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89-562: The Imperial Brazilian Army had little political power in the Empire of Brazil until the Paraguayan War (1864–1870). This lack of influence was evident in the 1850 reform, when the then minister of war , Felizardo de Sousa e Melo, determined that promotions would be made based on merit rather than aristocratic origin and established a degree at the Military Academy as a requirement to reach

178-480: A central part of the festivities. The four-day period before Lent leading up to Ash Wednesday is carnival time in Brazil . Teresina/Senador Petrônio Portella Airport is located four kilometers (2.5 mi) from downtown Teresina. Opened in 1967, it has been administered by Infraero since 1975. There are no international flights to this airport. The flag of Piauí was unveiled on 24 July 1922. The blue canton and

267-556: A common enemy of both Brazil and Paraguay, Brazil contributed to the improvement of the fortifications and development of the Paraguayan army, sending officials and technical help to Asunción . As no roads linked the inland province of Mato Grosso to Rio de Janeiro , Brazilian ships needed to travel through Paraguayan territory, going up the Paraguay River to arrive at Cuiabá . However, Brazil had difficulty obtaining permission from

356-586: A deputy for Piauí, who from the Chamber of Deputies' tribune alleged that Cunha Matos' conduct was motivated by political reasons. Taking advantage of his parliamentary prerogatives, Simplício de Resende went further and made insulting statements about Cunha Matos, publicly declaring that the colonel, when taken prisoner in the Paraguayan War, had gone to the extreme of opening fire on his fellow Brazilian comrades. Cunha Matos' reaction came through articles published in

445-514: A green energy company. The company suffered a number of setbacks and in 2009 said it was selling the land. A second biodiesel company, Piauí Ecodiesel Ltda, is reported to be receiving up to R$ 81.1 million of investment. The state has offered substantial tax benefits to agro-industrial companies. Bunge, Cargill and Algar now grow soy in the state. Suzano is to grow eucalyptus for pulp. These projects have been criticised by state environmental activists. According to research commissioned by SETUR,

534-702: A large portion of Mato Grosso remained under Paraguayan control. The Brazilians withdrew from the area in April 1868, moving their troops to the main theatre of operations, in the south of Paraguay. The invasion of Corrientes and Rio Grande do Sul was the second phase of the Paraguayan offensive. In order to support the Uruguayan Blancos, the Paraguayans had to travel across Argentine territory. In January 1865, Solano López asked Argentina's permission for an army of 20,000 men (led by general Wenceslao Robles ) to travel through

623-596: A less convenient time for ourselves". López then ordered the Paraguayan ship Tacuarí to pursue her and compel her return. On 12 November Tacuarí caught up with Marquês de Olinda in the vicinity of Concepción , fired across her bows, and ordered her to return to Asunción; when she arrived on the 13th, all on board were arrested. On the 12th Paraguay informed the Brazilian minister in Asunción that diplomatic relations had been broken off. The conflict between Brazil and Uruguay

712-451: A mining entrepreneur, and GME4 own the rights to the 800 million tonne PI4 iron ore deposit. A new railway bisecting the state may make this deposit economically viable. Share of the Brazilian economy: 0.5% (2004). Festa Junina is a cultural festival inspired by Portuguese traditions, in which St John's day, on the June 24, is one of the oldest and most popular celebrations of the year. Unlike

801-542: A result of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the Uruguayan War . Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance." After Paraguay was defeated in conventional warfare , it conducted a drawn-out guerrilla resistance, a strategy that resulted in the further destruction of the Paraguayan military and the civilian population. Much of

890-535: A soldier. In response to the act of insubordination, the Ministry of War reprimanded Sena Madureira and transferred him to the Rio Pardo Shooting School, in the province of Rio Grande do Sul . The military were also prohibited from speaking out in the press. The prohibitions imposed on military personnel from speaking out in the press and the punishments resulting from non-compliance with this imposition became

979-464: Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park has more than 400 archaeological sites and the largest concentration of rock paintings in the world, in a landscape dominated by canyons and caatinga . The state has many notable archaeological sites, including Serra de Capivara National Park and Sete Cidades National Park , which are rich in remains of prehistoric Paleo-Indian and sedentary-based Indigenous Brazilian complex cultures. Early settlers in

