Macapá
Capital of Amapá, Brazil, on the equator.
Macapá is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amapá, located in the country's North Region on the northern channel of the Amazon Delta near its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean.
- Country
- Brazil
- State
- Amapá
- Known for
- Being the capital of Amapá and the only Brazilian state capital through which the equator passes
Lore & Background
The name Macapá is a corruption of the Tupi word macapaba, meaning 'place of many bacabas,' the fruit of a local palm tree.
Reader's Guide
Macapá serves as the economic and commercial hub of Amapá, with gold, iron, lumber, manganese, oil, timber, and tin ore from the interior passing through to the Port of Santana. Macapá International Airport, originally a U.S. World War II air base, provides flights to major Brazilian cities. Landmarks include the Fortress of St. The municipality contains the Parazinho Biological Reserve, the Rio Curiaú Environmental Protection Area, and the Fazendinha Environmental Protection Area. According to Business Insider, Macapá is the 69th most violent city in the world, with 26.06 homicides per 100,000 people.
Did You Know?
- The equator runs through the middle of Macapá, leading residents to call it 'The capital of the middle of the world.'
- The fortress of São Joselito de Macapá took 18 years to complete due to illness among Indian workers and escapes by black slaves.
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