North Region, Brazil
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| North region of Brazil | |
 |
|
| States | AC, AP, AM, PA, RO, RR e TO |
| Area | |
| - Total | 3.853.327,2 km² (1°) |
| Population | |
| - 2007 estimate | 15,022,060 (4°) |
| - Census 2005 | 14,726,059 |
| - Urban | (2006) 75.6% |
| - Density | (2007) 3,8/km² (5°) |
| GDP | 2004 |
| - Total | R$102,037,137 billion (5°) |
| - Per capita | R$(2005) 7,247 (4°) |
| HDI (2005) | 0.790 (4°) – medium |
| - Life expectancy | (2005) 71 years (4°) |
| - Infant mortality | (2006) 25.8‰ (4°) |
| - Literacy | (2006) 88.7% (4°) |
| Time zone | BRT (UTC-4) |
| - Summer (DST) | BRST (UTC-3) |
The North region of Brazil was the last region to be given importance by the Brazilian government, already when it was independent from Portugal. This is the largest Region of Brazil, corresponding to 45.27% of the national territory. It is the least inhabited of the country, and contributes with a minor percentage in the national GDP and population. It is composed by the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins.
Its demographic density is the lowest considering all the regions of the country, with only 2,92 inhabitants per km2. Most people live in the urban area.
Belém International Airport and Manaus International Airport connects North region with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.
The North is home to the Federal University of Amazonas and Federal University of Pará.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world.
Wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia.[1] As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. More than 1/3 of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest.[2]
The region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2000 birds and mammals. To date, at least 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish, 1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified in the region [3]. Scientists have described between 96,660 and 128,843 invertebrate species in Brazil alone.[4]
The diversity of plant species is the highest on earth with some experts estimating that one square kilometre may contain over 75,000 types of trees and 150,000 species of higher plants. One square kilometre of Amazon rainforest can contain about 90,790 tonnes of living plants.[5] This constitutes the largest collection of living plants and animal species in the world. One in five of all the birds in the world live in the rainforests of the Amazon. To date, an estimated 438,000 species of plants of economic and social interest have been registered in the region with many more remaining to be discovered or catalogued.[6]
[edit] Demographics
| Name | Population (2007) |
|---|---|
| Manaus | 1,612,475 |
| Belém | 1,408,847 |
| Ananindeua | 484,600 |
| Porto Velho | 380,988 |
| Macapá | 368,397 |
| Rio Branco | 288,614 |
| Santarém | 274,074 |
[edit] Economy
The economy of the North Region is essentially based on the vegetal plantation and extraction, such as latex, assai, woods and nuts; and mineral extraction of gold, precious stones, cassiterite and tin (metal); as well as mining exploitation, mainly iron, at Carajás Mountain Range (in the State of Pará) and manganese, at Navio Mountain Range (in the State of Amapá).
[edit] Curiosity
Vehicles: 1,746,501 (March/2007); Telephones: 1,805,000 (April/2007); Cities: 449 (2007).
[edit] Education
Portuguese language is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum.
[edit] Educational institutions
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM);
- Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA);
- Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR);
- Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC);
- Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP);
- Universidade Federal de Roraima (UFRR);
- Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT);
- and many others.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] International Airports
Since 2001, Belém International Airport has been an example of the standard Infraero implements at its airports. Standing out in the midst of the Amazon vastness, the building design uses plane curves on its roof to permit light to enter its entire large terminal hall. The architect Sérgio Parada used his creativity to adopt multiple-use totems integrated with light projectors, a sound system, air conditioning and public telephones. Currently Belém International Airport serves demand of 2.7 million passengers a year, in a constructed area of 33,255.17 square meters. Traditionally called Val-de-Cans Airport, it is responsible for increasing tourism in the region, as well as for the outflow of products and attracting new investments. The passenger terminal is fully air conditioned on two levels and has futuristic architecture, designed to take advantage of natural lighting. People with special needs have individualized service with own equipment at specific locations to facilitate their circulation. The terminal’s interior is decorated with plants native to the Amazon region and is enclosed by a source able to imitate the sound of the rains that fall every day in the region.
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.
[edit] References
- ^ Turner, I.M. 2001. The ecology of trees in the tropical rain forest. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-80183-4
- ^ Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Plants, Amazon River Animals. World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ Da Silva et al. 2005. The Fate of the Amazonian Areas of Endemism. Conservation Biology 19 (3), 689-694
- ^ Lewinsohn, Thomas M.; Paulo Inácio Prado (June 2005). "How Many Species Are There in Brazil?". Conservation Biology 19 (3): 619-624. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00680.x.
- ^ Photos / Pictures of the Amazon Rainforest
- ^ The Amazon Rainforest
[edit] See also
- (English) Brazil
- (English) Brazilian Tourism Portal
