RONDNIA

state, west-central Brazil, bordering Bolivia to the south and west. Formerly a part of Amazonas state, it was established in 1943 as Guapor territory, which was renamed in 1956 after Marshal Cndido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Brazil's famous explorer and protector of Indians. Rondnia became a state in 1982. Much of Rondnia's 93,840-square-mile (243,044-square-kilometre) area is sparsely inhabited rain forest. The region was important during the Amazon rubber boom but declined after the collapse of the industry in 1912. The Estrada de Ferro MadeiraMamor, a railroad operational between Prto Velho (q.v.), the state capital, and Guajar-Mirim, was built to transport rubber. Rubber exports are still the main source of income. Brazil nuts are also a significant export commodity. The Rondnia hydroelectric project, built at the Samuel Falls, supplies energy for mahogany and tin industries. Transportation on the Madeira, Mamor, and Guapor rivers and their affluents is supplemented by air service from Prto Velho, Guajar-Mirim, and Prncipe da Beira. Pop. (1987 est.) 818,000.