Manaus

Manaus, Amazonas
Manaus Manaus
Flag Seal
Location in Brazil
Country	Brazil
Region	North
State	Amazonas
Founded	1669
Government
• Mayor	Serafim Corrêa (PSB)
Area
• Total	11.401 km2 (4.402 sq mi)
Elevation	92 m (302 ft)
Population  (2005)
• Total	1,644,690
• Density	144.2/km2 (19,611/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-4 (UTC-4)

Teatro Amazonas in the heart of Manaus. Background: The Rio Negro

03°06′00″S 60°01′00″W Manaus is a city in the northern part of Brazil and capital of Amazonas State. Located on the Negro River near its confluence with the Amazon, it is the chief port and a hub for the region's extensive river system. Its 2005 population was 1,644,690.

History

Manaus began as a small fort, São José da Barra, created in 1669 by Portuguese settlers as a defense against Spanish incursions into Brazil by way of the Amazon River. On November 13, 1832, the settlement gained the status of Vila, and was named "Manaus", after the indigenous tribe, the "Manaós", who once inhabited the area. In the local language, the word means "Mother of God". On October 24, 1848, Manaus was awarded the status of city with the name Cidade da Barra do Rio Negro. In 1850, Amazonas became a province. On September 4, 1856, the city was renamed Cidade de Manaus.

From 1890 to 1920, Manaus was a rubber boomtown, in part because of the invention of the process of vulcanization. The plantation owners became extravagantly wealthy and the city prospered. Immigrants from northeastern Brazil, fleeing drought and poverty, flooded the city, seeking riches in the rubber trade. By 1920, synthetic rubber and the growth of plantations in Southeast Asia caused a drastic plunge in the price of rubber, and Manaus declined into poverty.

Today Manaus is the financial center for the North of Brazil..

Economy

Although the main industry of Manaus through much of the 20th century was rubber, its importance has declined. Given its location, timber and Brazil-nuts make up important trades, as do petroleum refining, soap manufacturing, and chemical industries. Over the last decades, a system of federal investments and tax incentives have turned the surrounding region into a major industrial center (the Zona Franca of Manaus).

The mobile phone companies Nokia, Sagem, Gradiente and BenQ-Siemens run mobile phone manufacturing plants in Manaus. Also, many other major electronics manufacturers such as Sony and LG have plants there. Plastic lens manufacturer Essilor also has a plant here.

Sites and attractions

Manaus downtown.

Manaus in the morning.

São Sebastião Church.

Manaus is a cosmopolitan city, and, because of its location next to the Amazon rain forest, it attracts a substantial number of Brazilian and foreign tourists, who can find plenty of boat and land trips into the surrounding jungle. A great diversity of wildlife can be found even in the surroundings of Manaus. It is also home to one of the most endangered primates in Brazil, the Pied tamarin.

The Teatro Amazonas, an opera house built in 1896, is a notable landmark of Manaus, reflecting the massive wealth of the turn of the century rubber boom. The theatre was prominently featured in Werner Herzog's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo. The exuberant interior of this 1896 opera house, completed after 15 years, contains crystal chandeliers, wrought-iron banisters, and Italian frescoes, as well as a museum.

"The meeting of the waters," the confluence of the Negro and Solimões Rivers which extends for about 9 km, is a very sought-after trip that lasts an average of 6 hours and gives visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand the final episode of formation of the Amazon River.

About 18 km from downtown is Ponta Negra beach, a neighbourhood that has a beachfront and popular nightlife area. A luxurious hotel is located at the west end of Ponta Negra; its small but very interesting zoo and orchid greenhouse as well as preserved woods and beach are open to public visitation.

The CIGS Zoo (military zoo for rescued animals), which doubles as an army training center, also is located in the neighbourhood and houses a few hundred endemic and native amazonian species of mammals, reptiles, and birds.

The Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, founded in 1882, is the city's oldest marketplace, trading in fruit, vegetables, and especially fish. It's a copy of the Les Halles market of Paris. 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 Federal University of Amazonas [1], which was founded in January 17, 1909 and is the oldest federal university of Brazil.

