Lago da Pedra, Brazil

With a population of just under 47,000, Lago da Pedra is a small municipality in Brazil's northeastern Maranhão state. The urban plan, characterized by steep hills and valleys surrounding a large lake, reflects the town's haphazard development since its founding in 1953. While the region's weather and soil conditions may have once supported subsistence farming, today's residents face a persistent bureaucratic headache navigating the area's unplanned growth and environmental waste issues. This remote, sparsely populated corner of Brazil offers little to draw in newcomers beyond its natural lakeside setting - Lago da Pedra is best suited for those seeking a simple, isolated life close to the land.