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State of Maranhão Estado do Maranhão | |||||||||
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| 1621–1751 | |||||||||
.svg) Coat of arms | |||||||||
 State of Maranhão in 1709 | |||||||||
| Status | State of the Portuguese Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | São Luís | ||||||||
| Common languages | Portuguese | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||
| Government | Dependent territory under anabsolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1621 | Philip II | ||||||||
• 1706–1737 | John V | ||||||||
| Captain-major | |||||||||
• 1621–1622 | Domingos da Costa Machado | ||||||||
• 1736–1737 | João Alves de Carvalho | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1621 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1751 | ||||||||
| Currency | Portuguese Real | ||||||||
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TheState of Maranhão (Portuguese:Estado do Maranhão) was the northern of two 17–18th century administrative divisions of the colonialPortuguese Empire in South America.
In 1621 theGovernorate General of Brazil was separated into two states; theState of Brazil and the State of Maranhão. The state was created on 13 June 1621 byPhilip II of Portugal.[1]
With the creation of the statePortuguese America had two administrative units: the State of Maranhão with its capital inSão Luís, and theState of Brazil whose capital wasSão Salvador. After the 1670s Belem became the operational base of the Maranhão governors and it was formally designated the state capital in 1737.
The purpose of creating this state was to improve military defense in the Northern Region and stimulate economic activities and regional trade with the mainland[citation needed].
The State of Maranhão was extinguished in 1652 and in 1654 reconstituted as Maranhão and Grão-Pará. In 1751 the State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará had its name changed toGrão-Pará and Maranhão and its capital was moved from São Luís to Belém.
The following captaincies formed the State of Maranhão. Ceará was later detached and became a satellite of Pernambuco, in the State of Brazil.
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