Manaus, Brazil
The city of Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is located in between the rivers of Negro and Solimoes and is the most populous city in Amazonas, according to statistics from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Manaus is also a very popular ecotourism destination. Manaus is situated in northern region of Brazil, almost two thousand kilometers from the federal capital of Brasilia, and belongs to the mesoregion of Center Amazonense and the microregion of Manaus.
In 1669 the city was founded as the Fort of Sao Jose do Rio Negro. In 1832 I became a town and was given the name Manaus which means “mother of the gods”. The name was a tribute to the indigenous nation of Manaos. Manaus was legally made a city on October 24, 1848, and was given the official name of Cidade da Barra do Rio Negro which is Portuguese for “The City of the Margins of Black River.” Finally, on September 4, 1858, it reverted to its current name of Manaus.
Manaus was a prominent city at the beginning of the century which was the golden era of rubber. At that time it was known as the Heart of the Amazon and the City of the Forest. Today, its main economic engine is the Industrial Pool of Manaus.
Manaus is the second largest metropolitan area in Northern Brazil and the twelfth largest in all of Brazil. It has over two million inhabitants, and the population in 2008 was 1.7 million people, making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. In recent years Manaus has been contributing to Brazil’s gross domestic product and has risen to account for nearly one and a half percent of the country’s economy. It is considered one of the twelve most influential cities in Brazil. Manaus represents eleven percent of Northern Brazil’s population and fifty percent of the Amazon’s population.
There are many interesting sights to see for visitors to Manaus. One such sight is the Amazon Theater which has over seven hundred seats and was constructed with bricks, glass, and marble from all over Europe. Important opera and theater companies perform there. Ponta Negra beach is one of Manaus’s most important attractions. It offers beach volleyball courts, a playground, a cycle way, a medical center, and a large sidewalk with restaurants, bars, and snack bars.
There are many public swimming areas on beaches and in rivers that draw many visitors each year, as well as private swimming clubs that can also be visited. The meeting of the rivers is another fascinating natural phenomenon worth seeing. For over six kilometers, the rivers run side by side without mixing, Negro river’s dark water along side Solimoes River’s muddy brown water. Together they form the Amazonas River. There is also a science grove and zoo that are open to the public. The zoo is managed by the Brazilian Army and has over three hundred species of Amazonia animals on display. There are also many beaches and waterfalls that are quite beautiful and well worth seeing.