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1068-590: Is mostly Christian . According to the IBGE , it is the state with the lowest proportion of Protestants , and the highest proportion of Catholics in the country. There is a great diversity of religious manifestations in Piauí, expressing the multicultural identity of the Piauí people. According to a survey conducted via an app developed by the Municipality of Teresina , there are more than 800 adherents of Afro-Brazilian religions in

1157-464: Is the largest industrial company with headquarters in the state. They have annual sales of around R$ 700 million. Transfers from the Federal government are estimated to represent around a third of state GDP. The state government has been involved in a number of initiatives to develop aspects of the state's economy. 10,000-18,000 hectares of land worth a reported R$ 50 million was given to Brasil Biodiesel,

1246-660: Is watered by numerous tributaries of the Parnaíba, chief of which are, from south to north: the Poti , which has its source in the state of Ceará; the Longa; the Canindé and its tributary the Piauí, which is navigable for boats of one-meter draft up to Nova Iorque , a few miles above the mouth of the Gurguéia River . The river valleys are separated by flat-topped plateaus called chapadas , including

1335-585: The Brazilian ship Marquês de Olinda , on her routine voyage up the River Paraguay to the Brazilian Mato Grosso, and carrying the new governor of that province, docked at Asunción and took on coal. Completing the formalities, she continued on her journey. According to one source, López hesitated whether to break the peace for a whole day, saying "If we don't have a war now with Brazil, we shall have one at

1424-450: The Platine republics also contributed to the spread of republicanism among the troops. Once the conflict was over, army officers had high expectations regarding recognition of their sacrifices and achievements during the long campaign. The imperial government, in turn, afraid that a group of ex-combatants, armed and influenced by their superiors, could become involved in violent clashes against

1513-620: The Blanco Party, rejected the Brazilian demands, presented his own demands, and asked Paraguay for help. To settle the growing crisis, Solano López offered himself as a mediator of the Uruguayan crisis, as he was a political and diplomatic ally of the Uruguayan Blancos , but the offer was turned down by Brazil. Brazilian soldiers on the northern borders of Uruguay started to provide help to Flores' troops and harassed Uruguayan officers, while

1602-556: The Brazilians), and his presumed expansionist ambitions. A strong military was developed because Paraguay's larger neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, had territorial claims against it and wanted to dominate it politically, much as both had already done in Uruguay. Paraguay had recurring boundary disputes and tariff issues with Argentina and Brazil for many years during the rule of Solano Lopez's predecessor and father, Carlos Antonio López . In

1691-537: The Campo Grande Shooting School, in Rio de Janeiro , authorized the school's students to organize a reception, with expressions of appreciation, for the rafter Francisco José do Nascimento , a black abolitionist from Ceará who became famous for his resistance to boarding slaves that would be sent from Fortaleza to Rio de Janeiro. The students' gesture and the school director's authorization clearly demonstrated

1780-584: The European Midsummer's Day, the festivities in Brazil do not take place at the summer solstice but during the southern hemisphere's winter solstice . The festivities traditionally begin after the 12th of June, on the eve of St Anthony's day, and last until the 29th, which is St Peter's day. During these fifteen days, there are bonfires, fireworks, and folk dancing in the streets (step names are in French, which shows

1869-534: The Imperial Fleet pressed hard on Montevideo. During the months of June–August 1864 a Cooperation Treaty was signed between Brazil and Argentina at Buenos Aires , for mutual assistance in the Plate Basin Crisis. Brazilian minister Saraiva sent an ultimatum to the Uruguayan government on 4 August 1864: either comply with the Brazilian demands, or the Brazilian army would retaliate. The Paraguayan government

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1958-638: The Military School of Praia Vermelha were becoming increasingly ideologically tied to the army as an institution. They lacked prestige among the civilian elite, but their formation was robust. Their teaching at the school was influenced by positivism , which had as one of its main advocates Benjamin Constant , a teacher at the school. In 1883, the Viscount of Paranaguá proposed a bill that made mount of piety contributions mandatory for soldiers. The proposal raised

2047-476: The Paraguayan navy and prevented the Paraguayans from permanently occupying Argentine territory. For all practical purposes, this battle decided the outcome of the war in favor of the Triple Alliance; from that point onward, it controlled the waters of the Río de la Plata basin up to the entrance to Paraguay. A separate Paraguayan division of 3,200 men that continued towards Uruguay under the command of Pedro Duarte , who

