Roraima is theleast populous state in Brazil, with an estimated population of 631,181 inhabitants as of 2020.[1] It is also the state with the lowestpopulation density in Brazil, with 2.01 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its economy, based mainly on thetertiary sector, registers a high growth rate, although itsGross Domestic Product (GDP) is the lowest in the country, withR$ 16.024 billion, representing only 0.20% of the Brazilian economy.[11]
The history of Roraima is strongly linked to theBranco River, which allowed the firstPortuguese settlers to arrive in the region. The Branco River Valley's strategic position made it coveted by theEnglish and theDutch, who entered Brazil through theGuiana Shield in search of indigenous people to beenslaved. TheSpaniards also came to invade the northern part of the Branco River and theUraricoera River through Venezuela. The Portuguese settlers defeated and expelled all invaders, establishingPortugal's sovereignty over the region of Roraima and part of the Amazonas.[12]
As a result ofcrisis in Venezuela since the 2010s, Roraima has become the leading entry point forVenezuelan refugees in Brazil. Displaced Venezuelans in Roraima are estimated to number around 100,000, approximately one-sixth of the state's population.[13]
The word "Roraima" comes from thePemon language. Its etymology gives it three possible meanings: "Green Peak", "Mother of the Winds" and "Cashew Mountain".[14] It would be the junction ofroro (parrot) andimã (father, former).[15] In that language,roro- or alsorora- means "green", andimã means mountain or peak, thus forming the word "Green Peak", reflecting the natural landscape of that specific region.[16]
There is a possibility that the word "Roraima" has two other meanings: "Mother of the Winds" and "Cashew Mountain". The first meaning comes from the windy climate in the region, where indigenous people believed that the winds that blew through southern Venezuela came from that place. The second, "Cashew Mountain", is due to the many mountains and hills that exist in the area.[17]
The firstPortuguese settlers arrived in the region by theBranco River. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, theEnglish and theDutch were already attracted to the region, to explore the Branco River Valley through theGuyanas.Portugal's sovereignty over the region was only established after theSpaniards invaded the northern part of the Branco River, along with theUraricoera River. From 1725,Carmelite missionaries began the task of converting theindigenous peoples in the region.[18]
The Portuguese occupation intensified from the 1730s when it traveled the Branco River in search of consolidation of the borders and indigenous labour. For this, they organized rescue troops (purchase of indigenous people transformed into slaves during wars of opposing ethnic groups), war troops (punishment and enslavement of indigenous people who attacked Portuguese nuclei or prevented evangelization) and the search for Brazilian products for sale, the so-calledsertão drugs. Also, they promoted descents – villages of missionaries and indigenous volunteers or compulsory.[19]
Aerial view of theBoa Vista region at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the middle of the 18th century, thePortuguese Crown became concerned with the constant Spanish expeditions to the western region of theAmazon. Thus, the idea of creating the Royal Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro was considered, which occurred through the Royal Charter of March 3, 1755. The main reason for the creation of the captaincy was the fear of the Spanish threat from theViceroyalty of Peru, and the arising fear from the Dutch expeditions inSuriname to trade and imprison indigenous peoples.[20]
The demarcations foresaw by theTreaty of Madrid, of 1750, also lead to a great extent: with the creation of a new administrative unit in the region, the intention was to implement, in practice, the colonization of the UpperNegro River, creating the necessary infrastructure for the meeting and the work of the Portuguese and Spanish demarcation committees, and this meeting never took place, having Portuguese moulds temporarily occupied the course of the lower Branco River in the meantime, carrying out plantations ofmanioc and other food, for the provisioning of the commission.[20]
The São Joaquim Fort, built in 1755 at the confluence of the Uraricoiera River with theTakutu River, was decisive in the conquest of the Branco River by the Portuguese. The Fort, which no longer exists today, had the main purpose of providing the Portuguese with total sovereignty of Portugal over the lands of the Branco River Valley, which aroused international greed due to its little exploitation.[18]
Village of Nossa Senhora da Conceição according to Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira, late 18th century.
