Manaus

Manaus
Metropolis
Município de Manaus Municipality of Manaus
Skyline with the Arena da Amazônia Amazon Theatre Port of Manaus Church of Saint Sebastian Rio Negro Bridge Municipal Clock Tower Adrianópolis Ponta Negra
UTC−4 (AMT)
Postal code	69000-001 to 69099-999 and 69400-000 to 69899-999
Area code	+55 (92)
HDI (2010)	0.737 – high[3]
Website	www.manaus.am.gov.br

Manaus (Portuguese:

The city was founded in 1669 as the Fort of São José do Rio Negro. It was elevated to a town in 1832 with the name of "Manaus", an altered spelling of the indigenous Manaós peoples, and legally transformed into a city on October 24, 1848, with the name of Cidade da Barra do Rio Negro, Portuguese for "The City of the Margins of the Black River". On September 4, 1856, it returned to its original name.^[4]

Manaus is located in the center of the

The name Manaus comes from the native people called Manaós, which means Mother of the Gods.[10]

History

Bust of Francisco de Orellana, the Spaniard who sailed the Amazon River in 1542

Prospectus of the Rio Negro Fortress, founded in 1669

Early settlement of Manaus

The history of the European colonization of Manaus began in 1499 with the Spanish arrival at the mouth of the Amazon River. The Spanish then continued to colonize the region north of Brazil. Development continued in 1668–1669 with the building of the Fort of São José da Barra do Rio Negro by the Portuguese in order to ensure its predominance in the region, especially against the Dutch, at that time headquartered in what is today Suriname. The fort was constructed in rock and clay, with four cannons guarding the curtains.^[11] It continued to function for more than 100 years. Next to the fort there were many indigenous mestizos, who helped in its construction and began to live in the vicinity.^[11]

The population grew so much that, in 1695, the missionaries (

Metropolitan Cathedral, c. 1890

Eduardo Ribeiro Avenue, c. 1901.

Amazon Theatre, 1906

Public Market, 1906

The Cabanagem was the revolt in which blacks, Native Americans, and mestizos fought against the white political elite and took power in 1835. The Cabanagem reduced the population of the then state of Grão-Pará from about 100,000 to 60,000.^[14] The involvement of rebels from the Upper Amazon (Manaus today) in what was originally a movement based in Belém was crucial for the birth of the current state of the Amazon. During the brief period of revolution, the Cabanos of the Upper Amazon, bands of rebels, roamed throughout the region, occupying Manaus twice, and, in most settlements, their arrival was greeted by the non-white population spontaneously joining their ranks, leading to a greater number of adherents to the movement. With that there was an integration of people in the region thus forming the state.^[15]

Rubber boom

Manaus was at the center of the Amazon region's

When the seeds of the rubber tree were smuggled out of the Amazon region to be cultivated on plantations in Southeast Asia,[Note 1] Brazil and Peru lost their monopoly on the product. The rubber boom ended abruptly, many people left its major cities, and Manaus fell into poverty. The rubber boom had made possible electrification of the city before it was installed in many European cities, but the end of the rubber boom made the generators too expensive to run. The city was not able to generate electricity again for years.^[19]

Free zone

In the 1960s during the establishment of the military dictatorship in Brazil, the newly installed government concerned about the "demographic gap in Brazil", began to introduce numerous projects in the interior of the country, especially in the Amazon region, with the introduction of the Manaus free trade zone in 1967,^[20] and with the opening of new roads within the region, the city had a wide period of investments in financial and economic capital, both national and international, attracted by the tax incentives granted by the free zone, in this period, Manaus had enormous demographic growth becoming one of the most populous cities in Brazil.^[21]

Recent events

Manaus was one of the host cities of the

The largest city in northern Brazil, Manaus occupies an area of 11,401 square kilometres (4,402 sq mi), with a density of 158.06 inhabitants per square kilometre (409.4/sq mi). It is the neighboring city of Presidente Figueiredo, Careiro, Iranduba, Rio Preto da Eva, Itacoatiara, and Novo Airão.

