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Description
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- In the early
years of the twentieth century the city of Manaus, capital of Amazonas,
became very wealthy and the most important cultural centre in the
Northern Region of Brazil. The old rubber barons dreamed of transforming
it into a European style city and called it "the Paris of the Tropics".
The architecture of the great mansions was a testimony to the luxury
and ostentation in which their inhabitants lived.
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- A reflection
of this period of opulence is to be found in the monuments of Manaus,
such as the Amazonas Theatre, opened in 1896. Built with the aid
of materials and artists brought from Europe, its central area,
in the shape of a harp, can seat 640 people in the stalls. In 1965
it was declared part of the Brazilian national heritage and was
reopened in 1996 after complete restoration. The city also retains
replicas of various English constructions, such as the floating
dock for the port and the surrounding buildings. The Palace of Justice
has traces of the French architectural style, and many buildings,
such as the Municipal Market, were influenced by the art nouveau
style. Another example of period architecture is the Palαcio Rio
Negro, former seat of the state government.
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- With the end
of the rubber boom, Manaus went into decline and only entered a
period of renewed development in the 1950s. A turning point was
reached in 1967, when the Manaus Free Zone was established by the
federal government. From that date on, the capital of Amazonas has
passed through great changes, becoming an important industrial centre
for the manufacture of electrical and electronic goods.
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- Situated on
the banks of the Negro river, Manaus is an important centre for
ecological tourism. One of its most popular attractions is the Ponta
Negra beach, 13 kilometres from the centre of the city, where, when
the river is low, the sands are exposed right down to the river
bed, forming a beautiful contrast with the dark waters of the river
itself. There is also the forested area of the National Research
Institute of Amazonia (INPA), a complex made up of the Botanical
Gardens, rich in plant species from the Amazon region, and the Zoological
Gardens, which contain various animal species of the region, including
some on the verge of extinction.
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- For the visitor
who wishes to learn more of the history and way of life of the Amazonian
man, Manaus has several important museums: the Indian Museum, with
its large collection of objects from the indigenous peoples of the
upper river Negro; the Amazonia Natural Science Museum, where a
large variety of embalmed animals and insects can be seen; the Museum
of Northern Man, which has a collection of objects illustrating
the way of life, customs and culture of the local people; and the
Port Museum, with a collection of historical items, documents, plans
and instruments belonging to the English who constructed the port
zone in 1904.
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