The article provides a synthesis of the main issues of debate on regional inbalances in Brazil. Throughout the paper, but especially on its first section the author refutes the basic arguments that have been held to demonstrate that "paulist imperialism" and the southern region of Brazil has grown at the expense of the rest of the country. The second section provides a summary review of the historic origins of the regional inbalances in Brazil, through the analysis of the trends of production of different sectors and the behavior of the national and world economy. It covers the period between mid XIX century and the decade of 1930's. In a third section an attempt is mades to analyse the process of regional integration that undergoes the country as a consequence of the world crisis of 1929 and the subsequent problems of foreign trade. Three effects are considered: a) of stimulation; b) inhibition and c) destruction of regional activities, as a consequence of the competitive effects of regional integration. The author provides statical evidence that demonstrate that industry and agriculture grew at satisfactory rates during the last fifty years in almost all regions in Brazil, but these were not enough to overcome the existing problems of poverty and unemployment.