Embedded in the Amazon Forest, Manaus is a city with almost 1.5 million inhabitants and it is the capital of Amazonas, the largest Brazilian state. The city impresses with its natural beauty, ecological parks and a series of green areas that seem endless. It is a land of contrasts, blending exuberant nature with a high-tech industrial center and the remains of a glorious past, during the peak of the international rubber trade. Manaus was founded in the second half of the 17th century, with the construction of the São José da Barra Fort, on the Negro River’s left bank, with the purpose of protecting the region against foreign invasion. Its name is a reference to the manaos Indians that lived in the area.
For many years, the city was practically isolated. However, from the 19th century on, when the international rubber trade started to grow and its raw material, latex, was extracted from native rubber trees, Manaus started to attract the attention of businessmen the world over. By the end of the 19th century, the wealth generated by rubber exports financed the construction of luxury buildings replicating Europe’s fashionable architectonic style in the heart of the Forest. Orchestras and European opera companies performed regularly at the Amazonas Theater, one of the greatest symbols of economic development of that period. When the rubber trade declined, for a long time, Manaus was forgotten. It recovered its economic importance with the installation of an industrial center, stimulated by the institution of a Free Zone in 1957. Today, many companies stand out, using state-of-the-art technology to produce electronic, computer and communication equipment.
How to get there?
- By Air: The Eduardo Gomes International Airport receives domestic flights and flights from some Latin America cities, London and Miami and others.
- By Highway: 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. In most places in the north, trips are made by boat and by plane using regional airlines. There are also road connections between Manaus and neighboring cities.
Main access roads:
From Boa Vista to Manaus: BR-174
From Brasília to Belém: Belém-Brasília Highway (BR-153, BR-226 and BR-010)
