Agreste - Agureste

...The development of independent small farmers was delayed, and only a small class of freed slaves and mixed race people, who were highly dependent on large plantations, formed. The inland areas were developed as a supply source of food and raw materials for the sugar regions, with livestock farming in the semi-arid Sertão at the very back, and grain and other food production and cotton cultivation in Agreste, located in the middle and with a somewhat rainy season. After the 18th century, it stagnated due to being overwhelmed by sugar from the Caribbean region, and gradually changed into a labor exporting region. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Agreste" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…独立自営の小農層の発達は遅れ，大農場への依存度の高い解放奴隷，混血層を主とした階層がわずかに形成された。　内陸地帯は砂糖地帯への食糧･原料補給地として開発され，最奥の半乾燥地帯セルトンでは牧畜業が，中間に位置し，やや雨の多い季節をもつアグレステでは穀物などの食糧生産，ワタ栽培などが行われる。18世紀以降はカリブ海地域の砂糖に圧倒されて停滞し，しだいに労働力輸出地帯に変わった。…

※「アグレステ」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報