The Portuguese colonizers, after assuming sovereignty and total control of the region, created several villages and towns in the locality, together with indigenous natives. Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Santo Antônio, on the Uraricoera River; São Felipe, on the Takutu River and Nossa Senhora do Carmo and Santa Bárbara, on the Branco River, were the main settlements created at the time, housing a significant population number. However, due to the conflicts between the indigenous and the colonizers, because the indigenous people did not accept to submit to the conditions imposed by the Portuguese, the villages did not develop.[18]
To guarantee the presence of the Portuguese settlers in the lands of the Branco River Valley, commander Manuel da Gama Lôbo d'Almada started breeding cattle and horses in the territory, in 1789. The farms of São Bento, São José and São Marcos, on the Uraricoera and Takutu rivers, respectively, were the first to permanently introduce cattle and equine breeding, between 1793 and 1799. Currently, the São Marcos farm belongs to the indigenous people and is located in front of the place where Fort São Joaquim was located.[18]
Centre of Boa Vista
For a year, between 1810 and 1811, English soldiers entered the Valley but were expelled by the commander of São Joaquim Fort. The border betweenBrazil andGuyana, whose border demarcation process had already been closed, needed to be re-marked, due to the great English invasions that occurred in that period.[18] Therefore, the colonization of the Branco River was divided into four periods: From 1750 to the beginning of the 19th century, with the discovery of the Branco River; from the mid-19th century until the creation of the municipality ofBoa Vista, in 1890; from 1890 until the creation of the Federal Territory of Rio Branco; and the creation of the Federal Territory of Rio Branco to elevate it to the category of Brazilian federative unit renamed Roraima.[18]
Decree-Law No. 5,812 of September 13, 1943, which dismembered the state ofAmazonas, created the Federal Territory of Rio Branco. In 1962, the territory was called the Federal Territory of Roraima and elevated to the category of Brazilian federative unit by theBrazilian Constitution of 1988.[20]
The colonization of the region was highly encouraged at the end of the 19th century, with the establishment of National Farms. However, the state's population only found stability after its emancipation, a century later, with the gold and diamond mines that attracted migratory waves from different regions of the country. This disorderly immigration and exploitation resulted in many conflicts and deaths due to illnesses and murders in the locality.[20] Currently, almost all of the state'sindigenous reserves are approved.[20]
Roraima is a state in theNorth Region of Brazil, being the northernmost state in theFederative Republic of Brazil. It has 1,922 kilometres of border with South American countries. It is bordered by the state ofPará to the southeast for 107 km,Amazonas to the south and west for about 1,200 km partly across the Jufari, Jauaperi and Alalau rivers,Venezuela to the north and northwest for 1,403 km across the Serra Parima and north across the Serra Pacaraima, andGuyana to the east for 964 km.[7] Roraima covers an area of approximately 223,644.527 km2 (86,300 square miles),[1] slightly larger thanBelarus, being thefourteenth largest Brazilian state by area.[8]
Approximately 104,018 km2 (40,200 square miles) of the state is composed of indigenous areas, representing almost half of the state's territory (46.37%).[21] The area ofenvironmental preservation in the state, under the responsibility of theChico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), is also extensive, with 18,879 km2 (7,300 square miles), 8.42% of Roraima's area.[21] For this reason, Roraima is the Brazilian state with the second-highest percentage of territory formed byprotected areas, behind only the state ofAmapá.[22]
Mount Roraima, located inPacaraima Mountains, is the highest point in the state and one of the highest in the country, with 2,875 m (9,400 feet). The relief in the state is quite varied. Near the borders of Venezuela and Guyana are the mountains ofParima andPacaraima, whereMount Roraima is located, with an altitude of 2,875 m (9,400 feet). As it is in the far north of Brazil, its points in the far north are theUailan River and Mount Caburaí.[22]
Roraima is predominantly flat. About 60% of the area is below 200 m (700 feet), about 25% averages between 200 and 300 metres, 14% from 300 to 900 metres and only 1% has elevations over 900 metres abovesea level. There are also twogeomorphological structures: the Wavy Plateau and the Northern Escarpments, which are part of theGuiana Shield. Its Wavy Plateau is a large pediplain, formed by isolated and dispersed massifs and peaks.[22]
