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60-572: It has the lowest population density out of all the regions of Brazil, with only 4.5 inhabitants per km. Most of the population is centered in urban areas. Belém International Airport and Manaus International Airport connect the North Region with many Brazilian cities and also operate some international flights. The region is home to the Federal University of Amazonas and the Federal University of Pará , among others. The first inhabitants of

120-530: A closed and continuous tree canopy , moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropical rainforests or temperate rainforests , but other types have been described. Estimates vary from 40% to 75% of all biotic species being indigenous to the rainforests. There may be many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms still undiscovered in tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests have been called

180-618: A huge menu of fruits, such as the local açaí , pupunha, tucumã, cupuaçu , buriti, abiu, urucu, Malay apple , cumaru, guaraná , and ingá, among other fruits. The whole region has a rich variety of ingredients, but also foods based on cassava such as water flour, uarini flour, tapioca flour, tapioca gum, tucupi, among others. The population of northern Brazil is largely made up of Caboclos , descendants of Native Brazilians and Europeans - mostly Portuguese, French and Spanish. North of Brazil has received and continues to receive large migration of people from South and Southeast regions of

240-629: A large loss of Amazonian rainforest around 2050 due to drought , forest dieback and the subsequent release of more carbon dioxide. Tropical rainforests provide timber as well as animal products such as meat and hides. Rainforests also have value as tourism destinations and for the ecosystem services provided. Many foods originally came from tropical forests, and are still mostly grown on plantations in regions that were formerly primary forest. Also, plant-derived medicines are commonly used for fever, fungal infections, burns, gastrointestinal problems, pain, respiratory problems, and wound treatment. At

300-588: A letter addressed to Cardinal Pedro Bembo in Venice , extolling the fauna and flora existing in the region at the time of the expedition. The 17th century marked the arrival of the Portuguese people , where they built military strongholds to defend the region against the invasion of other peoples, in 1616, causing in the foundation of Belém do Pará . The richness of the Amazon Rainforest has also become interesting for

360-490: A moist layer of leaf litter, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. The largest areas of rainforest are tropical or temperate rainforests, but other vegetation associations including subtropical rainforest , littoral rainforest , cloud forest , vine thicket and even dry rainforest have been described. Tropical rainforests are characterized by a warm and wet climate with no substantial dry season: typically found within 10 degrees north and south of

420-423: A more open canopy layer than other rainforests, and are found in areas of lower rainfall (630–1,100 mm (25–43 in)). They generally have two layers of trees. A tropical rainforest typically has a number of layers, each with different plants and animals adapted for life in that particular area. Examples include the emergent, canopy , understory and forest floor layers. The emergent layer contains

480-576: A researcher of balloons . The airport is operated by Norte da Amazônia. Some of its facilities are shared with Belém Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force . In 1934, General Eurico Gaspar Dutra , then the Director of Military Aviation, appointed Lieutenant Armando Sierra de Menezes to choose a site in Val de Cans where an airport was to be built. The Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, an agency of

540-513: A small net impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, though they may have other climatic effects (on cloud formation, for example, by recycling water vapour ). No rainforest today can be considered to be undisturbed. Human-induced deforestation plays a significant role in causing rainforests to release carbon dioxide, as do other factors, whether human-induced or natural, which result in tree death, such as burning and drought. Some climate models operating with interactive vegetation predict

600-407: A small number of very large trees called emergents , which grow above the general canopy , reaching heights of 45–55 m, although on occasion a few species will grow to 70–80 m tall. They need to be able to withstand the hot temperatures and strong winds that occur above the canopy in some areas. Eagles , butterflies , bats and certain monkeys inhabit this layer. The canopy layer contains

660-797: A study by Colin Turnbull , The Forest People , in 1962. Pygmies who live in Southeast Asia are, amongst others, referred to as " Negrito ". There are many tribes in the rainforests of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Sarawak is part of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Some of the other tribes in Sarawak are: the Kayan, Kenyah, Kejaman, Kelabit, Punan Bah, Tanjong, Sekapan, and the Lahanan. Collectively, they are referred to as Dayaks or Orangulu which means "people of