Vegetation

Manaus is located in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. Wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species-rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia.^[31] As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. More than one-third of all species in the world live in the Amazon rainforest.^[32]

Green areas

Despite being located in the Amazon, Manaus is densely developed and has few green areas in the city. The largest green areas are:

• Mindu Park, located in the center-south of the city, the district Park 10. The Park of Mindú, established in 1989, is one of the largest and most visited parks in the city.
• Bilhares Park, established in 2005, located in the south-central region of Manaus, in the neighborhood of Planalto [pt] ("plateau").
• Area of the green hill of Aleixo, created in the 1980s, located in the east of the city and is one of the largest urban green areas.
• Sumaúma State Park, a state park located in the north of Manaus, in the New Town district. It is the smallest state park of the Brazilian Amazon Basin.
• Castanheiras Pied Tamarin Wildlife Refuge, a 95 hectares (230 acres) refuge created in 1982 to protect a population of endangered pied tamarins.
• Adolfo Ducke Forest Reserve, a biological reserve established in 1963, and covers an area of 100 square kilometres (10,000 hectares, 39 square miles). The Reserve is managed by INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia—National Institute for Amazon Research).
• Part of the Anavilhanas National Park, a 350,018 hectares (864,910 acres) conservation unit that was originally an ecological station created in 1981.^[33]
• About 75% of the Rio Negro Left Bank Environmental Protection Area, a 611,008 hectares (1,509,830 acres) sustainable use conservation area created in 1995.^[34]
• The 11,930 hectares (29,500 acres) Tupé Sustainable Development Reserve, created in 2005, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the city.^[35]
• The 86,601 hectares (214,000 acres) Rio Negro State Park South Section, created in 1995, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) by boat to the northwest of the city.^[36]

Climate

Manaus has a humid

On November 26, 2009, a case of acid rain was recorded in Manaus. Air pollution, caused in large part by the accumulation of smoke from burning, associated with the carbon dioxide^{[dubious – discuss]} emitted by cars, was the cause of this phenomenon. Although the incidence of acid rain is common in some Brazilian capitals where there is a great concentration of cars, in Manaus and other cities of the Amazonas the situation is aggravated by the prolonged period of drought with the smoke from forest fires.^[40]

Hydrology

The urban area covers all or part of four river basins, all tributaries of the Rio Negro. The São Raimundo and Educandos streams are completely contained in the city. The Tarumã Açu forms the western boundary of the city in its lower reaches, and is fed by several tributaries that originate in the Ducke Reserve and run through the north and west of the city. The Puraquequara forms the east boundary of the urban area in its lower section.^[52]

Demographics

According to the IBGE in 2019, there were 2,182,763 people residing in the city, and 2,676,936 people in the Metropolitan Region of Manaus. The population density was 191.45 inhabitants per square kilometre (495.9/sq mi).

• Total population: 2,145,444 inhabitants (87% urban, 13% rural, 52.07% women and 47.93% men)
• Population density: 158.06 inhabitants per square kilometre (409.4/sq mi)

Manaus is the seventh largest city in

According to a 2013 genetic study, the ancestry of the inhabitants of Manaus is 45.9% European, 37.8% Native American, and 16.3% African.[54]

Religion

The city has been influenced by

The first

Manaus has the largest neighborhood in Latin America, the neighborhood of Cidade Nova, which has 264,449 inhabitants, but it is estimated that the population exceeds 300,000 inhabitants. Cidade Nova is larger than all the

The wealthiest neighborhood in Manaus is Adrianópolis, located in the Central-South Area of the city. Downtown Manaus is located in the Southern area of the city, next to Rio Negro River. After years of development, the historical center has been neglected by the authorities and it has become an area mostly for commerce and poor housing. There is a plan to restore the city centre to its former glory by removing beggars and irregular sellers from sidewalks and by doing that provide more safety for tourists and locals who are trying to walk in the historical areas of the city. All these plans were prompted by the 2014 World Cup.

Economy

Manaus is the sixth-largest economy in Brazil. According to

The mobile phone companies

Free Trade Zone

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The initial idea of a Free Trade Port in Manaus came from Deputy Francisco Pereira da Silva and was subsequently formalized by Law No. 3.173 on June 6, 1957. The project was approved by the National Congress on October 23, 1951, under No. 1.310 and regulated by Decree No. 47.757 on February 2, 1960. It was then amended by rapporteur Maurício Jopper, an engineer, who by agreement with the original author, justified the creation of a Free Trade Zone instead of a Free Trade Port.

For the first ten years, the ZFM (Manaus Free Trade Zone) was located in a warehouse rented from Manaus Harbour, in the Port of Manaus, and relied on federal funds. It was perhaps due to this lack of its own resources that there was little credibility in the project. On February 28, 1967, President Castelo Branco signed Decree-Law No. 288, which redefined the Manaus Free Trade Zone in more concrete terms. The new Decree-Law stipulated that the Manaus Free Trade Zone would have a radius of 10 km (6.2 mi) with an industrial center as well as an agricultural center and that these would be given the economic means to allow for regional development in order to lift the Amazon out of the economic isolation that it had fallen into at that time.

