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Roraima

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Roraima is a state in the north of Brazil.

Brazil Roraima relief map
Brazil Roraima relief map

It is the northernmost state in the country. This state sits near the countries of Venezuela and Guyana.

Rio Branco sul
Rio Branco sul

It also shares borders with the Brazilian states of Pará and Amazonas. Roraima is a very large place. It is slightly larger than the country of Belarus. It is the fourteenth largest state in Brazil. The capital city is Boa Vista.

Centro cívico de Boa Vista
Centro cívico de Boa Vista

This is the only capital in Brazil located in the Northern Hemisphere.

The land in Roraima has many different shapes. Most of the state is quite flat. About 60% of the land is below 200 metres.

Savanas de Roraima
Savanas de Roraima

However, there are also many high places. The Pacaraima Mountains are in the north. Mount Roraima is the highest point in the state. It reaches an altitude of 2,810 metres.

Parque Nacional do Viruá, Roraima (1)
Parque Nacional do Viruá, Roraima (1)

The state also has many protected areas. Almost half of the land is for indigenous people. About 46.37% of the territory is indigenous land.

The history of Roraima is tied to the Branco River.

Povoado de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Roraima)
Povoado de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Roraima)

Early Portuguese settlers used this river to reach the region. Other groups like the English and Dutch also wanted this land. They came through the Guiana Shield to find people to enslave. The Spaniards also tried to invade the Branco and Uraricoera rivers. The Portuguese fought to keep control of the area. In 1755, the Royal Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro was created.

Cavalos selvagens de Roraima
Cavalos selvagens de Roraima

Later, the area became a federal territory before becoming a state.

Roraima has a small number of people living in it. In 2020, there were about 631,181 inhabitants. It has the lowest population density in all of Brazil. This means there are only about 2.01 people for every square kilometre.

Roraima DensidadePopulacional
Roraima DensidadePopulacional

The economy is growing, but it is the smallest in Brazil. The state's GDP is R$ 16.024 billion. This is only 0.20% of the whole Brazilian economy. Recently, many people have moved there from Venezuela. About 100,000 Venezuelan refugees live in the state now.

The name Roraima comes from the Pemon language. It has three possible meanings. One meaning is "Green Peak." This comes from the words for green and mountain.

Pedra pintada frente
Pedra pintada frente

Another meaning is "Mother of the Winds." This might be because the area is very windy. A third meaning is "Cashew Mountain." This refers to the many hills in the region. The name helps us understand the natural world there. It connects the people to the mountains and the wind.

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🖼️ Images & Media (21)
File:Boa Vista antiga 1.jpg
Boa Vista antiga 1.jpg
File:Povoado de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Roraima).jpg
Povoado de Nossa Senhora da Conceição...
File:Centro cívico de Boa Vista.jpg
Centro cívico de Boa Vista.jpg
File:Brazil Roraima relief map.jpg
Brazil Roraima relief map.jpg
File:Roraima Köppen.svg
Roraima Köppen.svg
File:Rio Branco sul.JPG
Rio Branco sul.JPG
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Roraima, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Cavalos selvagens de Roraima.jpg
Cavalos selvagens de Roraima.jpg
File:Parque Nacional do Viruá, Roraima (1).jpg
Parque Nacional do Viruá, Roraima (1).jpg
File:Savanas de Roraima.jpg
Savanas de Roraima.jpg
File:Imagem de satélite de Boa Vista, Roraima em 2017.jpg
Imagem de satélite de Boa Vista, Roraima...
File:Roraima DensidadePopulacional.svg
Roraima DensidadePopulacional.svg

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