TOCANTINS

inland estado (state) of north-central Brazil. A part of the sparsely settled Central-West region, Tocantins is bounded by the states of Maranho and Piau to the northeast, Bahia to the east, Gois to the south, Mato Grosso to the west, and Par to the northwest. Tocantins was created from the northern half of Gois (q.v.) state in 1989. Its area is 107,075 square miles (277,322 square km). The capital is Palmas. The state lies in the Brazilian Highlands at elevations between 330 and 1,300 feet (100 and 400 m) above sea level. It is drained northward by the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers, which have cut deep valleys along their courses. The highlands of the state are covered with woodland savanna, and the river valleys support dense semideciduous forest. The northern tip of Tocantins is covered with tropical rain forest. The climate is generally subtropical. There is only a small variation in average monthly temperature, and the average annual temperature is 75 F (24 C). The average annual rainfall is about 59 inches (1,500 mm), and precipitation falls mostly between October and March. Tocantins is a developing frontier area, and its inhabitants historically have been mostly of Indian and mixed European-Indian ancestry. The growing of rice, corn (maize), and soybeans and the raising of cattle are the main economic activities. The state's mineral resources include bauxite, limestone, tin, gypsum, and gold. The major towns are Araguana, Gurupi, Prto Nacional, and Palmas. Araguana and Gurupi are connected by paved roads north to Belm and south to Braslia. Pop. (1995 est.) 1,007,000.