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720-437: A trend towards declining populations in rainforests, for example, reptiles that feed on amphibians and reptiles. This trend requires close monitoring. The seasonality of rainforests affects the reproductive patterns of amphibians, and this in turn can directly affect the species of reptiles that feed on these groups, particularly species with specialized feeding, since these are less likely to use alternative resources. Despite

780-436: A very broad array of fauna , including mammals , reptiles , amphibians , birds and invertebrates . Mammals may include primates , felids and other families. Reptiles include snakes , turtles , chameleons and other families; while birds include such families as vangidae and Cuculidae . Dozens of families of invertebrates are found in rainforests. Fungi are also very common in rainforest areas as they can feed on

840-503: Is abundant. Many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are present in the understory. Only about 5% of the sunlight shining on the rainforest canopy reaches the understory. This layer can be called a shrub layer , although the shrub layer may also be considered a separate layer. The forest floor , the bottom-most layer, receives only 2% of the sunlight. Only plants adapted to low light can grow in this region. Away from riverbanks , swamps and clearings, where dense undergrowth

900-419: Is found, the forest floor is relatively clear of vegetation because of the low sunlight penetration. It also contains decaying plant and animal matter, which disappears quickly, because the warm, humid conditions promote rapid decay. Many forms of fungi growing here help decay the animal and plant waste. More than half of the world's species of plants and animals are found in rainforests. Rainforests support

960-408: 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. 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

1020-688: The Air Transport Command with two runways measuring 1,500 x 45 meters on a basis of concrete and asphalt and comprising modern airport facilities, able to meet efficiently civil aviation and military needs. Val de Cans and other airbases used by the Americans during World War II were returned to the Ministry of Aeronautics in 1945. Panair do Brasil , Pan American , and NAB – Navegação Aérea Brasileira began their activities at Val de Cans building their stations and providing services to passengers. In 1958,

1080-461: The Amazon rainforest ), Central America (e.g. Bosawás , the southern Yucatán Peninsula - El Peten - Belize - Calakmul ), Australia , and on Pacific Islands (such as Hawaiʻi ). Tropical forests have been called the "Earth's lungs ", although it is now known that rainforests contribute little net oxygen addition to the atmosphere through photosynthesis . Tropical forests cover a large part of

1140-518: The Boa Vista International Bus Station to Venezuela and Guyana. Bel%C3%A9m International Airport Val-de-Cans/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport ( IATA : BEL , ICAO : SBBE ) is the main airport serving Belém , Brazil. Val de Cans (sometimes spelled Val de Cães) is the name of the neighborhood where the airport is located. On 13 April 2010, the airport was named after Júlio Cezar Ribeiro de Souza (1837–1887),

1200-832: The Intertropical Convergence Zone . The broader category of tropical moist forests are located in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn . Tropical rainforests exist in Southeast Asia (from Myanmar (Burma) ) to the Philippines , Malaysia , Indonesia , Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka ; also in Sub-Saharan Africa from the Cameroon to the Congo ( Congo Rainforest ), South America (e.g.

1260-656: The National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) in 1952, the establishment of regional development agencies such as the Superintendency of Development for the Amazon (SUDAM) in 1966 and the Free Economic Zone of Manaus in 1967 began to contribute to the settlement of region and in the execution of projects focused on the region. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises

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1320-595: The Northeast Region , moved to the region. Also many Japanese families came to work in the agricultural colonies. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, military governments implemented a major plan to integrate the region with other regions of Brazil, including the construction of several highways (such as the BR-010 ), the installation of industries and the creation of the Free Economic Zone of Manaus . The territorial division into countries does not necessarily coincide with

1380-667: The Portuguese Crown . With the Portuguese explorers, the Catholic missionaries came to the region, in order to catechize the natives. The natives were assembled by missionaries in villages, called missions, many of which gave birth to several cities, such as Borba and Óbidos . Some of the Region's oldest towns: Bragança , Xapuri , Tefé , Natividade and Amapá . In order to work on rubber extraction, Brazilians from other states, mainly from

1440-418: The equator . Mean monthly temperatures exceed 18 °C (64 °F) during all months of the year. Average annual rainfall is no less than 168 cm (66 in) and can exceed 1,000 cm (390 in) although it typically lies between 175 cm (69 in) and 200 cm (79 in). Many of the world's tropical forests are associated with the location of the monsoon trough , also known as

