brazilian Highlands may be divided into five areas—the northeast, the eastern coastlands, and the eastern, western, and southern highlands. In the northeast the people are very poor, and the frequent droughts create problems of famine and infertile soil. Along the eastern coastlands several crops are grown successfully, including tobacco, sugarcane, cacao, and coconuts. Among the national parks located in this area are Serra dos Órgãos, Caparaó, and Itatiaia. Important cities are Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte. The eastern highlands, where half of the world's coffee is harvested, has moved toward industrialization. Large sections of the western highlands are unoccupied, whereas the southern highlands consist mostly of small farms.

Geologically, the Brazilian Highlands have some of the oldest rock formations on the Earth. The area also has extremely rich deposits of iron ore and manganese. (See also Belo Horizonte; Rio de Janeiro; São Paulo; South America.)