Manaus began as a small fort, São José da Barra, created in 1669 by
Portuguese settlers as a defense against Spanish incursions into Brazil
by way of the Amazon river. On November 13, 1832, the settlement gained
the status of Vila, and was named "Manaus", after the indigenous tribe,
the "Manaós", which once inhabitated the area. In the local language,
the word means "Mother of God". On October 24, 1848, Manaus was awarded
the status of city with the name Cidade da Barra do Rio Negro. In 1850,
Amazonas became a province. On September 4, 1856, the city was renamed
Cidade de Manaus. |
|
From 1890 to 1920, the Rubber Boom, caused in
part by the invention of the process of vulcanization, made the city wealthy.
Immigrants from northeastern Brazil, fleeing drought and poverty, flooded
the city seeking riches in the rubber trade. By 1920, synthetic rubber and
the growth of plantations in Southeast Asia caused a drastic plunge in the
price of rubber, and Manaus declined into poverty. |