2136-405: The Paraguayans could rely on their militia which consisted of all able-bodied men which, as the war continued, began to include increasingly younger and older men. At the beginning of the war, the military forces of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay were far smaller than Paraguay's. Argentina had approximately 8,500 regular troops and a naval squadron of four steamers and one schooner. Uruguay entered

2225-460: The Paraguayans had left once again. Colonel Carlos de Morais Camisão assumed command of the column in January 1867—now with only 1,680 men—and decided to invade Paraguayan territory, which he penetrated as far as Laguna where Paraguayan cavalry forced the expedition to retreat. Despite the efforts of Camisão's troops and the resistance in the region, which succeeded in liberating Corumbá in June 1867,

2314-478: The Paraguayans were driven out of the cities of Corrientes and San Cosme , the only Argentine territory still in Paraguayan possession. Piau%C3%AD Piauí ( pronounced [pi.aˈwi] or [pjaˈwi] ) is one of the states of Brazil , located in the country's Northeast Region . The state has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.7% of the Brazilian GDP . Piauí has

2403-456: The Paraguayans. The baron of Porto Alegre set out for Uruguaiana, a small town in the province's west, where the Paraguayan army was besieged by a combined force of Brazilian, Argentine and Uruguayan units. Porto Alegre assumed command of the Brazilian army in Uruguaiana on 21 August 1865. On 18 September, the Paraguayan garrison surrendered without further bloodshed. In subsequent months,

2492-455: The Río de la Plata collapsed in the early 1810s, leading to the rise of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia , and Uruguay. Historian Pelham Horton Box wrote: "Imperial Spain bequeathed to the emancipated Spanish-American nations not only her own frontier disputes with Portuguese Brazil but problems which had not disturbed her, relating to the exact boundaries of her own viceroyalties , captaincies general , audiencias and provinces." Once separated

2581-862: The Serra Uruçui, which lies between the Uruçui-Preto and the Gurguéia, the Serra da Capivara National Park , which lies between the Gurguéia and the Piauí, and the Chapada das Mangabeiras , which forms the southwestern boundary of the state, separating the upper basin of the Parnaíba from that of the Tocantins . The sandy soils along the Atlantic coast are home to the Northeastern Brazil restingas , low evergreen forests adapted to

2670-693: The Spanish-American countries of South America were troubled by territorial disputes . Each nation in this region had boundary conflicts with multiple neighbors. Most had overlapping claims to the same territories, due to unresolved questions which stemmed from their former metropoles . Signed by Portugal and Spain in 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas proved ineffective in the following centuries, as both colonial powers expanded their frontiers in South America and elsewhere. The outdated boundary lines did not represent

2759-527: The Viscount of Pelotas , who in addition to being an army officer held one of the senate's seats, took on the defense of his army comrade in the Senate. In his statements, Pelotas vehemently criticized Alfredo Chaves' attitude and argued that the punishment represented a serious offense to the "honor of the uniform". In the heat of the debates, he had no embarrassment in saying that compensation for offended military honor

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2848-432: The act, freeing itself for the future of every responsibility that may arise from the present declaration. The Brazilian government, probably believing that the Paraguayan threat would be only diplomatic, answered on 1 September, stating that "they will never abandon the duty of protecting the lives and interests of Brazilian subjects." But in its answer, two days later, the Paraguayan government insisted that "if Brazil takes

2937-513: The actual occupation of lands by the Portuguese and Spanish. By the early 1700s, the Treaty of Tordesillas was deemed not useful, and it was clear to both parties that a newer treaty had to be drawn based on feasible boundaries. In 1750, the Treaty of Madrid separated the Portuguese and Spanish areas of South America in lines that mostly corresponded to present-day boundaries. Neither Portugal nor Spain

3026-516: The basins of the upper Parnaíba and Gurguéia rivers. Enclaves of Atlantic dry forests lie in basin of the Gurguéia, forming a transition between the Cerrado and Caatinga. Serra da Capivara National Park is located in the Caatinga of the south-central part of the state, and protects numerous caves with ancient cave paintings. The climate is hot and humid in the lowlands and along the lower Parnaíba, but in