Because of its variations, the relief is divided into five degrees: The first-degree houses areas of the state that can be flooded, which do not have a specific form of relief, but which are covered by a thin layer of water; the second degree would be theBranco River pediplain, an important unit of enormous expression in the state since it occupies a large part of its lands. In this pediplain, the altitudes vary from 70 to 160 metres and have a low slope towards the river channels. The third degree is formed by elevations that can reach an altitude of 400 metres.[22] There are mountain ranges such as Serra da Lua, Serra Grande, Serra da Batata and others. The fourth degree is characterized by elevations that can vary from 600 to 2,000 metres of altitude, formed mainly by thePacaraima mountain range,Serra do Parima and Serra do Urucuzeiro. These mountains are joined in the form of chains and the rivers that form theUraricoera river are born there. Finally, the fifth degree, groups the highest regions, formed by elevations that reach almost 3,000 metres of altitude.[22]
According to theKöppen-Geiger climate classification, the prevailing climate in Roraima is similar to that of other states in the North Region that shelter theAmazon rainforest: basic variations of thetropical climate.[23] The average temperature during the year varies from 20 °C (68 °F) in points of relief with higher altitudes, to 38 °C (100 °F) in areas of smooth or flat relief.[23]
The rainfall index in the eastern part is about 2000 millimetres. In the western part, it is approximately 1500 millimetres. In the capital and nearby areas, the indexes reach 2600 millimetres.[23]
In general, the climate varies according to the region. The south and west of the state have atropical rainforest climate (Af).[24] The average annual temperature ranges from 25 to 28 °C (77 to 82 °F).[25][24] In the north and east, the prevailing climates are thetropical monsoon climate (Am) andtropical savanna climate (Aw), where the average temperature is similar to the other regions of the state, however the rainfall index is lower, and the dry season is well defined.[25]
Despite the latitude, in the extreme northwest and northeast, in the highest areas of the state, it is possible to find climatic patterns compatible with those ofhumid subtropical climates (Cfa andCwa),[24] as in the region around Mount Roraima, which has an annual average temperature between 20 and 22 °C (68 and 72 °F), and a dry season between December and March.[26]
The hydrography of Roraima is part of theAmazon River basin and is basically based on the Branco River sub-basin of 45,530 km2 (17,600 square miles), the largest and most important in the state. This river is one of the tributaries of theNegro River.[28]
Most of the rivers in the region have a large number ofbeaches in the summer, ideal for tourism and leisure. Besides, there are rapids rivers located in the north of the state, which are an option for water sports, such ascanoeing. Almost all water sources in the state originate within its territory, except for two rivers with springs inGuyana. All Roraiman rivers flow into theAmazon Basin.[27]
On the beaches of the lower Branco River, it is still possible to find species ofturtles, such as theyellow-spotted river turtle. There are many species of birds in the state, from large to small ones. Among the large ones, thepassarão (literally big bird) and thejabiru stand out. Among the small ones,guans,herons,crested caracara and others stand out.[30]
Buritizeiros in Roraima.Lavrado region.
In Roraima, the flora is divided into three regions:
Amazon rainforest(Floresta tropical amazônica): composed of dense and humid forest typical of the lower Branco River, extending through the southwest region.[30]
General fields of the Branco River(Campos Gerais do Rio Branco): approximately 44,000 km2 (17,000 sq mi), also known as the lavrado region. Lavrado is also known as the savannah. Formed bygrass-plot, but along the watercourses, calledigarapés, there are largepalm trees known asburitizeiros. In the lavrado there are also, in great quantity, bushes, paricaranas and muricizeiros.[30]
Mountainous region(Região Serrana): with typical mountainous vegetation, thinner trees and valleys rich inhumus with good-quality grass for livestock.[30]
In any of the regions, there are three different types of vegetation cover taking into account the river banks. These are:
Mainland forests(Matas de terra firme): comprising forests located in lands never affected by river floods.[30]
Floodplain forests(Matas de várzeas): these are the forests that cover the lands affected by the floods of rivers.[30]
Riparian forests(Matas ciliares): these are preserved by law and are also flooded every year by river floods.[30]
Satellite image of Boa Vista, capital of Roraima, in 2017.Population density in Roraima in the 2010 census.
