Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PARÁ & AMAPÁ
T he states of Pará and Amapá in the eastern Amazon are the
gateway to the world's largest river basin. In many ways, they
are different from one another. Pará covers an enormous
surface area, and has benefited from the natural wealth of the
Amazon rainforest. Much smaller than Pará, Amapá is relatively
poor. Both states rely on the mineral extraction industry.
It is the Amazon river itself
that brings most visitors to
this part of Brazil. Pará
stretches west as far as the
straits of Óbidos, where the river
suddenly becomes narrow. This
happens due to a geological meet-
ing of the Guyana Shield from the
north and the Brazilian Shield from
the south. North of the Amazon,
Amapá occupies an isolated region,
stretching from the Amazon delta all
the way to the borders of French
Guyana and Suriname.
Pará has many places of cultural
and ecological interest. The capital
city, Belém, has been a vital Atlantic
port since the colonial era, and still
boasts many extravagant period build-
ings. Santarém, another sizeable city,
is a busy and attractive river port
replete with fascinating beaches. The
massive island, Ilha de Marajó, which
has vast areas of mangrove swamps,
some splendid beaches, and a
scattering of resorts, is
located in the heart of the
Amazon river delta.
Pará is also known for
large modern iron ore mines,
such as Grande Carajás and the
older gold mine of Serra Pelada,
once infamous for the vast scale of
human labor used for extraction. In
southern Pará, the rainforest trans-
forms into caatinga , a scrubby
savanna landscape.
Once exploited for its natural
resources, Amapá is now making
concerted efforts towards sustainable
development. More than half of
the state is under environmental
protection. Macapá, the state capital
of Amapá, lies on the equator. The
English, Dutch, and French clamored
for a base in this part of Amazon,
before the Portuguese settled at
Macapá in 1738.
Fishing boats moored at the old harbor near Ver o Peso market, Belém
A view of the magnificent interior of Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Nazaré, Belém
 
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