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BelΘm
Some important points to remember about BelΘm are:
HistoryBelΘm was founded in 1616. It started out as a fortress, Forte do Castelo, built by Portuguese soldiers to deter other European countries trying to establish settlements along the Amazon. At that time, England, France, and Holland all wanted to claim territory along the river – resulting in the river wars. There were many fierce battles during these wars, during which the Portuguese attacked and destroyed all the other river settlements, leaving the Portuguese colonists in control of the area. BelΘm was run originally run as a colony separate from the rest of Brazil. Difficult wind and sea conditions along Brazil's Atlantic coast made the journey to BelΘm from Salvador (Brazil's original capital) very long and treacherous – much longer than the six weeks that it to travel out from Lisbon. BelΘm's economy, like most of Amaz⌠nia's depended mostly on drogas do sertπo. The settlers arriving from Portugal were generally very poor, uneducated, and rough. They were very violent and unforgiving towards the local Indian populations. As elsewhere in Brazil, the Indians also suffered greatly from epidemics of imported European diseases. The Cabanagem RebellionLife in BelΘm became more difficult in the 1820s. There were less Indians around to provide the spices and other forest products. Increasing difficulties lead to a conflict among the richer settler and those with little money. The poor settlers readily drew support other poor peoples in the area, including many blacks, Indians, and people of mixed race – and their causes resulted a revolution and civil war. The war quickly spread throughout the province and grew in strength with each year that passed. In 1835, the rebels were strong enough to capture BelΘm and form their own government. However, the rebel occupation was also an excuse for the downtrodden classes to settle old scores with their former masters – plundering the city's wealth and murdering many of the city's former rulers. The rebels' strength meant that there was little the Brazilian authorities could do. Strangely, it was the British who helped defeat the rebels by imposing a naval blockade to stop all traffic going into and out of the port. The British had been BelΘm's main trading partner and had little sympathy for the rebels. BelΘm was recaptured by the Brazilian authorities. Fled into the interior. Continuation of the war for several years, and continued massacres by the military against anyone who was black or brown. It is estimated that 40,000 people died out of a population of 100,000. Rubber BoomThe rubber boom brought riches into BelΘm, just as it did many other places along the Amazon. Between 1875 and 1910, the population swelled from 40,000 to over 100,000. Progress brought electricity, telephones, trams, and elegant European-style buildings such as the Teatro da Paz and Palßcia Ant⌠nio Lemos. BelΘm TodayToday, BelΘm is a modern city with about a million people. Because the Brazilian state of Parß lacks the industrial incentives and factories of its neighbour, Amazonas, the state earns its money primarily by using the resources of the rainforest. Eco-tourism has never taken off here – mostly because the land here has been cleared and there is little natural rainforest left outside of a few reserves. Logging is a big industry, along with paper production, goldmining, extraction of iron ore, electricity production, and farming. Development is causing ecological problems for the State – but state governments here get elected by promising jobs and continued development, so it is likely that development will continue in the years to come. ClimateIt rains lots here – almost every day. There is no dry season. It rains the most from December to June, then slightly less in the other months. Fortunately, the rainstorms generally only last an hour or two, and tend to cool the weather down so that the temperature doesn't get too uncomfortable. Humidity is high. The people of BelΘm sometimes joke that they are fish, not people, because they breathe more water than air. Places of InterestThere are numerous places of interest to visit in BelΘm. Some of the main ones are: Teatro da PazSimilar in some ways to the Teatro Amazonas in Manaus, this opera house was constructed in 1874, and hosted performers from all over the world. The inside is richly and elaborately decorated, and in well-worth a visit. It is located on the tree-lined promenade, Praτa da Rep·blica. Mercado Ver-o-PesoThis is the big marketplace on the BelΘm waterfront. The name originates from the fact that it used to be a customs house for goods being imported and exported. Ver-o-peso means "Watch the weight", referring to the fact that taxes used to be calculated by weighing the goods. Ver-o-peso now has numerous little stall selling products from all over Amaz⌠nia – fruit, plants, animals, fish, medicines, handicrafts, and other goods. Museu Emφlio GoeldiThe museum is a huge park and zoo – which keeps a large collection of plants and animals, and plays an important role researching the wildlife, environment, and peoples of Amaz⌠nia. It is a great place to see native animals, most of which you will rarely get a chance to see in the wild. |
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About
a million people live in BelΘm, making it the second
largest city on the Amazon. It is located at the river's
mouth, close to the coast where the Amazon flows into the
Atlantic Ocean.