In the colonial period the region was calledPortuguese Guiana and was part ofPortugal'sState of Brazil. Later, the region was distinguished from the otherGuianas. Amapá was once part of Pará, but became a separate territory in 1943, and the decision to make it a state was made in 1988.[4] The first state legislators took office on 1 January 1991.
The dominant feature of the region, and 90 percent of its total area, is theAmazon rainforest. Unexplored forests occupy 70 percent of Amapá, andTumucumaque Mountains National Park, established in 2002, is the largest tropical forest park in the world. The mouth of theRiver Oiapoque is the northern end of Brazil's coastline.
During the colonial era from 1637 to 1654 the Amapá region was merged into the Captaincy of Pará, which was theCaptaincy of Cabo de Norte.[5] In the early colonial period the Amapá region was a rich source oflumber,resins,annatto, vegetable oils, andsalted fish, all of which were exported to Europe. The French establishedsugarcane plantations in this period.
With the discovery of mineral deposits the Amapá region was invaded by theBritish andDutch, who were ultimately repelled by thePortuguese.[5] TheTreaty of Utrecht in 1713 established the boundaries between thecolony of Brazil andFrench Guiana, but these were not respected by the French. A fort was constructed atSão José de Macapá, in present-day Macapá, as a base of Portuguese power in the region.[5] In the 18th century, France retook control of the area. This international dispute continued until 1900.
The discovery ofgold and the increasing value ofrubber on the international market during the 19th century increased the Portuguese population of Amapá, bringing the dispute with France to a head. Although French settlers had established theRepublic of Independent Guyana (1886–1891), Brazil challenged the Amapá claim through international arbitration in Geneva on 1 December 1900, which was found in favour of Brazil. It was subsequently incorporated into the state ofPará, asAraguari after theAraguari River and in 1943 this became the federalterritory of Amapá.
The discovery of richmanganese deposits inSerra do Navio in 1945 revolutionized the local economy. Manganese remains the largest source of revenue in the state.[5] Amapá's move to statehood was made on 5 October 1988, at the time of the promulgation of the newBrazilian Constitution, with the first state legislators taking office at the start of 1991.
Karupina mountain in the Uaçá Indigenous Territory, Amapá, Brazil.
The State of Amapá possesses the lowest rate of loss of its original vegetation for any Brazilian state, estimated at only 2%. Most of the Amapá territory is covered withrainforest, while the remaining areas are covered withsavannah andplains. On the Amapá coast, almost intact beaches mix with swamps, creating the largest representation of this biome in Brazil. This mixture of salt and fresh water is perfect for the food chain reproduction of several animal species. Pollution, however, is now a chronic problem in the state of Amapá. Mercury, which is used in the extraction of gold, is widely found in water sources and sewage systems in the population centers of Amapá.[5]
To protect the natural resources of the state, there are, as of 2016, 12protected areas and fiveindigenous territories covering 10,476,117 hectares (25,887,050 acres), or 72% of the state.[6] TheAmapá Biodiversity Corridor has been established in 2003 to provide integrated management for the conservation area.[7] The most important protected areas are theTumucumaque Mountains National Park located in the west of the state, and theCabo Orange National Park located near the coast. The Tumucumaque Mountains National Park is the world's largest tropical forestnational park.[8] The Cabo Orange National Park contains flooded grasslands andmangrove forests which are important fish nurseries.[9]
According to the2022 census, there were 733,759 people residing in the state, with a population density of 5.1/km2. The population of Amapá is highly urbanized, with 93.7% of the population residing primarily in Macapá andSantana.[10]Population growth: 5.7% (1991–2000);Houses: 144,000 (2006).
The majority of the residents of Amapá live in poverty. According to theFundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) 36.56% of the population live on only R$79 per month, which the foundation considers below a decent standard of living.[5]
According to data obtained by the IBGE in the 2010 Brazilian Census, 64% of Amapá residents were Roman Catholics, 28% were Evangelicals (Protestants) and 6% did not profess any religion. The other faiths added together formed 2% of the population.[12]
The Catholic Church comprises the Diocese of Macapá (1949) a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Belém de Pará, under Bishop Pedro José Conti (2004) with 27 parishes.[13]
The region around theAmazon River used to support a large population of Amerindians during thepre-Columbian era.[15] The policy of the Portuguese monarchy was to engage in war in order to clear them from the land.[16] TheCabanagem Revolt in the 1830s, resulted in the final dispersal of the Amerindians along the Amazon.[17]
Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools.French is the second language taught in every school due to the proximity ofFrench Guiana. A Creole language calledLanc-Patuá is spoken among some of the people.
The main airport of the state isMacapá International Airport. On 12 April 2019 a new terminal was opened replacing an older facility. Following its closure, the old terminal was demolished to make room for an enlarged apron which was completed by 2020.[22][23]
There is a small port in Macapá; however, it is not suitable for cargo traffic.[31] The main harbour is thePort of Santana which is also used for international cargo.[32]
The flag was adopted by Decree No. 8 of 23 April 1984. The blue represents the sky over Amapá and justice; the green represents the native rainforest; and the yellow represents the Union and its natural resources. The black stands for the deceased who worked for the state, and the white for the will of the state to live in peace and stability. The symbol on thehoist-side represents the Fortress of São José, out of which the state capital grew.[33]
Before 1984, the state had a red-white-red flag, based on the flag ofPará, and similar to theflag of Peru.[34]
^"Macapa".Fleet Mon (in Portuguese). Retrieved5 April 2021.
^"O Porto".Docas De Santana (in Portuguese). Archived fromthe original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved5 April 2021.
^"Símbolos do Estado" (in Portuguese). Macapá: Governo do Estado do Amapá. 2015. Archived fromthe original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved2 February 2015.
^"Estado do Amapá".www.vexilologia.com.br (in Portuguese). Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved5 January 2016.
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