> 25/km2
1 – 25/km2
0 – 1/km2
According to the population estimate of 2020 carried out by theBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Roraima had a population of 631,181 inhabitants, which makes the state the least populous federative unit in Brazil.[1] The capital,Boa Vista, concentrates 66.4% of the state's population.[33] The population of Roraima has almost doubled in twenty years. In 1991, the state had only 217,583 inhabitants, a significant increase of 95.51% in population growth.[34] The municipalities that showed the highest population growth wereBoa Vista, the capital, andRorainópolis. As for the annual population growth in Roraima, the state ranks among the fastest-growing in Brazil, with a rate of 4.6%, much higher than the national average of 1.6% growth. In this regard, it is second only toAmapá, which registers more than 5% annual growth.[35] However, this high population growth has been declining in recent years.[34] An example of this is the rate presented in 2000 when Roraima showed 49.09% of population growth with 1991. In the last census, in 2010, that number dropped to 31.13%.[34] Of the total population of the state in 2010, 229,343 inhabitants are men and 221,884 inhabitants are women.[36] In recent years, the growth of the urban population has intensified significantly, exceeding the total rural population. According to the 2000 estimate, 80.3% of the inhabitants lived in cities.[35]
Thepopulation density was 1.8 inhab./km2 in 2006.[35] This mark is lower than the Brazilian density, 19.94 inhab./km2.[37] The distribution of the state population is uneven, with a greater concentration in the capital region and the south of the state. Five municipalities – Boa Vista, Rorainópolis, Alto Alegre, Caracaraí and Bonfim – concentrate more than half of the population of Roraima.[35]
In 2017, theHuman Development Index (HDI) of Roraima was 0.752, considered high and placing the state in 12th position among the 26 states in Brazil.[38]
† Region seat †† State capital and region seat
Municipalities in Roraima by population in 2020[39]
Cultural, political and economic traits inherited from thePortuguese,Spanish andDutch are influential in Roraima. Also, the importance of theindigenous peoples in terms of ethnic contribution cannot be forgotten. It was the indigenous people who initiated human occupation in theAmazon region, and their descendants, thecaboclos, developed in close contact with the environment, adapting to the regional peculiarities and opportunities offered by the forest.[41]
In its historical formation, the Roraiman demography is the result of themiscegenation of the three basic ethnic groups that make up the population in the state: the Indigenous, the Europeans and the Africans, thus forming the mestizos of the region (caboclos). Later, with the arrival of migrants, especially from theNortheast of Brazil,[42] a "broth" of singular culture was formed, which characterizes a large part of the population, its values and way of life.[42]
In 2009, the state had a network of 585elementary schools, of which 322 are state schools, 252 municipal, 10private and 1 federal public school. The teaching staff consisted of 4,842 teachers, of whom 2,952 worked in state public schools, 1,627 in municipal public schools and 217 in private schools. 86,547 students studied in these schools, of which 82,208 in public schools and 4,339 in private schools.High school was given in 100 establishments, with an enrollment of 17,512 students. Of the 17,512 students, 16,175 were in public schools and 1,337 in private schools.[47]
As for higher education, theFederal University of Roraima (UFRR), the State University of Roraima (UERR) and the Federal Institute of Roraima (IFRR) stand out. There are also private Higher Education establishments: Roraiman College of Higher Education (FARES),[48] Estácio Atual College,[49] Cathedral College and Faculty of Sciences, Education and Theology of Northern Brazil (FACETEN).[50][51][52][47]
About 14,500 pre-school students were also registered, divided into 270 teaching units. Of these, 258 were municipal, with none at the state level. There were 857 pre-school teachers in the state.[52]
In 2011, the average grade of Roraima in theNational High School Exam (ENEM) is 35.03 in the objective test and 56.37 in the essay test, being one of the highest scores in the North-Northeast of Brazil. In these two regions, Roraima lost only toAmazonas (57.77). However, even with the second highest score, the Roraiman average was below the national average, which was 57.26. Regarding the number of students, 7,463 participated in ENEM in 2010, of which 2,404 were high school graduates and 4,493 graduates. 85.52% of the total students came from public schools.[55]
