More than a simple monograph, the authors present a comprehensive geomorphic overview of a large tropical region where they show how deciphering the long-term landform evolution helps understanding the present set of landscapes and morphodynamic environments. The Equatorial margin of the Brazilian “Nordeste� displays stratigraphic landmarks whose interpretation reveals the age and nature of landforms, leading to a reconstruction of the geomorphic history by the means of combined morphostratigraphic and morphopedological approaches. Beyond the role of differential erosion related to moderate post-oceanic opening uplift, the plain and upland landscape reflects a juxtaposition of landform and soil generations related to a shallow basin inversion, the last stages of which occurred in semi-arid conditions since the Oligocene. These results throw light on old debates on models of long-term landform development in platform areas, and also help evaluating recent models of denudation and burial based on thermochronological methods.