The city has a busy cultural calendar throughout the year, including 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.

Facts about Manaus

File:DSCN6660.JPG

Shore and Boats of Manaus

• Manaus timezone is (UTC – 4). However, being close to the equator, Manaus does not observe daylight saving time.
• Roughly two thirds (60%) of the population of the Brazilian state of Amazonas (estimated population, 2.8 million) live in Manaus or in the greater metropolitan area.
• It is warm all year round, with a wet season in the winter months. Temperatures are generally around 30° – 36°C (86° – 97°F).
• Manaus hosts the world's largest samba festival every October, with over 18 bands and more than 100,000 guests.

Infrastructure

International airport

Eduardo Gomes International Airport.

Eduardo Gomes International Airport.

Eduardo Gomes International Airport is like a small city in full development. Responsible for employing roughly 3,300 people, among employees of Infraero, public organs, concession holders, airlines and auxiliary services, it has fully modern infrastructure. The airport has two passenger terminals, one for scheduled flights and the other for regional aviation. It also has three cargo terminals: Terminal I was opened in 1976, Terminal II in 1980 and Terminal III in 2004. Passenger Terminal I has six boarding bridges, five of them fixed and one mobile, along with three boarding lounges for domestic flights and one for international connections, six domestic and two international gate holding rooms, 30 check-in counters, parking for 424 cars and security booths scattered throughout the complex. The airport concourse offers a variety of services and products. There are branches of Banco do Brasil and Banco Real; ATMs of Banco do Brasil, Banco Itaú, Banco Bradesco and Banco 24 horas; shops selling handcrafts and imported liquors; a drugstore; candy store; shops selling clothing, footwear and accessories; a perfume store; a shop specializing in chocolates; snack bars; a café; car rental agencies; a currency exchange; diaper-changing room; tourism shops; a sport fishing operator; tobacco shop; ice cream parlor; trade point; taxi stands; and a cellular telephone shop. There is a beer garden and restaurant on the panoramic level. The scheduled airlines operating from Terminal I are: Varig, Vasp, Gol, Nordeste and COPA. Eduardo Gomes International Airport is Brazil’s third largest in freight movement, handling the import and export demand from the Manaus Industrial Complex. For this reason, Infraero invested in construction of the third cargo terminal, opened on December 14, 2004.

Highways

Road access from the south, southwest, midwest, and northeast regions is to Belém, capital of the State of Pará. From there, the trip takes 96 hours by boat or river ferry to Manaus, over the Pará and Amazonas Rivers. There is a paved road connecting Manaus to Boa Vista, capital of the State of Roraima, and to Venezuela.

• Main access roads
• From Boa Vista to Manaus: BR-174
• From Brasília to Belém: Belém-Brasília Highway (BR-153, BR-226 and BR-010)

Neighborhoods

Negro river.

Amazonas Theatre, in Manaus.

Japanese Culture Museum.

Amazonas Theatre, in Manaus.

Amazonas River.

Ponta Negra.

Amazonas Shopping Center.

View of Manaus.

Manaus.

Negro River.

Manaus Port.

Panair Port in the Educandos neighborhood - the first suburb of Manaus.

Tropical forest.

Vitória Régia, in Amazonas River.

A

• Acariquara
• Adrianópolis
• Ajuricaba
• Aleixo
• Alvorada
• Américo Medeiros
• Aparecida
• Armando Mendes
• Amazonino Mendes

B

• Bairro da Paz
• Bairro da União
• Bairro Novo
• Bela Vista
• Betânia
• Belvedere
• Belo Horizonte
• Ben Hur
• Braga Mendes

C

• Cachoeirinha
• Campos Elíseos
• Campos Sales
• Castanheira
• Ceasa
• Centro
• Chapada
• Cidade Nova
• Cidade de Deus
• Colônia Antônio Aleixo
• Colônia Oliveira Machado
• Colônia Santo Antonio
• Colônia Terra Nova
• Colina do Aleixo
• Compensa
• Conjunto 31 de março
• Coroado
• Crespo

