Guia do Brasil
Amazonas
The immensity of Amazonas resounds from its natural beauty and culture. The state shares borders with Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, and more than 90% of its area is covered by the Amazon rainforest, which houses the largest biodiversity on the planet.
Of a tropical climate, the country's largest state in area also has the largest river basin in the world. The strong riparian zone culture in the region's cuisine is marked by fresh water fish based dishes, and influenced by the indigenous roots and Northern style dishes of its people.
More than half of the population lives in the capital, Manaus, situated on the banks of the Rio Negro, a European-style metropolis whose cosmopolitan characteristics earned it the nickname of “Paris of the tropics”. The Zona Franca of Manaus continues to be an important pole of electronics production and is notable for its quality of life and historic buildings such as the Amazon Theatre (Teatro Amazonas).
In 2010, Manaus was the stage for the Pan American Cadet Olympic Fight, and in 2007, it hosted the Men's Volleyball Americas Cup.
Today, young Amazon state born athletes have been winning important sports titles. Several examples include the young Bianca Maia Mendonça, who won three Rhythmic Gymnastics events at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, judoka Greice Kelly Silva, Pan American Games gold medallist in the Youth Under 13 Category, and John Victor Lima, first place in the team event of the Youth Equestrian World Cup, all in 2011.
The state invests heavily in ecotourism, with hotels in the forest, nature reserves and sport fishing options. The city of Parintins attracts visitors from all over the world who come to see the pororoca, a natural phenomenon caused by the confluence of the waters of the Amazon River with the Atlantic Ocean, and the Parintins Folklore Festival (Festival Folclórico de Parintins) – a mixture of the Bumba-meu-boi of the Northeast, and indigenous legends.