We report heat flow measurements from 84 boreholes and one underground mine at 19 widely spaced sites in eastern and central parts of Brazil. Three sites in the stable S¿o Francisco Craton comprising rocks with Transamazonic ages (2600--1800 Ma) or older present an average heat flow of 42¿5 (sem (standard error of the mean)) mW m*u-2, eight sites located in the Late Precambrian Braziliane metamorphic belt have an average heat of 55¿4 (sem) mW m-2, and three sites in the Paran¿ basin, locus of Late Jurassic--Early Cretaceous basaltic volcanicity, have a mean heat flow of 68¿6 (sem) mw m-2. Heat flow results from the Late Cretaceous--Early Tertiary alkalic intrusion of Po¿os de Caldas have yielded a site mean of 55 mW m-2, comparable to results obtained from the Braziliane belt into which the alkalic plug has intruded. Four other sites yielded results of lesser quality and are not included in the above means. The age-grouped means shows a systematic decrease of heat flow with increasing time since the last tectonothermal event, in agreement with global data for terrains of similar age elsewhere. Heat production measurements of aggregate samples reflect the variability of the rock types. ranging from the ultramafics with characteristic low heat generation (20 μW m-3). Radio isotope concentrations of the surface rocks at several sites are thought not to be representative of the crustal distribution. A best fitting line to four acceptable heat flow-heat production pairs from metamorphic terrains of the Brazilian Coastal Shield tentatively defines a heat flow province with a reduced heat flow of 28¿7 mW m-2 and a slope (depth distribution parameter) of 13¿2 km. both within the range found in other shield areas, although the slope of 13 km is among the largest reported for heat flow provinces. Thus the Brazilian shield is characterized by surface and reduced heat flow not unlike other shields, but its heat production appeas to be less concentrated near the surface and distributed over a greater depth.