3115-507: The beginning of the 20th century, the principal industry of the state was stock raising, which dates from the first settlement in 1674 by Domingos Afonso Mafrense, who established a number of cattle ranges. A secondary industry was the raising of goats, which were able to stand neglect and a scanty food supply. Agricultural products were cotton, sugar and tobacco. Forest products included rubber, carnauba wax and dyewoods . Exports included hides, skins, rubber, wax, tobacco and cotton. Teresina

3204-430: The cabinet was blamed. The newly promoted Viscount of Tamandaré and Mena Barreto (now Baron of São Gabriel) had supported the peace accord. Tamandaré changed his mind soon afterward and played along with the allegations. A member of the opposition party, José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco , was used as a scapegoat by the emperor and the government and was recalled in disgrace to the imperial capital. The accusation that

3293-415: The capital. Considering that there are 800 thousand inhabitants in the municipality, there is practically one adherent for every thousand inhabitants. In addition to Christianity and other monotheistic religions, Piauí also has followers of polytheistic spiritualities, such as Piaganismo, who is considered the first neo-pagan religion created in Brazil. Portuguese is the official national language, and thus

3382-628: The city, Robles advanced southwards along the eastern bank. Along with Robles' troops, a force of 12,000 soldiers under colonel Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia crossed the Argentine border south of Encarnación in May 1865, driving for Rio Grande do Sul. They traveled down the Uruguay River and took the town of São Borja on 12 June. Uruguaiana , to the south, was taken on 6 August with little resistance. By invading Corrientes, Solano López had hoped to gain

3471-448: The civilian population died due to battle, hunger, and disease. The guerrilla war lasted for 14 months until president Francisco Solano López was killed in action by Brazilian forces in the Battle of Cerro Corá on 1 March 1870. Argentine and Brazilian troops occupied Paraguay until 1876. Since their independence from Portugal and Spain in the early 19th century, the Empire of Brazil and

3560-435: The convention had failed to meet Brazilian interests proved to be unfounded. Not only had Paranhos managed to settle all Brazilian claims, but by preventing the death of thousands, he gained a willing and grateful Uruguayan ally instead of a dubious and resentful one, which provided Brazil with an important base of operations during the acute clash with Paraguay that shortly ensued. According to some historians, Paraguay began

3649-487: The emperor's daughter and heir to the Brazilian throne. The Council of State deemed the institute a threat to discipline, however, and Gaston refused the offfer, ending the group. Over the course of the decade, low ranking officers who had fought in the war received few promotions and cuts in their pay. The army's budget was also reduced. The military feared that the army would be supplanted by the National Guard. Students at

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3738-415: The first disagreements between army officers and the political class. Antônio de Sena Madureira , a prestigious officer and a friend of emperor Pedro II , publicly criticized the proposal and was punished without major repercussions. The episode was the harbinger of even more serious conflicts that would soon take over the Brazilian parliament . The following year, Sena Madureira, who was then in charge of

3827-562: The focus of tensions between army officers and central government authorities. In August 1885, during a routine inspection in Piauí , colonel Ernesto Augusto da Cunha Matos discovered misappropriation of supplies in the unit commanded by captain Pedro José de Lima. Given the signs of corruption, Cunha Matos requested the opening of an investigation on the facts and the removal of Pedro José de Lima. The latter, however, had links with Simplício de Resende,

3916-545: The fort and withdrew up the river towards Corumbá on board the gunship Anhambaí . After occupying the fort, the Paraguayans advanced further north, taking the cities of Albuquerque, Tage and Corumbá in January 1865. Solano López then sent a detachment to attack the military frontier post of Dourados . On 29 December 1864, this detachment, led by Martín Urbieta, encountered tough resistance from Antônio João Ribeiro and his 16 men, who were all eventually killed. The Paraguayans continued to Nioaque and Miranda , defeating

4005-583: The government in Asunción to freely use the Paraguay River for its shipping needs. Brazil had carried out three political and military interventions in the politically unstable Uruguay: On 19 April 1863, Uruguayan general Venancio Flores, who was then an officer in the Argentine army as well as the leader of the Colorado Party of Uruguay, invaded his country, starting the Cruzada Libertadora with

4094-604: The initiative during the first phase of the war, launching the Mato Grosso Campaign by invading the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso on 14 December 1864, followed by an invasion of the Rio Grande do Sul province in the south in early 1865 and the Argentine Corrientes Province . Two separate Paraguayan forces invaded Mato Grosso simultaneously. An expedition of 3,248 troops, commanded by Vicente Barrios ,

