Luis Eduardo Magalhães, Brazil

This fast-growing agribusiness hub in western Bahia is not for the faint of heart. With a population of just 87,519, the town has exploded from a mere gas station in the 1990s to Brazil's largest soy processing plant and a major John Deere dealership. The region's rapid development has attracted farmers and agricultural companies from around the world, driving up land prices and earning the ire of some locals. And while the Highland Tropical climate brings plentiful rainfall, the bureaucracy around creating new municipalities here is a persistent headache. If you're a deep-pocketed international farmer seeking fertile, flat land and a booming economy, Luis Eduardo Magalhães may be your promised land. Otherwise, this is not the Brazil most tourists imagine.