Manacapuru
Manacapuru is a Brazilian municipality in the Manaus Metropolitan Region, in the state of Amazonas. It is the third most populous city in the state with inhabitants, according to the 2022 Brazilian Census conducted by the IBGE. Situated on the banks of the Solimões River, 93 kilometers from Manaus by road, the main access to the city is via the Manoel Urbano Highway, where the Rio Negro Bridge is located, playing a crucial role in the integration and development of Greater Manaus.
The municipality covers an area of km2, representing 0.4705% of the Amazonas state area, 0.1903% of the Northern Region, and 0.0862% of the entire Brazilian territory. Manacapuru has an average annual minimum temperature of 24 °C and a maximum of 35 °C. The vegetation, typical of the Amazon region, consists of floodplain and upland forests, with a landscape of lakes, islets, and a small hill range surrounding it.
Founded in 1786, it originated from a Mura indigenous village, pacified in 1785, which settled on the left bank of the Solimões River in the 18th century, giving rise to the locality. Manacapuru is nationally known as the Little Princess of the Solimões, a nickname it has held since the mid-19th century. Many of its natural attractions are nationally recognized, as is its traditional cultural festival, the Manacapuru Ciranda Festival, making the municipality one of the most visited by tourists in the Amazon.
Manacapuru has the third largest GDP in Amazonas, accounting for 1.35% of the state's total GDP. Its Human Development Index is 0.614, considered below the national average but medium compared to the HDI of the state, which was 0.674. In 2022, the municipality had 66 healthcare facilities. Its patron saint is Our Lady of Nazareth, and the Our Lady of Nazareth Church is the city's main landmark.
Etymology
Manacapuru is a word of indigenous origin, derived from the terms Manacá and Puru. Manacá is a Brazilian dicotyledonous plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. In Tupi-Guarani, the word means "flower." The word "Puru" has the same origin but means "ornamented" or "variegated." Thus, in Tupi-Guarani, Manacapuru translates to Variegated Flower.Another possible translation of the municipality's name comes from the Mura language, also meaning "Variegated Flower." The name Manacapuru refers to a fierce female warrior leader who ruled this nation on the left bank of the Solimões River, where the city now stands.
History
The Mura people, the original inhabitants of the region, occupied the area of present-day Manacapuru as early as the 17th century. The Mura were known to the Portuguese as warlike and hostile, which led to wars waged by Portuguese settlers starting in 1774, under the command of Matias Fernandes and the director of the Santo Antônio do Imaripi village, located in Japurá, far from the region.Due to the significant distance from Japurá to the Mura's location, by 1785, a fishing post called Caldeirão existed on the banks of the Solimões River, just below the mouth of the Manacapuru River, with its production intended to supply the military garrison stationed in Barcelos, then the seat of the captaincy. The fishing post was managed by Sebastião Pereira de Castro.
Sebastião Pereira de Castro reported to General Pereira Caldas a large migration of Mura people from other regions to the area. According to Castro, on September 27 of that year, a "large number of Mura people" arrived, wishing to settle in the vicinity. In response, General Pereira Caldas recommended relocating the indigenous people to the village of Anamã—later to become a municipality—or another place designated by the administrator. The chosen location for the Mura settlement was the bank of Lake Manacapuru. There, approximately 290 Mura people settled on February 15, 1786, establishing the settlement named Manacapuru after the lake.
Administrative formation
The Parish of Our Lady of Nazareth of Manacapuru was established on August 12, 1865, by Law No. 148, with its seat in the Manacapuru village. By Law No. 83 of September 27, 1894, the municipality of Manacapuru was created, with territory separated from the municipality of Manaus. Its establishment occurred on June 16, 1895.The Manacapuru District was created by Law No. 354 of September 10, 1901. By Law No. 1,126 of November 5, 1921, the district was abolished, only to be reestablished the following year, in 1922, by Law No. 1,133 of February 7. The municipality was granted city status on July 16, 1932, by State Act No. 1,639.
Under the administrative division in effect in December 1959, the municipality comprised three districts: Manacapuru, Beruri, and Caapiranga, all of which have since been emancipated.
Currently, the municipality has only one district, Caviana, which also had a proposal for emancipation in 2010, along with twenty-seven other districts in the state of Amazonas.
Recent history
Due to Manacapuru's demographic growth, currently the fourth most populous city in Amazonas and one of the largest in population in the Northern Region, the municipality was included in the Manaus Metropolitan Region on December 27, 2007.It currently has an area of 7,329 square kilometers. Its Human Development Index is 0.663.