A survey carried out byPortal G1 identified Roraima as one of the Brazilian states that best remunerates middle school teachers, with an average salary ofR$ 2,099.47 for 25 hours per week. According to the survey, the highest salary in the country, in theFederal District – in the amount of R $3,121.96 – was related to a workload of 40 hours. In the same year, the NGO Todos pela Educação also mentioned Roraima as the second Brazilian state with the highest investment in basic education students per year, with R$4,834.43, for each student.[56]
In 2005, there were 455hospital establishments in the state, with 725beds and 56 doctors, 10 graduated nurses and 60 nursing assistants.[58] In 2010, of the 455 existing hospitals, 378 were for adults and children, 22 were exclusively for children, being 49 general and 3 specialized.[59] In 2005, 85.2% of the population of Roraima had access to the water network, while 75% benefited from the sanitarysewage network.[57]
According to the 2010 Brazilian Census, 81.4% of the population of Roraima rated their health as good or excellent; 72.5% of the population regularly undergo medical consultations; 44.9% of the inhabitants consulted the dentist regularly and 7.4% of the population has been hospitalized in the last twelve months. Approximately 22% of the inhabitants declared to have achronic disease and only 9.8% have health insurance. Another significant fact is the fact that 44.7% of the inhabitants declare that they always need the Family Health Unit Program (PUSF).[60]
Regardingwomen's health, 30.5% of women over 40 years old had aclinical breast exam in the last twelve months; 39.1% of women between 50 and 69 years old had amammogram in the last twenty-four months, and 85.6% of women between 25 and 59 years old had a preventive exam forcervical cancer in the last thirty-six months.[60]
With aGross Domestic Product (GDP) of onlyR$ 13,37 billion, the economy of the state of Roraima is thesmallest in Brazil, corresponding to only 0.2% of Brazil's economy. It is based onagricultural production, mainly in grainagribusiness, with emphasis onrice,soybeans andcorn. It is said that the state works in the so-called "paycheck economy", when there is a circulation mainly of the amounts paid in salaries to public servants and private employees of commerce.[62]
Inlivestock, thelive cattle trade for slaughter inManaus was, until the 1970s, the main economic base. For years, between 6 and 10 thousand oxen were traded with Manaus annually. This type of trade broughtfoodstuffs,clothing,household items, among others, to Roraima. This form of supply ended due to two main factors:population growth in the state, through the inauguration of theManaus–Boa Vista Road, and the decrease in the cattle herd.[62][63]
Rice took the place of meat, starting to be traded with Manaus in the late 1970s. In 1977,agricultural mechanization for rice crop was introduced, increasing production capacity. In the beginning, mechanization was applied in the area of plowing for the production ofupland rice, which did not have the success expected by several factors. One of them was the lack of physical structure for storing production, as there were no dryers and warehouses. However, this system made it possible to shift production to irrigated rice. With more capitalized producers and government support in the construction of warehouses and dryers, production became viable. This type of rice came to be produced in the floodplains of theBranco,Takutu,Uraricoera andCauamé rivers, with productivity high enough to cover the high costs of implanting and maintaining this crop in Roraima.[62][63]
Subsequently, the cultivation of soybeans appeared in the plowing, with the planted area being increased year by year. The biggest problems of this crop are in the area of guaranteeing land tenure, its incompatibilities with environmental laws, in addition to irregularity and poor reliability of transport. These two largest crops in Roraima decreased with the conquest by the peoples from the Demarcation of theRaposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Area.[62][63]
Other crops such as corn,cassava and beans are also present. But they do not reach the level of rice and soy production. In the case ofmanioc for the production offlour, Roraima is self-sufficient. In the area of fruit growing,pineapple,orange,banana,papaya,melon,watermelon,grape,lemon,passion fruit andtangerine are produced in the state. The melon, watermelon and papaya stand out for their quality recognition. There has been great progress with vegetables in recent years. The production oflettuce,green onions,parsley, peppers,sweet potatoes,string beans,pumpkin,cabbage andsweet pepper have increased, and it can be said that there is also self-sufficiency in this sector. Greenhouse production has helped in this process.[62][63]
Brazil nuts after shell removal