D

• Dom Pedro I
• Dom Pedro II
• Déborah
• Distrito Industrial
• Duque de Caxias

E

• Educandos
• Eldorado

F

• Flamanal
• Flores
• Florestal
• Franceses
• Fortaleza

G

• Galiléia
• Gilberto Metrinho
• Glória
• Grande Vitória

H

• Hiléia

J

• Japiim
• Japiinlândia
• Jardins
• Jardim América
• Jardim Belém
• Jardim Curitiba
• Jardim Fortaleza
• Jardim Independente
• Jardim Manaus
• Jardim Paulista
• Jardim Porto Alegre
• Jardim Versalles
• João Paulo
• Jorge Teixeira
• Jornalistas
• José Bonifácio

K

• Kíssia

L

• Lagoa Verde
• Lírio do Vale

M

• Manôa
• Mauazinho
• Monte das Oliveiras
• Monte Pascoal
• Monte Sião
• Monte Sinai
• Morada do Sol
• Morro da Liberdade
• Mundo Novo

N

• Nossa Senhora das Graças
• Nossa Senhora de Fátima
• Nossa Senhora do Perpétuo Soccoro
• Nova Betânia
• Nova Canaã
• Nova Cidade
• Nova Conquista
• Nova Esperança
• Nova Floresta
• Nova República
• Nova Vitória
• Novo Aleixo
• Novo Israel
• Novo Reino

O

• Oswaldo Américo
• Oswaldo Frota
• Ouro Verde

P

• Parque 10 de Novembro
• Parque das Laranjeiras
• Parque das Nações
• Parque Riachuelo
• Parque São Pedro
• Praça 14 de Janeiro
• Petrópolis
• Planalto
• Ponta Negra
• Presidente Vargas

R

• Raiz
• Redenção
• Renato Souza Pinto
• Riacho Doce
• Ribeiro Júnior

S

• Santa Etelvina
• Santa Inês
• Santa Luzia
• Santo Agostinho
• Santo Antônio
• São Raimundo
• Santos Dumont
• São Francisco
• São Geraldo
• São Jorge
• São José
• São Lázaro
• São Lucas
• São Paulo
• Sol Nascente

T

• Tancredo Neves
• Tarumã
• Tiradentes
• Tropical

U

• União da Vitória

V

• Valparaíso
• Vale do Sinai
• Vieiralves
• Vila Amazonas
• Vila Buritis
• Vila da Prata
• Vila Marinho
• Vila Real

Z

• Zumbi dos Palmares

Events

• February – Amazonas Carnival – samba schools parade at the ‘sambodromo’ in the Convention Center
• May – Ponta Negra’s Music Festival
• June – Amazonas Folklore Festival
• June 29 – São Pedro Fluvial Procession
• September 5 - The elevetion of Amazonas a brazilian province category
• October 24 – Anniversary of Manaus
• December 41 – Ponta Negra’s New Year’s Eve Party

Attractions

Amazonas Theater It is the greatest symbol of Manaus’ economic peak. It has 700 seats and was constructed with bricks brought over from Europe, French glass and Italian marble. Several important opera and theater companies, as well as international orchestras, have already performed there.

Ponta Negra Cultural, Sport and Leisure Park Ponta Negra beach, located 13 km from downtown Manaus, is one of the city’s most important tourist attractions. The complex has beach volleyball courts, cycle way, a belvedere, playground, a medical center and a large sidewalk with bars, restaurants and snack bars. The sunset seen is extraordinary. It also has a modern amphitheater with capacity for 15 thousand people, dressing room, and all the infrastructure for shows, where many popular spectacles are constantly being held.

Public Swimming Areas The Tarumã, Tarumãzinho and Cachoeira das Almas bayous (branches of rivers), located near the city, are places of leisure for the population on weekends. Manaus has several public swimming areas that are being remodeled and urbanized lately. There are also many private clubs that can be visited.

Beaches and Ecological Parks For outings to beaches and parks situated near the city, many times it is 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.