4183-629: The invasion of the Corrientes Province by Paraguay on 13 April 1865, a great uproar stirred in Buenos Aires as the public learned of Paraguay's declaration of war. President Bartolomé Mitre made a famous speech to the crowds on 4 May 1865: ...My fellow countrymen, I promise you: in three days we shall be at the barracks. In three weeks, at the frontiers. And in three months in Asunción! The same day, Argentina declared war on Paraguay; however, on 1 May 1865, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay had signed

4272-424: The lower end of the Paraguay River. However, recent studies suggest many problems. Although the Paraguayan army had between 70,000 and 100,000 men at the beginning of the conflict, they were badly equipped. Most infantry armaments consisted of inaccurate smooth-bore muskets and carbines , slow to reload and short-ranged. The artillery was similarly poor. Military officers had no training or experience, and there

4361-481: The measures protested against in the note of August 30th, 1864, Paraguay will be under the painful necessity of making its protest effective." On 12 October, despite the Paraguayan notes and ultimatums, Brazilian troops under the command of general João Propício Mena Barreto  [ pt ] invaded Uruguay. This was not the start of the Paraguayan war, however, for Paraguay continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Brazil for another month. On 11 November

4450-501: The military's adherence to the abolitionist cause, which at that point had already become a consensual agenda among the military. In order to impose punishment on the abolitionist officer, the then minister of war, senator Franco de Sá, ordered him to be questioned by the army's adjutant general. Sena Madureira did not accept the order and claimed that only his direct superior (the Count of Eu) could ask him for explanations about his activities as

4539-491: The movement against the monarchy. Reluctant at first, among other reasons for being a friend of the emperor, Fonseca ended up agreeing to at least overthrow the prime minister , Afonso Celso, the Viscount of Ouro Preto . Thus, taking command of the troops, in the early hours of 15 November, Fonseca went to the Ministry of War, where the monarchist leaders were meeting. All were deposed and the First Brazilian Republic

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4628-519: The much smaller republics of Uruguay and Paraguay. The war has also been attributed to the aftermath of colonialism in South America with border conflicts between the new states, the struggle for power among neighboring nations over the strategic Río de la Plata region, Brazilian and Argentine meddling in internal Uruguayan politics (which had already caused the Platine War ), Solano López's efforts to help his allies in Uruguay (which had been defeated by

4717-613: The mutual influences between court life and peasant culture in the 17th, 18th, and 19th-century Europe). Once exclusively a rural festival, today in Brazil it is largely a city festival during which people mimic peasant stereotypes and clichés and consume typical refreshments and dishes. As in Carnival, these festivities involve costumes (in this case, peasant garb), dancing, heavy drinking, and visual spectacles (fireworks display and folk dancing). As on Midsummer and St John's Day in Europe, bonfires are

4806-516: The nutrient-poor conditions. The lower basin of the Parnaíba is home to the Maranhão Babaçu forests , which extend westward into Maranhão. This ecoregion is dominated by stands of the Babaçu palm. The eastern portion of the state is dominated by the dry Caatingas shrublands, which extend across much of northeastern Brazil. The Cerrado savannas extend across the southwestern portion of the state, in

4895-419: The officer corps. In this way, the elite lost interest in military careers, and positions began to be filled by the children of military personnel and small employees. The Brazilian victory in the Paraguayan War was decisive both for the consolidation of the army and for the formation of an institutional consciousness among the military. Furthermore, the five-year stay of the regular army and volunteer corps in

4984-489: The open support of Argentina, which supplied the rebels with arms, ammunition and 2,000 men. Flores wanted to overthrow the Blanco Party government of president Bernardo Berro , which was allied with Paraguay. Paraguayan president López sent a note to the Argentine government on 6 September 1863, asking for an explanation, but Buenos Aires denied any involvement in Uruguay. From that moment, mandatory military service

5073-485: The press. However, the colonel did not restrict himself to defending his own iamge, but made direct criticisms of the minister of war, Alfredo Chaves, who was a civilian. The minister immediately punished the officer with a reprimand and detention for 48 hours. Although this reaction from was fully supported by the ministerial warnings of 1859, 1878, 1882 and 1885, the punishment had wide repercussions among military and political circles. Marshal José Antônio Correia da Câmara,

