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Pará

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Pará is a huge state in northern Brazil.

Acapalms
Acapalms

It is the second-largest state in the country, sitting just behind Amazonas in size. The famous Amazon River flows through the state. To the northeast, Pará meets the Atlantic Ocean. It shares borders with many other Brazilian states like Amazonas and Maranhão. To the northwest, it sits near the countries of Guyana and Suriname. The state is a very important part of the North Region. It is home to over 8.6 million people.

Valdecaes
Valdecaes

The land in Pará is mostly covered by the Amazon rainforest. This forest is one of the most special places on Earth. It holds a huge amount of biodiversity, which means many different kinds of living things live there. In fact, more than one-third of all species in the world live in the Amazon.

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

The weather stays hot all year round. Most of the state has a tropical climate. This means it is very humid and often rains a lot.

Pará Köppen
Pará Köppen

The wettest months are usually between February and April.

People have lived in this region for a very long time. Long before Europeans arrived, groups of people lived near the Santarém region. Archaeologists have found proof of humans living there since 3000 BC. About 3,500 years ago, the Marajó people lived in farmers' huts. They were very skilled at making ceramics and using natural medicines.

Assurini 1634a
Assurini 1634a

Their culture reached its height between the years 500 and 1300. Today, you can still see their influence in Marajoara-style pottery.

European explorers arrived in the area a few hundred years ago. The Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón saw the mouth of the Amazon in 1500. Later, the Portuguese helped build the state. They founded the Fort of the Nativity in 1616. This fort helped the city of Belém grow into a major center. Belém is the capital and the largest city in Pará. It sits near the Marajó bay.

Mangal das Garcas
Mangal das Garcas

In the 1800s, a large revolt called the Cabanagem took place. This was a struggle led by poor people living in mud huts.

Cabanagem Belém 1835
Cabanagem Belém 1835

Today, Pará is known for many different things. The state produces many foods like cocoa, pineapple, and açaí.

Acapalms
Acapalms

People also collect rubber from trees and grow soy in Santarém. The land provides important minerals too, such as iron ore and bauxite.

Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), inside Brazilian Saracá-Taquera National Forest, Pará
Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), inside Brazilian Saracá-Taquera National Forest, Pará

Many different groups of people live here, including immigrants from Japan. Japanese farmers helped bring new crops like black pepper to the region. Every October, tens of thousands of people visit Belém for a big religious event called Círio de Nazaré.

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🖼️ Images & Media (10)
File:Cabanagem Belém 1835.jpg
Cabanagem Belém 1835.jpg
File:Pará Köppen.svg
Pará Köppen.svg
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Pará, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Assurini 1634a.JPG
Assurini 1634a.JPG
File:Mangal das Garcas.jpg
Mangal das Garcas.jpg
File:Castanheira 1.jpg
Castanheira 1.jpg
File:Acapalms.jpg
Acapalms.jpg
File:Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), inside Brazilian Saracá-Taquera National Forest, Pará.jpg
Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), inside...
File:Valdecaes.JPG
Valdecaes.JPG
File:Mangueirão cheio.jpg
Mangueirão cheio.jpg
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