Paricatuba Waterfall This 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 This 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 Approximately 34 km from Manaus, this beach is well frequented by bathers on holidays and weekends. It is accessible only by boat. When the Negro River waters rise, the beach is restricted to a 20 m width and when they recede, it can reach 80m.

Moon Beach It is located on the left bank of the Negro River, 23 km from Manaus. It is accessed only by boat. The beach is shaped like a crescent moon and has rare vegetation of natural beauty, with a great stretch of sand and clear, cold water.

Lion Waterfall Located on Km 34 of the AM 010 highway (Manaus-Itacoatiara), this is a pleasant place to spend the day. Bathing in the waterfall is allowed. The water is clear and very cold.

Anavilhanas Approximately 100 km above Manaus, near the Township of Novo Airão, on the Negro River, there is Anavilhanas, the world’s largest archipelago of fluvial islands. There are about 400 islands covered with native forest, forming a real natural labyrinth. During the dry season, the receding waters reveal several white sand beaches and interesting natural formations of roots and trunks.

Meeting of the Rivers This natural phenomenon is caused by the confluence of the Negro River’s dark water and the Solimões River’s muddy brown water that come together to form the Amazonas River. For 6 km, both rivers waters run side by side, without mixing. This phenomenon is caused by the great difference between the water temperatures and current speeds. The Negro River flows approximately 2km/h at 22ºC, while the Solimões River flows 4 to 6 km/h at 28ºC.

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden The Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden, inside a 100 km2 ecological reserve, is the world’s largest, with an infinite number of plant and animal species.

Municipal Park of Mindú It is located in an urban area, in the November 10 Park district. It was created in 1992 to be an area of ecological interest. It covers an area of 330.000 m2 (33 ha) of forest remaining from the Township, used for scientific, educational, cultural and tourist activities. It is one of the last habitats for the sauim-de-coleira, a species of monkey that only exists in the Manaus region and is threatened with extinction. It is possible to walk safely through four distinct ecosystems in the park: land covered by secondary growth, firm ground brush, sandbanks and degraded areas that were illegally cleared in 1989. The Park also has a Library, with an information center on the environment connected to the Internet. It also has a parking area, amphitheater for 600 people, gardens planted with medical and aromatic herbs, orchid nursery, above ground trail and signs aiming to develop environmental education programs.

The Science Grove [2] The Grove is located in the INPA’s – Amazonas National Institute for Research – area. A visit to the grove provides better knowledge of the Amazonas environment, while it permits pleasant moments walking through its trails and paths. The Grove’s main attractions are: otter vivarium, manatee hatchery, bee hives, Science House, educational trails, alligator’s vivarium, botanical garden, above ground trail, free fauna, orchid nursery and bromeliad nursery.

Zoo The zoo is open to the public. It is managed by the Brazilian Army and has approximately 300 species of animals from Amazonas fauna, including monkeys, wildcats, otters, snakes, alligators, macaws, tapir, and turtles.

Tropical Manaus Eco Resort It is Brazil’s most luxurious hotel, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest, on the banks of the Negro River. It has 588 apartments and the largest complex of hotel, events, sports, and tourism and leisure services. It is only 10 km from the Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes International Airport and 16 km from downtown Manaus.

Cruises - Iberostar Gran Amazon A luxurious boat, with capacity for 150 people, will take tourists on a cruise over the Negro and Amazon Rivers, offering comfort and the excellent Iberostar service. The trip starts in Manaus, stopping at several locations in the Amazon jungle to take tourists on small boat excursions that will explore the thick native vegetation. Ideal for those who like adventure, but want the comfort of a five star hotel.

External links

• The Best from Manaus (in Portuguese).
• Manaus Official Site (in Portuguese).
• Globo Site Manaus Online – portal for Manaus (in Portuguese).
• Historic Teatro Amazonas.
• National Institute of Amazonian Research website (in Portuguese and English).
• Federal University of Amazonas website (in Portuguese).
• Template:Wikitravel
• 1980s Photos of Manaus