State of Maranhão and Piauí

State of Maranhão and Piauí Estado do Maranhão e Piauí
Colonial State of the Portuguese Empire
← 1772–1775 →
Flag Coat of arms
Capital		Santa Maria de Belém
Languages		Portuguese
Religion		Roman Catholicism
Government		Monarchy
Monarch
-	1772 - 1775	Joseph I
Governor General
-	1772 - 1775	Joaquim de Mello e Póvoas
History
-	Established	1772
-	Disestablished	1775
Currency		Portuguese Real

The State of Maranhão and Piauí (Portuguese: Estado do Maranhão and Piauí) was one of the states of the Portuguese Empire.

History

The state was created in 1772 by order of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, the Secretary of the State for Joseph I of Portugal.

The state was created because of the economic success of the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão. Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo split that state into two states, the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí, thinking that this would cause even better economic conditions, though the state split would prove a failure.

In 1775, due to the failure of the new state, both the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí were merged into the State of Brazil, finally unifying Portuguese America into one colony.