5162-523: The primary language taught in schools, but English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum. Educational institutions in Piauí include: Piauí is one of the poorest states of Brazil. The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 60.1%, followed by the industrial sector at 27.3%. Agriculture represents 12.6% of GDP (2004). Piauí exports include essential oils 19.5%, soybeans 17.1%, woven cotton 15.1%, cashews 12.6%, crustaceans 12.4%, and leather 8.3% (2002). Grupo Claudino

5251-492: The province of Corrientes. Argentine president Bartolomé Mitre refused Paraguay's request and a similar one from Brazil. After this refusal, the Paraguayan Congress gathered at an emergency meeting on 5 March 1865. After several days of discussions, on 23 March Congress decided to declare war on Argentina for its policies, hostile to Paraguay and favourable to Brazil, and then they conferred to Francisco Solano López

5340-507: The rank of Field Marshal of the Republic of Paraguay. The declaration of war was sent on 29 March 1865 to Buenos Aires. On 13 April 1865, a Paraguayan squadron sailed down the Paraná River and attacked two Argentine ships in the port of Corrientes . Immediately general Robles' troops took the city with 3,000 men, and a cavalry force of 800 arrived the same day. Leaving a force of 1,500 men in

5429-479: The regime, opted for a discreet reception and measures for a rapid demobilization and fragmentation of the units. In the officers' view, such attitude represented a disregard for military honor and merits. In 1871, a group of 40 officers founded the Military Institute to fight for improvements in the army. They offered the institute's presidency to Gaston, the Count of Eu , who was married to princess Isabel ,

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5518-480: The region between the two rivers, and these tribes would attack Brazilian and Paraguayan settlements that were local to them. There are several theories regarding the origins of the war. The traditional view emphasizes that the policies of Paraguayan president Francisco Solano López used the Uruguayan War as a pretext to gain control of the Platine basin . That caused a response from the regional hegemons, Brazil and Argentina, both of which exercised influence over

5607-533: The region included Francisco Dias d'Ávila from state of Bahia , who brought the first herds of cattle to the area; and Domingos Afonso Mafrense , from Portugal , who founded what is today Oeiras . In the 17th century, many impoverished noblemen and Jesuit priests, as well as black and Amerindian slaves, settled there. The first large-scale cattle farming also arrived with these settlers. Large estate owners seeking new pastures for their livestock arrived from neighbouring states such as Bahia and Maranhão . At

5696-526: The runway was too short and because ANAC (the Federal aviation authority) was not involved in monitoring the project, so were unable to certify it as safe for international flights. There is some mining in the state, including South America's only opal mines at Pedro Segundo. Diamonds are mined by Gema do Piauí Mineração Ltda (Gemapi) and processed in the neighbouring state of Pernambuco in a joint-venture with Gitanjali Group (India). The state has significant deposits of nickel and iron ore. João Carlos Cavalcanti,

5785-429: The secret Treaty of the Triple Alliance in Buenos Aires. They named Bartolomé Mitre, president of Argentina, as supreme commander of the allied forces. The signatories of the treaty were Rufino de Elizalde (Argentina), Otaviano de Almeida (Brazil) and Carlos de Castro (Uruguay). On 11 June 1865, at the naval Battle of Riachuelo , the Brazilian fleet commanded by admiral Francisco Manoel Barroso da Silva destroyed

5874-462: The shortest coastline of any coastal Brazilian state at 66 km (41 mi), and the capital, Teresina , is the only state capital in the northeast to be located inland. The reason for this is, unlike the rest of the area, Piauí was first colonised inland and slowly expanded towards the ocean, rather than the other way around. In the southeast of the state, the National Park of Serra da Capivara

5963-445: The south by Bahia . It has a short Atlantic coastline on the north. The Parnaíba River forms the boundary with Maranhão throughout its entire length; the state lies almost entirely within the basin of the Parnaíba and its tributaries. Part of the state on the Atlantic coast and along the lower Parnaíba is low, swampy, and historically malarial. South of this the country rises gradually to a plateau with open campos. This plateau region

