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Amazonas (Brazilian state)

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Amazonas is a massive state located in the north-western corner of Brazil.

Mapa do Estado do Amazonas
Mapa do Estado do Amazonas

It is the largest state in the entire country. In fact, it is the ninth-largest country subdivision in the whole world. It covers 1,570,745.7 square kilometers of land. This area is larger than the countries of Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay combined.

1562 Diego Gutierrez Amazonas
1562 Diego Gutierrez Amazonas

The state sits near several other nations. It shares borders with Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. It also touches many other Brazilian states like Roraima and Pará.

Most of the land is covered by a thick tropical jungle.

Amazonas Köppen
Amazonas Köppen

Because of the heavy trees, many cities are built along waterways. People often travel only by boat or by plane to reach them. The capital city is Manaus, which is a very large, modern city.

Vista Parcial de Manaus
Vista Parcial de Manaus

It has about 2.1 million people living there. Manaus sits right in the middle of the jungle. It is 1,500 km upstream from the Atlantic Ocean.

Encontro das Águas - Manaus
Encontro das Águas - Manaus

Other large cities like Parintins and Coari also sit along the river.

The name Amazonas comes from the great Amazon River.

Francisco de Orellana1
Francisco de Orellana1

A Spanish explorer named Francisco de Orellana traveled the river in 1541. He said he fought a tribe of native women. He thought they were like the Amazons from Greek myths. Because of this, he named the river Río de las Amazonas. Long ago, the land was part of the Spanish Empire. Later, Portuguese settlers moved in from the east.

Barcelos Amazonas
Barcelos Amazonas

The region officially became a state in 1889.

The landscape has changed a lot over millions of years.

Anavilhanas2
Anavilhanas2

Long ago, the Amazon River actually flowed toward the west. When the Andes mountains formed, the water was blocked. This created a huge inland sea and a massive freshwater lake.

Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Amazonas, 2001-2024
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Amazonas, 2001-2024

Many stingrays today are related to sea creatures from the Pacific. Eventually, the water found a new path to the east. This change helped the great Amazon rainforest begin to grow. The forest has changed many times during different Ice Ages.

Many different people have called this region home.

Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira
Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira

Long before explorers arrived, many native tribes lived here. They were skilled at fishing and hunting. In the sixteenth century, there were about two thousand different tribes. By the end of the twentieth century, there were about two hundred tribes left.

Teatro amazonas
Teatro amazonas

Some groups of people still live in the region today without any contact with the outside world. The state remains a place of great variety and history.

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🖼️ Images & Media (19)
File:Bandeira do Amazonas.svg
Bandeira do Amazonas.svg
File:1562 Diego Gutierrez Amazonas.jpg
1562 Diego Gutierrez Amazonas.jpg
File:Francisco de Orellana1.JPG
Francisco de Orellana1.JPG
File:Barcelos Amazonas.jpg
Barcelos Amazonas.jpg
File:Photo allemã Manaos 1904-05.jpg
Photo allemã Manaos 1904-05.jpg
File:Estado do Amazonas 1906.jpg
Estado do Amazonas 1906.jpg
Praça 15 de novembro, Manaus (AM).tif
Mapa do Estado do Amazonas.tif
File:Amazonas Köppen.svg
Amazonas Köppen.svg
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Amazonas, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Vista Parcial de Manaus.jpg
Vista Parcial de Manaus.jpg
File:Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira.jpg
Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira.jpg

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