1500-488: The "jewels of the Earth" and the " world's largest pharmacy ", because over one quarter of natural medicines have been discovered there. Rainforests as well as endemic rainforest species are rapidly disappearing due to deforestation , the resulting habitat loss and pollution of the atmosphere . Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, high humidity, the presence of moisture-dependent vegetation,

1560-400: The 20th century and the area covered by rainforests around the world is shrinking. Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction (possibly more than 50,000 a year; at that rate, says E. O. Wilson of Harvard University , a quarter or more of all species on Earth could be exterminated within 50 years) due to the removal of habitat with destruction of

1620-444: 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 catalogue Some latitudes can create a region with hot and humid climates. The existence of heat and the enormous liquid mass favor evaporation and make the region a very humid area. Dominated by an equatorial climate , the region presents high temperatures throughout

1680-634: The Amazonian states, causing rapidly falling temperature. The Amazonian heat provides an area of low latitude that attracts masses of polar air. Occurring in winter, the effect of "friagem" lasts a week or so. With its own folklore, the main attractions are the Parintins Folklore Festival , Círio de Nazaré in Belém , Rio Branco and Macapá ; Sairé Festival , in Santarém , Expo Acre (the largest in

1740-417: The Earth, but one to two hundred feet above it, extending over thousands of square miles." A true exploration of this habitat only began in the 1980s, when scientists developed methods to reach the canopy, such as firing ropes into the trees using crossbows . Exploration of the canopy is still in its infancy, but other methods include the use of balloons and airships to float above the highest branches and

1800-471: The Ministry of Aeronautics began building the first passenger terminal for general airline use, which was opened on 24 January 1959. It was then administered by the Department of Civil Aviation. In 1974, its administration was transferred to Infraero . The original passenger terminal complex underwent major renovation and expansion, which was completed in 2001. In 1999, a brand-new passenger terminal located at

1860-492: The Ministry of Traffic and Public Works, would be in charge of the project. Val de Cans began its history as a land track running along the east–west axis with 1,200m. The facility comprised a courtyard, a hangar, and a parking structure of concrete for military aircraft, which later became known as "Yellow Hangar." With the outbreak of World War II , airbases and airports located on the Brazilian coast became immensely important in

North Region, Brazil - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-592: The North Region, as in the rest of Brazil, were the Native Brazilians , who shared a diverse number of tribes and villages, from the pre-Columbian period until the arrival of the European people. The Spaniards, among them Francisco de Orellana , organized exploratory expeditions by the Amazon River to know the region. After long journeys alongside Francisco de Orellana , Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote

1980-829: The North region) and typical dances, Marujada, Carimbó , Brazilian Calypso , Tecno brega and Cirandas such as Samba lelê and others. In the region, there are some of the most beautiful theaters and palaces in Brazil: The Amazon Theatre , located in Manaus , Palácio Rio Branco , in Rio Branco, Palácio Senador Hélio Campos , in Boa Vista, Teatro das Bacabeiras , in Macapá and the Peace Theatre , located in Belém . The gastronomic culture of

2040-549: The State of Pará ) and manganese, at Navio Mountain Range (in the State of Amapá ). Small-scale Buffalo creation and the Free Economic Zone of Manaus are also important to the local economy. Vehicles : 1,746,501 (March/2007); Telephones : 1,805,000 (April/2007); Cities : 449 (2007). Portuguese language is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. However, English and Spanish are also part of

2100-459: The airport. Following is the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-August 2023) and NOA (September 2023-December 2023) reports: The airport is located 12 km (7 mi) from downtown Belém. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Rainforests Rainforests are forests characterized by

2160-464: The building of cranes and walkways planted on the forest floor. The science of accessing tropical forest canopy using airships or similar aerial platforms is called dendronautics . The understory or understorey layer lies between the canopy and the forest floor. It is home to a number of birds , snakes and lizards , as well as predators such as jaguars , boa constrictors and leopards . The leaves are much larger at this level and insect life

