Roraima: Brazil’s Northernmost Border and Solar Frontier

Roraima is often seen as distant and peripheral, but that perception is changing fast.

It is Brazil’s only state entirely north of the Equator, bordering Venezuela and Guyana, and closer to the Caribbean than to São Paulo.
In recent years, Roraima has emerged as a critical frontier for energy transition, border security, indigenous policy, and environmental diplomacy.

With an area of 224,299 km², Roraima is:

• Larger than Romania, Laos or Great Britain

• Mostly composed of savanna (lavrado), forest, and protected territories

• Home to one of the highest solar incidence levels in the Americas

• A candidate for becoming Brazil’s first 100% renewable energy state

⚡ Energy and Geography

• Roraima is not connected to the national energy grid, it relies on isolated systems

• Suffered from frequent energy crises due to dependence on power from Venezuela (now suspended)

• Now investing in solar farms, microgrids, and battery storage with international support

• High potential for clean energy exports, border connectivity, and cross-border cooperation with the Guianas

📏 Comparative Area

Region Area (km²)

Roraima (BR) 224,299

Romania 238,397

Great Britain 209,331

Laos 236,800

Ghana 238,533

Guyana 214,969

🛡️ Strategic Role

• Contains indigenous reserves with high visibility in international courts (e.g., Yanomami territory)

• Border region with significant migration and humanitarian flows

• Emerging zone for climate adaptation pilot projects, eco-tourism, and biodiversity research

• Target of foreign cooperation in sustainable development, border integration and green energy

🧠 Why It Matters

Roraima is not a forgotten border it is a solar frontier, a diplomatic node, and a clean energy laboratory.
Its geography connects Brazil to the Caribbean arc, and its isolation forces innovation in autonomy, energy, and infrastructure.

At Latitude3, we look where borders become bridges and where isolation reveals opportunity.

📌 Part of the series Continental Brazil
Next: “Bahia: A State Larger Than France and Twice as Complex