Roraima has always occupied a secondary position in the economic geography of the Amazon when it comes to plant extractivism, producingBrazil nuts,rowanberries andwood. The first two in the southern region of the state, especially under theBranco River. They are sold in Manaus, but on a small scale. The wood has been explored and traded withVenezuela and, more recently, with other countries inEurope andAsia.[62][63]
The Roraiman industry is small. In the Industrial District of Boa Vista, located on the edge of theBR-174, there were 58 plants in operation in 2015. They produce cereals, wood, leather, and others. Thecommercial sector is traditional, buying from other places, such asSão Paulo and Manaus, and reselling in Boa Vista and other municipalities.[62][63]
Getting closer commercially with neighboring countries to practiceforeign trade is a path that has been recently traced. The main trading partner for exports and imports is Venezuela; the main product exported in 2004 and 2010 was wood; in 2015, there was a good diversification with the export of soy, leather andmineral water, in addition to wood. The products imported in greater quantity have been machines, devices and mechanical instruments. The municipalities that export the most are Boa Vista, Bonfim, Caracaraí, Mucajaí and Rorainópolis.[62][63]
Roraima is a state of Brazil governed by three powers, theexecutive, represented by thegovernor, thelegislative, represented by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Roraima, and thejudiciary, represented by the Court of Justice of the State of Roraima and other courts and judges. Popular participation in government decisions throughreferendums is also allowed. The current constitution of the state of Roraima was enacted on December 31, 1991, in addition to the changes resulting from subsequentconstitutional amendments.[64]
Senador Hélio Campos Palace, the seat of the state government.
The RoraimaExecutive Branch is centered on the state governor,[65] who is elected byuniversal suffrage and direct and secret vote, by the population for terms of up to four years in duration, and can be reelected for another term. The Senador Hélio Campos Palace is the seat of the Roraima government since 1991.[66]
TheLegislative Power of Roraima isunicameral, constituted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Roraima. It consists of 24deputies, who are elected every 4 years. In theNational Congress, the representation of Roraima is made up of 3 senators and 8 federal deputies.[65][67] The highest court of the Roraima Judiciary is the Court of Justice of the State of Roraima. The judiciary is made up of judges and judges of law.[65]
When it comes to political representation organizations,34 of the 35 Brazilian political parties have representation in the state.[68] According to information released by theSuperior Electoral Court (TSE), based on data from April 2016, the political party with the largest number of affiliates in Roraima is theProgressive Republican Party (PRP), with 6,732 members, followed by theSocial Democracy Party (PSDB), with 5,356 members and theDemocratic Labor Party (PDT), with 5,087 members. Other political parties in the state, by number of members, are theProgressive Party (PP), with 4,521 members; and theWorkers' Party (PTB), with 3,406 members. Also according to the Superior Electoral Court, theSustainability Network (REDE) and theUnified Socialist Workers Party (PSTU) are the least representative political parties in Roraima, with 21 and 24 members, respectively.[68] TheNew Party (NOVO) is the only Brazilian party that has no representation in Roraima.[68]
Roraima is politically divided into15 municipalities.[69] The most populous of them isBoa Vista, with 419,652 inhabitants,[39] being the oldest municipality in the state, emerged as a village, the first with urban characteristics in Roraima.[70] The municipalities are distributed in four immediate geographical regions, which in turn are grouped into two intermediate geographical regions, according to the division of theBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in force since 2017.[71][72]
Air transport is the fastest to regulate in Roraima, being in better conditions than the others. The cities, districts and towns of the inland of Roraima are served, in most cases, by transport fromBoa Vista. That said, it is the most isolated federative unit in Brazil.[6] There is norail network in the state.[6]
The only Brazilian state that has a road connection with Roraima isAmazonas, through theBR-174, which connects the municipalities in the South to the municipalities in the North of the state, and is also responsible for connecting Brazil toVenezuela. The BR-174 is 992 kilometres (600 mi) long and crosses the territory of the state from south to north, crossing theBranco River at the height of Caracaraí through the Caracaraí Bridge.[6][76]