2220-517: The country. In the 20th century, also received great migration from the Northeast , who were working in the rubber plantations of Amazonas and Acre . The economy of the North Region is essentially based on the vegetal plantation and extraction, such as latex , açaí , woods and Brazil nuts ; and mineral extraction of gold , precious stones, cassiterite and tin (metal); as well as mining exploitation, mainly iron , at Carajás Mountain Range (in

2280-417: The decomposing remains of plants and animals. The great diversity in rainforest species is in large part the result of diverse and numerous physical refuges , i.e. places in which plants are inaccessible to many herbivores, or in which animals can hide from predators. Having numerous refuges available also results in much higher total biomass than would otherwise be possible. Some species of fauna show

2340-669: The globe, but temperate rainforests only occur in a few regions around the world. Temperate rainforests are rainforests in temperate regions. They occur in North America (in the Pacific Northwest in Alaska , British Columbia , Washington , Oregon and California ), in Europe (parts of the British Isles such as the coastal areas of Ireland and Scotland , southern Norway , parts of

2400-422: The growth of vegetation in a tropical rainforest, soil quality is often quite poor. Rapid bacterial decay prevents the accumulation of humus . The concentration of iron and aluminium oxides by the laterization process gives the oxisols a bright red colour and sometimes produces mineral deposits such as bauxite . Most trees have roots near the surface because there are insufficient nutrients below

2460-468: The increasing deforestation rate, especially in Indonesia, is the expansion of oil palm plantations to meet growing demand for cheap vegetable fats and biofuels . In Indonesia, palm oil is already cultivated on nine million hectares and, together with Malaysia , the island nation produces about 85 percent of the world's palm oil. Several countries, notably Brazil , have declared their deforestation

North Region, Brazil - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-403: The indigenous occupation of the geographical space; in many cases, there are people living on both sides of international borders, which were created long after they were already in the region. From the beginning of the colonization from the 17th century to the present day, the inhabitants of Amazônia dedicated themselves to extractive and mercantilist activities, inserting between 1840 and 1910

2580-469: The interior". About half of Sarawak's 1.5 million people are Dayaks. Most Dayaks, it is believed by anthropologists, came originally from the South-East Asian mainland. Their mythologies support this. Tropical and temperate rainforests have been subjected to heavy legal and illegal logging for their valuable hardwoods and agricultural clearance ( slash-and-burn , clearcutting ) throughout

2640-506: The island of New Guinea is home to an estimated 44 uncontacted tribal groups. The tribes are in danger because of the deforestation, especially in Brazil. Central African rainforest is home of the Mbuti pygmies , one of the hunter-gatherer peoples living in equatorial rainforests characterised by their short height (below one and a half metres, or 59 inches, on average). They were the subject of

2700-557: 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 . As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity . More than 1/3 of all species in

2760-437: The majority of the largest trees, typically 30 metres (98 ft) to 45 metres (148 ft) tall. The densest areas of biodiversity are found in the forest canopy, a more or less continuous cover of foliage formed by adjacent treetops. The canopy, by some estimates, is home to 50 percent of all plant species. Epiphytic plants attach to trunks and branches , and obtain water and minerals from rain and debris that collects on

2820-602: The monopoly of rubber , mainly in Amazonas and Acre . All this process of colonization has brought about changes such as the reduction of the indigenous population, the increase of the Caboclo identity , the mixing of whites, blacks and indigenous people, the reduction of species of plants and animals and other consequences. After World War II , the Brazilian Amazon became part of the national development process. The creation of

2880-485: The northern region of Brazil is quite rich, has Indigenous , African and Portuguese roots, in addition to other influences from both within Brazil and other cultures outside the country, the strong Amazonian indigenous influence in its main dishes is remarkable, among the main highlights are delicacies such as duck in tucupi sauce, maniçoba, tacacá and a menu of a wide variety of species of Amazonian fish, such as pirarucu, tambaqui , jaú, piramutaba, among other species;

2940-774: The official high school curriculum. There are only a few highways in the North region. The most important ones are the BR-364 , the Interoceanic Highway , running through Acre into Peru , the BR-010 connecting Belém to Southern Brazil, and BR-174 connecting Manaus to Venezuela . Most of the transportation in the region is done by boat or airplane. There are two major airports in the region: Belém International Airport , serving Belém , and Eduardo Gomes International Airport , serving Manaus . The Rio Branco International Bus Station offers services to destinations in Peru and Bolivia,

