MANAUS

city and river port, capital of Amazonas estado (state), northwestern Brazil. It lies along the north bank of the Negro River, 11 miles (18 km) above that river's influx into the Amazon River. Manaus is situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, 900 miles (1,450 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. The city, on a terrace overlooking the river, is traversed by several side channels called igaraps (canoe paths) that are spanned by bridges and divide it into separate compartments. The first European settlement on the site was a small fort (So Jos do Rio Negrinho) built in 1669 by Captain Francisco da Motta Falco. The mission and village that later grew up were called Villa da Barra, or Barra do Rio Negro (barra referring to the sandbar at the mouth of the Negro). The town succeeded Barcelos in 1809 as capital of the Rio Negro captaincy general and in 1850 became the capital of Amazonas province (later state). Its name was then changed to Manos (after an Indian river tribe); since 1939 it has been spelled Manaus. From 1890 to 1920 a regional economic boom based on the production of natural rubber from the tree Hevea brasiliensis brought prosperity to the city. Manaus' majestic buildings and homes, including the cathedral and ornate opera house (Teatro Amazonas, constructed in 1896 and renovated 198790), and the creation of port commerce date from that period. The city was made an episcopal see in 1892. In 1902 a British corporation began improvements to the port facilities, including a stone quay, storehouses, and floating wharves to allow for the annual rise and fall (up to 40 feet ) of the river. Manaus is now a major inland port reached by oceangoing vessels from the Atlantic and is the chief collecting and distribution centre for the riverine areas of the entire upper Amazon basin. The port's principal exports include electrical equipment, petroleum, chemicals, rubber, Brazil nuts, and a host of minor forest products. In the late 1970s the Brazilian government and private companies began extensive deforestation to develop the mineral and agricultural wealth of the surrounding forested region. The government also installed a fishing terminal in Manaus. The city receives beef from the savannas of the upper Branco River, which also supplies hides for export. Manaus' industries include brewing, shipbuilding, soap manufacturing, the production of chemicals, the manufacture of electronics equipment, and petroleum refining (the oil being brought by barge down the Amazon from Peru). The scales of the piraracu (Arapaima gigas), a large South American fish, are exported for use as nail files. Tourism has become a growing part of the economy, especially since 1967, when the city was declared a duty-free zone. Manaus has botanical and zoological gardens, and there is a natural jungle park on its outskirts. It is the seat of the National Research Institute for Amazonia (founded 1954), the University of the Amazon (1962), the Geographic and Historical Institute of the Amazon (1917), and a Salesian school for orphans. The city has an international airport. In 1975 an antenna was installed in Manaus for satellite telephone connections. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 1,005,634.