There is also theBR-210, also called Perimetral Norte, a project originating in the mid-twentieth century, from theFederal Government, which had been carried out only partially and which, in principle, would link the state toPará,Amapá and the municipality ofSão Gabriel da Cachoeira (in Amazonas). This highway is 481 kilometres (300 mi) long and crosses the state in an east–west direction. Another highway in Roraima that crosses Brazil is theBR-401, connecting the state withGuyana. It starts in Boa Vista and crosses the Branco River through the Macuxis' Bridge, entering the Guyanese territory. Other federal highways are BR-431, BR-432 and BR-433. Federal roads in Roraima add up to 1,638 kilometres (1,000 mi).[6][76]
There are state highways as well, including the RR-205 (which connects the capital to the headquarters ofAlto Alegre) and the RR-203 (connecting the headquarters and districts of Amajari to the BR-174), both of which are fully paved, signposted, and with good traffic conditions. Other important highways are the RR-325 and the RR-319, which cut through important agricultural areas and colonies of rural settlements. State highways add up to just over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in length and are largely in conditions of improper use.[77][76]
River transport is also notable in the state, as well as in other states in theAmazon rainforest. However, river navigation is limited to theBranco River.[78] Transportation on the Branco River is heavily used for the economy, but with little passenger movement to inland cities. Regular navigation on this river occurs only in the mouth section (Negro River/Caracaraí), about 440 kilometres (300 mi) long. In this segment, the Branco River has a maximum draft of 5 metres in the period of floods and a minimum of 0.7 metres in the period of drought. Roraima is at a disadvantage in relation to the other Amazonian states in terms of waterway system. As it is the only one in which all its notorious rivers have their source in their own territory – the state's hydrographic system is 100% Roraiman –, it is bound to have few river outlets. In fact, Roraima has only one major fluvial outlet: through the Branco river, reaching the Negro river, heading from there toManaus andSão Gabriel da Cachoeira. Even so, the most important river in Roraima still poses additional difficulties.[76]
Roraima has great tourism potential, especially inecotourism. Because it is located in the extreme north of Brazil, in the northern part of this country and because it borders on three South American countries, Roraima maintains close commercial relations based on tourism with these countries, especiallyVenezuela. Natural attractions are the main tourist points of the state, especiallyMount Roraima.[79] Mount Roraima is one of the oldest places on the planet and attracts many tourists from all over the world.[80]
Pedra Pintada is a rock formation considered an archaeological site.
Archaeologists have a strong interest inPedra Pintada, which is the most important site ofarchaeology in the state. In it, there are inscriptions of ancient civilizations, such as rock paintings, pieces of ceramics, hatchets, necklace beads, among other artifacts that indicate the history of human evolution, dating back to four thousand years. The rock is a granite monolith sixty metres in diameter and about 40 metres high. On the outer face, there are red rock paintings that are still considered an enigma for scientists. There are also funerary caves up to 12 meters long. Pedra Pintada is located inPacaraima.[81]
Serra do Tepequém is also a state tourist attraction. It has a rich handicraft insoapstone and its area is free to explore diamonds. The place serves as a trekking practice, to the Paiva, Sobral, Barata and Funil waterfalls. The plateau is the culmination of the entire mountain, where themountain range that delimits theborders between Brazil and Venezuela begins. It has an average altitude of 1,500 metres and is located in the municipality ofAmajari.[82] Another tourist spot in the state isMount Caburaí. Geographers have proven that it is located 70 km north ofOiapoque,Amapá, which makes the mountain the northernmost point in Brazil, having been recognized by the official institutions responsible for geographic territorial demarcations, such as theMinistry of Education and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).[83]
^abcdefghFreitas, Aimberê (2017).História e Geografia de Roraima: Boa Vista. Luiz Aimberê Soares de Freitas. p. 212.ISBN9788563211057.
^abcdefgMigueis, Roberto (2018).Geografia do Amazonas: Manaus. Editora Valer. p. 144.ISBN9788575128749.
^Estadual (1991), Roraima [Constituição."Constituição do estado de Roraima".www2.senado.leg.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved26 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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