On August 28, 1967, the Manaus Free Trade Zone Authority, SUBFRAME, was created. SUBFRAME is an independent body with its own legal status and assets and has financial and administrative autonomy. Tax incentives and the subsequent complementary legislation created comparative advantages in the region with respect to other parts of the country and as a result the Manaus Free Trade Zone attracted new investment to the area. These incentives constituted tax exemptions administered federally by SUBFRAME and SUDAM.

Government and politics

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There is a prison, Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Complex.^[66]

Education, science and technology

Manaus has research centers, technology and public and private universities.

• Federal University of Amazonas—Universidade Federal do Amazonas;
• University of the State of Amazonas
  —Universidade do Estado do Amazonas;
• National Institute of Amazonian Research—Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia;
• Sidia Institute of Science and Technology—Sidia Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia;
• Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology—Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Amazonas;
• Centro Universitário do Norte—UNINORTE;
• Lutheran University of Brazil—Universidade Luterana do Brasil;
• Centro de Educação Integrada Martha Falcão;
• Unilasalle—Faculdade La Salle;
• Universidade Nilton Lins;
• Centro Universitário de Educação Superior do Amazonas—CIESA;
• Escola Superior Batista do Amazonas;
• Faculdade Boas Novas;
• Faculdade Metropolitana de Manaus;
• Universidade Paulista.

Transportation

Airports

Eduardo Gomes International Airport is the airport serving Manaus. The airport has two passenger terminals, one for scheduled flights and the other for regional aviation. It also has three cargo terminals.

Eduardo Gomes International Airport is Brazil's third largest in freight movement,

Manaus Air Force Base - ALA8, one of the most important bases of the Brazilian Air Force, is located in Manaus at the former Ponta Pelada Airport.

Apart from the Eduardo Gomes International Airport and Ponta Pelada Airport, Manaus still has an operational airstrip used by small propeller aircraft and helicopters about 6 kilometres (4 miles) north of the city centre, simply known as the "Aeroclube" ("airclub"). On Sundays, it is used for parachuting and where flying classes can be hired. Due to the fact that it is surrounded by residential areas, and has a recent history of crashes, it is under constant pressure to be moved.

Highways

There are two federal highways that intersect Manaus. There is a paved road heading North (BR-174) connecting Manaus to

Ships dock at the main port in Manaus directly downtown on the banks of the Negro River. The terraced city is home to a network of bridged channels that divide it into several compartments. Several

The 'special' taxi cars are typically black and of a higher quality than the white taxis, and will charge a fixed rate for all journeys or daily hire. Most can only be booked locally; however, the reputable Brazil Airport Transfers[69] has recently started providing airport transfer and general transportation services in Manaus.

Bus

The bus system in Manaus is quite extensive and there are buses and vans that go to most destinations, including the popular tourist destinations. There is a very simple bus website that permits the planning of routes.

Panorama of the Rio Negro Bridge, which connects the cities of Manaus and Iranduba. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Brazil, being 3,595 meters (11,794 ft) in length.

Events and holidays

The

Because of Manaus' location within the Amazon rainforest, it attracts a substantial number of Brazilian and foreign tourists, who come to see wildlife on land and in the rivers. It is also home to one of the most endangered primates in Brazil, the pied tamarin.

Tour boats leave Manaus to see the Meeting of the Waters, where the black waters of the Negro River meet the brown waters of the Solimoes River, flowing side by side without mixing for about 9 km (6 mi). Visitors can also explore river banks and "igarapes", swim and canoe in placid lakes, simply walk in the lush forest or stay at hotels in the jungle.

About 18 km (11 mi) from downtown is Ponta Negra beach, a neighbourhood that has a beachfront and popular nightlife area.^[72] A luxurious hotel is located at the west end of Ponta Negra; its zoo and orchid greenhouse as well as preserved woods and beach are open for public visits.

The Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, founded in 1882, is the city's oldest marketplace, trading in fruit, vegetables, and especially fish. It is a copy of the Les Halles market of Paris.^[73] Other interesting historical sites include the customs building, of mixed styles and medieval inspiration; the Rio Negro Palace cultural center; and the Justice Palace, right next to the Amazonas Opera House.

Manaus has also many large parks with native forest preservation areas, such as the Bosque da Ciência and Parque do Mindú. The largest urban forest in the world is located within the Federal University of Amazonas, which was founded on January 17, 1909, and is the oldest federal university in Brazil.