3000-473: The poor soil quality. First is that the soil is highly acidic. The roots of plants rely on an acidity difference between the roots and the soil in order to absorb nutrients. When the soil is acidic, there is little difference, and therefore little absorption of nutrients from the soil. Second, the type of clay particles present in tropical rainforest soil has a poor ability to trap nutrients and stop them from washing away. Even if humans artificially add nutrients to

3060-703: The rainforests. Another factor causing the loss of rainforest is expanding urban areas . Littoral rainforest growing along coastal areas of eastern Australia is now rare due to ribbon development to accommodate the demand for seachange lifestyles. Forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace. Almost 90% of West Africa 's rainforest has been destroyed. Since the arrival of humans, Madagascar has lost two thirds of its original rainforest. At present rates, tropical rainforests in Indonesia would be logged out in 10 years and Papua New Guinea in 13 to 16 years. According to Rainforest Rescue , an important reason for

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3120-482: The same time, rainforests are usually not used sustainably by non-native peoples but are being exploited or removed for agricultural purposes . On January 18, 2007, FUNAI reported also that it had confirmed the presence of 67 different uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this addition, Brazil has now overtaken the island of New Guinea as the country having the largest number of uncontacted tribes. The province of Irian Jaya or West Papua in

3180-430: The side of the old terminal was built and, after its opening, the old terminal was demolished to give place for an extension to the new terminal. This newly extended terminal greatly increased the comfort and area available to passengers by adding six jetways. Previously operated by Infraero , on August 18, 2022, the consortium Novo Norte formed by the Brazilian companies Socicam and Dix won a 30-year concession to operate

3240-421: The soil, the nutrients mostly wash away and are not absorbed by the plants. Finally, these soils are poor due to the high volume of rain in tropical rainforests washes nutrients out of the soil more quickly than in other climates. A natural rainforest emits and absorbs vast quantities of carbon dioxide . On a global scale, long-term fluxes are approximately in balance, so that an undisturbed rainforest would have

3300-639: The support of transportation of aircraft, personnel, and equipment across the South Atlantic Ocean to Sierra Leone in West Africa. These facilities provided the necessary logistical support for the thousands of planes that, manufactured in Canada and the United States, were moved to North Africa and Europe. After protracted negotiations between Brazil and the United States, airstrips were built at Belém for

3360-443: The supporting plants. The fauna is similar to that found in the emergent layer but more diverse. A quarter of all insect species are believed to exist in the rainforest canopy. Scientists have long suspected the richness of the canopy as a habitat, but have only recently developed practical methods of exploring it. As long ago as 1917, naturalist William Beebe declared that "another continent of life remains to be discovered, not upon

3420-433: The surface; most of the trees' minerals come from the top layer of decomposing leaves and animals. On younger substrates, especially of volcanic origin, tropical soils may be quite fertile. If rainforest trees are cleared, rain can accumulate on the exposed soil surfaces, creating run-off, and beginning a process of soil erosion . Eventually, streams and rivers form and flooding becomes possible. There are several reasons for

3480-730: The western Balkans along the Adriatic coast, as well as in Galicia and coastal areas of the eastern Black Sea , including Georgia and coastal Turkey ), in East Asia (in southern China , Highlands of Taiwan , much of Japan and Korea , and on Sakhalin Island and the adjacent Russian Far East coast), in South America (southern Chile ) and also in Australia and New Zealand . Dry rainforests have

3540-462: The world live in the Amazon Rainforest. The region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants , and some 2000 birds and mammals species. 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. Scientists have described between 96,660 and 128,843 invertebrate species in Brazil alone. The diversity of plant species

3600-574: The year (averages from 24 °C to 26 °C), a low thermal amplitude, with the exception of some areas of the states of Amazonas , Rondônia and Acre , where the phenomenon of "friagem" occurs, due to La Niña 's activity, allowing cold air masses coming from the South Atlantic Ocean to penetrate the states of the South Region of the country, pass through the Central-West region and reach

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