Trindade and Martim Vaz:

Brazilian protection and projection in the South Atlantic

Abstract

Brazil's history reveals a strong connection with the sea, essential to its development since the colonial period, something that becomes even more relevant today. In the geopolitical field, authors such as Therezinha de Castro and Golbery do Couto e Silva have highlighted the strategic importance of the South Atlantic, influencing contemporary Brazilian strategic thinking. Their contributions help shape the concept of the Strategic Environment, a priority area of attention and influence in Brazil, consolidated in national defense documents. Aiming to strengthen the defense of the coastal zone, the Blue Amazon, and expand international projection, this article analyzes the strategic potential of the Trindade and Martim Vaz archipelago for the consolidation of Brazilian maritime, strategic, and economic power. It proposes a geopolitical classification of the Brazilian islands, based on classical and contemporary theories, which defines two strategic zones with Trindade and Martim Vaz as their center: the Buffer Zone, focused on the security of the Blue Amazon and the continental territory, and the Trampoline Zone, which boosts the Brazilian presence in the South Atlantic, West Africa and Antarctica.