Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Mato Grosso

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Mato Grosso is a huge state in the central-west part of Brazil.

It is the third largest state in the country by area. The state covers 903,357 square kilometers of land. This makes it about 82.2% the size of Bolivia. It sits near several other Brazilian states. These neighbors include Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás, and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Mato Grosso - BR-174 (sinalização) (8102611909)
Mato Grosso - BR-174 (sinalização) (8102611909)

The land is very varied and interesting to see.

Nature in this state comes in three main types. These are called ecosystems. The first is the Amazon rainforest in the northwest.

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

The second is the Cerrado. The third is the Pantanal, which is the largest wetland in the world. In the Pantanal, the Paraguay River flows from north to south. Many other rivers like the Cuiabá flow into it. From October to April, high waters create huge lakes and bays.

This area is home to nearly one thousand animal species.

People have lived in this region for a very long time. The Bororo Indians live in the Mato Grosso area. In the late 1800s, soldiers even patrolled near the capital city, Cuiabá.

The state changed its borders in 1903 through a treaty with Bolivia. In 1977, the state was split in two. This created the new state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Explorers also visited the jungles in the early 1900s. One famous man, Captain Percy Fawcett, went looking for a lost city called Z.

Today, many people live and work in Mato Grosso. About 3.4 million people lived there in 2018.

UFMT - panoramio (3)
UFMT - panoramio (3)

Many people make a living from the land. Agriculture is the biggest part of the economy. The state grows a lot of soybeans and cotton.

SojaBrasnorte
SojaBrasnorte

It is also the leader in Brazil for maize and sunflower production. Farmers also raise many cattle here.

Tocando a Boiada
Tocando a Boiada

In 2009, the cattle herd reached 30 million animals. The state also finds gold and diamonds in the ground.

Visitors can find many beautiful things to do in the state. They can visit the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park.

CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES - MIRANTE
CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES - MIRANTE

This park has sandstone mountains, caves, and waterfalls. There is also a park called Lagoa Azul with a bright blue pool.

People also travel to the Pantanal to see birds and fish. The fishing industry is very important for the local people.

BR 163 Cuiabá-Rondonópolis duplicada
BR 163 Cuiabá-Rondonópolis duplicada

Even the state flag tells a story. The yellow star on the flag stands for the gold found by early settlers.

Bandeira de Mato Grosso
Bandeira de Mato Grosso
401 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES - MIRANTE.JPG
CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES - MIRANTE.JPG
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Mato Grosso, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Cuiabá center.jpg
Cuiabá center.jpg
File:UFMT - panoramio (3).jpg
UFMT - panoramio (3).jpg
File:SojaBrasnorte.jpg
SojaBrasnorte.jpg
File:Tocando a Boiada.jpg
Tocando a Boiada.jpg
File:Amaggi_sede.jpg
Amaggi_sede.jpg
File:BR 163 Cuiabá-Rondonópolis duplicada.jpg
BR 163 Cuiabá-Rondonópolis duplicada.jpg
File:Mato Grosso - BR-174 (sinalização) (8102611909).jpg
Mato Grosso - BR-174 (sinalização)...
File:Cuiaba airport 3.jpg
Cuiaba airport 3.jpg
File:Bandeira de Mato Grosso.svg
Bandeira de Mato Grosso.svg
File:Cidade Alta, Cuiabá - MT, Brazil - panoramio (3).jpg
Cidade Alta, Cuiabá - MT, Brazil -...
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.