The metropolises of the interior of northeastern Brazil: characterizing a regional metropolitan type

Abstract The objective of this work is to present how configurational properties support the constitution of what is called Metropolitan Regions in the Interior of Northeastern Brazil (RMINEs), in an attempt to characterize a regional metropolitan type. In recent decades, urbanization has grown in medium-sized cities and perimetropolitan fringes, converting these territories into poles of attraction of internal and inter-regional migrations. The study covers RMINEs with more than 500,000 inhabitants and signs of physical conurbation. These areas are characterized by their intermediary stage of metropolization in relation to large national metropolises, bringing together equipment, services and jobs that serve a regional scale and, therefore, represent a socioeconomic and functional dominance of these cities over their hinterland regions.