6052-412: The state tourism authority, over one million tourists would visit Piauí in 2010. Estimates based on by CEPRO, the state statistics agency, suggest the actual figure is likely to fractional of this figure. The construction of an international airport at São Raimundo Nonato (Aeroporto Internacional Serra da Capivara) was criticised on the grounds that it could not function as an international airport because

6141-434: The support of the powerful Argentine caudillo Justo José de Urquiza , governor of the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos, who was known to be the chief federalist hostile to Mitre and the central government in Buenos Aires. However, Urquiza gave his full support to an Argentine offensive. The forces advanced approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) south before ultimately ending the offensive in failure. Following

6230-478: The three countries quarreled over lands that were mostly uncharted or unknown. They were either sparsely populated or settled by indigenous tribes that answered to no parties. In the case of Paraguay and Brazil, the problem was to define whether the Apa or Branco rivers should represent their actual boundary, a persistent issue that had confused Spain and Portugal in the late 18th century. A few indigenous tribes populated

6319-426: The time since Brazil and Argentina had become independent, their struggle for hegemony in the Río de la Plata region had profoundly marked the diplomatic and political relations among the countries of the region. Brazil was the first country to recognize the independence of Paraguay, in 1844. At this time Argentina still considered it a breakaway province. While Argentina was ruled by Juan Manuel Rosas (1829–1852),

6408-430: The troops of José Dias da Silva. The city of Coxim was taken in April 1865. The second Paraguayan column, formed from some of the 4,650 men led by Francisco Isidoro Resquín at Concepción, penetrated into Mato Grosso with 1,500 troops. Despite these victories, the Paraguayan forces did not continue to Cuiabá, the capital of the province, where Augusto Leverger had fortified the camp of Melgaço . Their main objective

6497-592: The uplands it is dry with high day-time temperatures and cool nights. According to the 2022 census , there were 3,271,199 people residing in the state. The population density was 13 inhabitants/km . Urbanization : 60.7% (2006); Population growth : 1.1% (1991–2000); Houses : 791,000 (2006). The last census in 2022 revealed the following numbers: 2,120,880 Brown ( Multiracial ) people (64.8%), 740,322 White people (22.6%), 400,662 Black people (12.2%), 6,198 Amerindian people (0.2%), 3.078 Asian people (0.1%). Religion in Piauí (2010) The population of Piauí

6586-526: The war with fewer than 2,000 men and no navy. Many of Brazil's 16,000 troops were located in its southern garrisons. The Brazilian advantage, though, was in its navy, comprising 45 ships with 239 cannons and about 4,000 well-trained crew. A great part of the squadron was already in the Rio de la Plata basin, where it had acted under the Marquis of Tamandaré in the intervention against Aguirre's government. Brazil, however,

6675-402: The war with over 60,000 trained men—38,000 of whom were already under arms—400 cannons, a naval squadron of 23 steamboats and five river-navigating ships (among them, the gunboat Tacuarí ). Communication in the Río de la Plata basin was maintained solely by river, as very few roads existed. Whoever controlled the rivers would win the war, so Paraguay had built fortifications on the banks of

6764-599: Was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina , the Empire of Brazil , and Uruguay . It was the deadliest and bloodiest inter-state war in Latin American history. Paraguay sustained large casualties, but even the approximate numbers are disputed. Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. The war began in late 1864, as

6853-411: Was a right that was above the country's own laws. As military dissatisfaction grew, the republican movement gained strength among the troops. Finally, on 11 November 1889, in the midst of yet another crisis, civil and military figures, including Ruy Barbosa , Benjamin Constant, Aristides Lobo and Quintino Bocaiúva , tried to convince Deodoro da Fonseca - a conservative and prestigious figure - to lead

6942-510: Was formed from the National Guard of Rio Grande do Sul. Ultimately, a total of about 146,000 Brazilians fought in the war from 1864 to 1870, consisting of the 10,025 army soldiers stationed in Uruguayan territory in 1864, 2,047 that were in the province of Mato Grosso, 55,985 Fatherland Volunteers , 60,009 National Guardsmen, 8,570 ex-slaves who had been freed to be sent to war, and 9,177 navy personnel. Another 18,000 National Guard troops stayed behind to defend Brazilian territory. Paraguay took

