World Trade and Communications as Crucial Links in the Development Chain: Road Construction in Brazil

If the poorer countries of the world are to earn the money they need to improve the lives of their peoples significantly, they must find markets not just for their raw materials but for their manufactured goods as well. Adequate systems of transport and communications are therefore vital, not just for the movement of goods but also of people. Tourism has in fact become a key factor in the economic development of many countries. Its social as well as economic value on both the domestic and international levels is growing every year.

Workers paving a new section of Route 324 near Salvador. The rapid growth of road traffic has necessitated the development and upgrading of the road system in Brazil. The government has also emphasized the need for transport to open up new lands and to move agricultural products and raw materials from the interior to coastal areas and ports for export. To meet these growing needs the Department of National Highways of the Brazilian Government has undertaken several road construction projects with financial help from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

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