Manaus also has several Malls such as Manauara Shopping, Amazonas Shopping Center, Millennium Shopping, Shopping Ponta Negra, Studio 5 Festival Mall, Shopping Cidade Nova, Manaus Plaza Shopping, Shopping Sao José, and other small Shopping Areas. Most of these malls include large food courts and movie theaters.

Culture

The city's cultural calendar throughout the year includes the Opera, Theater, Jazz, and Cinema festivals, as well as Boi Manaus (usually held around Manaus' anniversary on the 24th of October), which is a great celebration of Northern Brazilian culture through Boi-Bumbá music.

Amazonas Opera House

The Amazonas Opera House, inaugurated in 1896, has 700 seats and was constructed with bricks brought from Europe, French glass, and Italian marble. Several important opera and theater companies, as well as international orchestras, have already performed there. The theater is home to the Amazonas Philharmonic orchestra which regularly rehearses and performs there along with choirs, jazz bands, dance performances, and more.^[74]

Parks

Ponta Negra Cultural, Sport, and Leisure Park

Ponta Negra beach, located 13 km (8.1 mi) from downtown Manaus, is one of the city's most important tourist attractions. It also has an

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden

The Adolpho Ducke

It is located in an

The Meeting of Waters (Portuguese: Encontro das Àguas) is a natural phenomenon caused by the confluence of the Rio Negro's dark water and the Solimões River's muddy brown water that come together to form the Amazonas River. For 6 km (3.7 mi) or more, both rivers' waters run side by side without mixing. The reason for this is not clear, although it is likely that the main factors are differences in the speed of the current, the volumes of water and the different densities of the two rivers. It is not thought that other differences between the two rivers (temperature and acidity) affect the mixing process significantly.^[77] The Negro River flows approximately 2 km/h (1.2 mph) at 28 °C (82 °F), while the Solimões River flows 4 to 6 km/h (2.5 to 3.7 mph) at 22 °C (72 °F).^[78]

CIGS Zoo

The zoo is open to the public. It is managed by the Brazilian Army and has approximately 300 species of animals from the Amazon fauna.^[79]

Beaches and waterfalls

For outings to beaches and parks situated near the city, it is often necessary to use boats. The beaches are formed right after the river water level starts dropping, which lasts from August to November. Starting in December, as the river rises, the waters invade the sand and the woods on the banks. The Paricatuba Waterfall, located on the right bank of the Negro River, along a small tributary, is formed by sedimentary rocks, surrounded by abundant vegetation. Access is by boat. The best time to visit is from August to February. Love Cascade located in the Guedes bayou, with cold and crystal clear water, is accessible only by boat and, then, hiking through the forest.

Tupé Beach is approximately 34 km (21 mi) from Manaus. This beach is well frequented by bathers on holidays and weekends. It is accessible only by boat. Moon Beach is located on the left bank of the Negro River, 23 km (14 mi) from Manaus. It is accessed only by boat. The beach is shaped like a crescent moon and is surrounded by rare vegetation. Lion Waterfall is located on km 34 of the AM-010 highway (Manaus-Itacoatiara).

Ponta Negra Beach in 2014.

Sports

Football

The most successful club in Manaus is Nacional Futebol Clube, founded on 13 January 1913. Formerly a participant of the highest division several times between 1970 and 1990, Nacional are 40-time state champions, which makes them the highest-ranked Amazonian football club in the CBF ranking, the national state championships record holder, and the state record holder for the most championship titles.

The city has quite a few other clubs with distinguished histories such as

Manaus Futebol Clube, founded in 2013, competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Manaus was chosen in 2009 to be a host city for the

Manaus was restructured in order to host such a big event. A new airport was built, streets throughout the city were repaved and new and improved sidewalks were built. The communications infrastructure of the city was improved with 4G networks installed by the biggest mobile phone carriers in Brazil.

The

The first 2014 World Cup match held in Manaus was England vs Italy on June 14. The second match was Cameroon vs Croatia on June 18, to be followed by USA vs Portugal on June 22. The last was Honduras vs Switzerland on June 25. Manaus, known for its intense heat and humidity, was the site of the World Cup's first-ever official water break on June 22 in the match between Portugal and the United States.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Manaus is the origin of several world-champion

.

International relations

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Twin towns – sister cities

Manaus is

Notable people

• Benjamin Constant Bridge
• Provincial Palace

Explanatory notes

References

Citations