Geography
The municipality of Manacapuru is located on the left bank of the Solimões River, at the confluence with the Manacapuru River, southwest of the capital of Amazonas, 93 km by road from it. Its geographic coordinates are 3° 18' 15" south latitude and 60° 37' 03" west longitude.The territory has significant aquatic, floral, and faunal potential. It was the first municipality in Amazonas to establish a Municipal Conservation Unit System —the Piranha Sustainable Development Reserve—along with the Miriti Environmental Protection Area and the Paru and Calado Lakes Maintenance Area.
The vegetation is almost entirely characterized by floodplain and upland areas, heavily influenced by these environments.
Bordering municipalities
Manacapuru borders six municipalities, namely: Iranduba and Manaquiri to the east; Beruri to the south; Anamã and Caapiranga to the west; and Novo Airão to the north and northwest.;Border with Iranduba
The border with Iranduba begins at the headwaters of the Açú Stream, the watershed between the Negro and Manacapuru rivers. This watershed extends southeast, reaching the headwaters of the Anta Stream, along its midline, until it meets Lake Aracapuri. From there, the Açú Stream, separating the two municipalities, extends to Lake Ubim.
In the northern region of the municipality, the dividing line with Iranduba is the highway, which connects Manaus to Novo Airão. In this region, the divider is also the Ariaú Paraná, a lake that flows into the Solimões River.
;Border with Manaquiri
The border between Manacapuru and Manaquiri begins on the right bank of the Solimões River, ascending along this bank to Lake Paraná do Barroso, at the westernmost part of Barroso Island. From there, the boundary is a line crossing the Paraná do Lago Grande village, reaching Lake Grande. From this lake, the divider becomes the Solimões River again, ending at Lake Manaquiri and the source of the Sucuri Stream.
;Border with Beruri
Manacapuru's border with Beruri also begins at the source of the Sucuri Stream. After the Sucuri Stream, the territorial divider becomes the Pupunha Stream, which separates the boundaries along a midline, reaching the Acarituba, Papagaio, and Baruri lakes. From there, the territorial divider becomes the Solimões River.
;Border with Anamã
It begins on the right bank of the Solimões River, at the westernmost part of Iauara Island, descending the river along the western bank. From there, the territorial divider between Manacapuru and Anamã becomes a midline, reaching its intersection with the parallel of 3º 30' south.
;Border with Caapiranga
It starts at the parallel of 3º 30' south. This parallel, to the northeast, reaches the source of the Cuité Stream. Other dividers used for the territorial boundaries between Manacapuru and Caapiranga include the Cabaliana, Paraná do Anamã, Campina, Cláudio, and Piraí lakes, and the Manacapuru and Solimões rivers.
;Border with Novo Airão
The border between the two municipalities begins at the Piraí Stream and reaches the Petrobras Station Stream. The Manacapuru River is used as the boundary between the two municipalities after the Petrobras Stream ends. Finally, the Rio Negro marks the geographic and territorial boundary between Manacapuru and Novo Airão.
Climate
Manacapuru has a tropical rainforest climate, prevalent throughout the Amazon. The climate is moderated by high rainfall and trade winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean. Temperature drops are common in the municipality, significantly reducing heat intensity, especially at night. There are two distinct seasons: winter, starting in December, and summer, starting in May.Between April 1958 and December 1960, the highest recorded temperature in Manacapuru was 35.8 °C, observed on October 15, 1958. The lowest was 18.1 °C, on July 21, 1958. During this period, the highest 24-hour rainfall accumulation was 94 mm, on December 29, 1958.
Hydrography
Manacapuru is located within the Amazon hydrographic basin. The rivers flowing through Manacapuru are the Solimões and Manacapuru rivers, the latter giving the city its name. The Solimões River originates in Peru and, upon entering Brazil in the municipality of Tabatinga, is named Solimões.In addition to the Solimões and Manacapuru rivers, the municipality is bathed by the Purus and Jará rivers.
Fauna and flora
The fauna and flora of the Amazon are highly diverse, with the same tropical rainforest fauna found in various municipalities. Manacapuru is home to numerous species of plants and birds, countless amphibians, and millions of insects.Large aquatic mammals, such as the manatee and boto, are found mainly in areas with minimal movement in the Rio Negro. The municipality's hydrography is privileged, especially at the border with Novo Airão, known as the "land of the manatee." Some Amazonian trees, such as the andiroba and kapok, are found in some city areas, especially in untouched regions. In the urban area, such trees are scarce. Reptiles such as turtles, caimans, and vipers also inhabit the area. There are birds and fish of all species, plumages, and skins. In some areas along the rivers, Victoria amazonica is found, with circular leaves reaching over one meter in diameter.