7031-525: Was informed of all this and sent to Brazil a message, which stated in part: The government of the Republic of Paraguay will consider any occupation of the Oriental territory [i.e. Uruguay] as an attempt against the equilibrium of the states of the Platine Region which interests the Republic of Paraguay as a guarantee for its security, peace, and prosperity; and that it protests in the most solemn manner against

7120-530: Was introduced in Paraguay; in February 1864, an additional 64,000 men were drafted into the army. One year after the beginning of the Cruzada Libertadora , in April 1864, Brazilian minister José Antônio Saraiva arrived in Uruguayan waters with the Imperial Fleet, to demand payment for damages caused to Rio Grande do Sul farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. Uruguayan president Atanasio Aguirre , from

7209-648: Was no command system, as all decisions were made personally by López. Food, ammunition, and armaments were scarce, with logistics and hospital care deficient or nonexistent. The nation of about 450,000 people could not stand against the Triple Alliance of 11 million people. The Paraguayan army during peacetime prior to the war was made up of eight infantry battalions of 800 men each but had only been able to muster 4,084 Infantrymen with five cavalry regiments, nominally 2,500 (2,522 in reality) and two artillery regiments, with 907 men. By March 1865, six new infantry battalions and eight cavalry regiments had been formed. In addition,

7298-498: Was proclaimed in the country. Paraguayan War Allied victory Paraguay permanently lost its claims to lands amounting to almost 40% of its prewar claimed territories. The Paraguayan War ( Spanish : Guerra del Paraguay , Portuguese : Guerra do Paraguai , Guarani : Paraguái Ñorairõ ), also known as the War of the Triple Alliance ( Spanish : Guerra de la Triple Alianza , Portuguese : Guerra da Tríplice Aliança ),

7387-464: Was satisfied with the results, and new treaties were signed in the following decades that either established new territorial lines or repealed them. The final accord signed by both powers, the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz , reaffirmed the validity of the previous Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777), which had derived from the older Treaty of Madrid . The territorial disputes became worse when the Viceroyalty of

7476-408: Was settled in February 1865. News of the war's end was brought by Pereira Pinto and met with joy in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian emperor Pedro II found himself waylaid by a crowd of thousands in the streets amid acclamations. However, public opinion quickly changed for the worse when newspapers began running stories painting the convention of 20 February as harmful to Brazilian interests, for which

7565-718: Was the capture of the gold and diamond mines, disrupting the flow of these materials into Brazil until 1869. Brazil sent an expedition to fight the invaders in Mato Grosso. A column of 2,780 men led by Manuel Pedro Drago left Uberaba in Minas Gerais in April 1865 and arrived at Coxim in December, after a difficult march of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) through four provinces. However, Paraguay had already abandoned Coxim by December. Drago arrived at Miranda in September 1866, and

7654-526: Was the first Brazilian city to be planned. In 1852, an architect designed it, after being inspired by a chessboard. Situated at the confluence of the Parnaíba and Poti Rivers , Teresina was (and still is) known as the Green City because of the countless mango trees that line the city's streets. Piauí is bounded on the west by Maranhão , on the east by Ceará and Pernambuco , to the west by Tocantins , and to

7743-522: Was then defeated by Allied troops under Venancio Flores in the bloody Battle of Yatay , on the banks of the Uruguay River, near Paso de los Libres . While Solano López ordered the retreat of the forces that had occupied Corrientes, the Paraguayan troops that invaded São Borja advanced, taking Itaqui and Uruguaiana. The situation in Rio Grande do Sul was chaotic, and the local Brazilian military commanders were incapable of mounting effective resistance to

7832-526: Was transported by a naval squadron under the command of frigate captain Pedro Ignacio Meza up the Paraguay River to the town of Concepción . There they attacked the Nova Coimbra fort on 27 December 1864. The Brazilian garrison of 154 men resisted for three days, under the command of Hermenegildo Portocarrero (later Baron of Fort Coimbra). When their munitions were exhausted, the defenders abandoned

7921-478: Was unprepared to fight a war. Its army was disorganized. The troops it used in Uruguay were mostly armed contingents of gauchos and the National Guard. While some Brazilian accounts of the war described their infantry as volunteers ( Voluntários da Pátria ), other Argentine revisionist and Paraguayan accounts disparaged the Brazilian infantry as mainly recruited from slaves and the landless (largely black) underclass, who were promised free land for enlisting. The cavalry

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