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Porto Velho

Coordinates:8°45′43″S63°54′14″W/ 8.76194°S 63.90389°W/-8.76194; -63.90389
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Porto Velho
Municipality
Município de Porto Velho
Municipality of Porto Velho
Top left:Rondonia State Government Office, Top right:Port of Porto Velho, Middle left:Porto Velho Cultural House, Middle right:Sunset in Madeira River, Bottom:Panorama view of downtown from Pedrinhas area
Top left:Rondonia State Government Office, Top right:Port of Porto Velho, Middle left:Porto Velho Cultural House, Middle right:Sunset in Madeira River, Bottom:Panorama view of downtown from Pedrinhas area
Flag of Porto Velho
Flag
Official seal of Porto Velho
Seal
Location of Porto Velho in the State of Rondônia
Location of Porto Velho in theState of Rondônia
Porto Velho is located in Brazil
Porto Velho
Porto Velho
Localization of Porto Velho in Brazil
Coordinates:8°45′43″S63°54′14″W/ 8.76194°S 63.90389°W/-8.76194; -63.90389
CountryBrazil
RegionNorth
StateRondônia
FoundedOctober 2, 1914
Government
•MayorHildon Chaves (PSDB)
Area
• Total34,082.37 km2(13,159.28 sq mi)
Elevation
83 m (272 ft)
Population
(2021[1])
• Total548,952
• Density16/km2(42/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−4(AMT)
Postal code
76800-001 to 76849-999
Area code+55 69
HDI(2010)0.736 –high[2]
Websitewww.portovelho.ro.gov.br

Porto Velho(Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈpoʁtuˈvɛʎu],Old Port) is thecapitalof theBrazilianstateofRondônia,in the upperAmazon Riverbasin. The population is 548,952 people (as of theIBGE2021 estimation). Located on theborderof Rondônia and the state ofAmazonas,the town is an important trading center forcassiterite,the mining of which represents the most important economic activity in theregion,as well as a transportation and communication center. It is on the eastern shore of theMadeira River,one of the maintributariesof theAmazon River.It is also Rondônia's largest city, and the largest state capital of Brazil by area.

The municipality occupies most of the border between Amazonas and Rondônia, and is both the westernmost and northernmost city in the state.

History

[edit]
This photograph shows an American laundry Boss and his "Barbadian" workers, a term used generally to refer to Caribbean immigrants. The laundry in Porto Velho had a steam press, regarded as something of a luxury at the time.

Officially founded on October 2, 1914, Porto Velho was founded by pioneers around 1907, during the construction of theMadeira-Mamoré railroad.After therailroadwas completed, the local population was about one thousand inhabitants; its buildings were chiefly the railway's installations and the wooden houses of theCaribbean(mainlyBarbadian) workers - hence the name of the town's largest district by then, "Bajan Hill" or "Barbados Town", nowadays called the "Alto do Bode".

During the first sixty years, the city'sdevelopmentwas directly connected to the railway's activities. The town prospered during therubberboom; after the discovery of cheapMalaysianrubber made that of the Amazon obsolete, the region's rubber-centeredeconomyground to a sudden halt. Cities likeSanto Antônio do Madeira,which had atramline and a weeklynewspaperby the time of Porto Velho's foundation, are still nothing but ruins to this day.

Porto Velho's survival is associated with the better conditions of the area where it was built, its easy access by the river and its harbor: these were all considerations in the choice of Porto Velho as the capital of the newly formed FederalTerritoryof Guaporé, in 1943. Only with the beginning ofWorld War IIwas there another cycle of progress in the region. Once theAllied forceslost control of Malaysian rubber, the Amazon's was needed again due to thewar effort.This produced what is known in Brazil as the "secondrubber boom".Subsequently, when the war ended, the region's economy once again came to a halt.

Porto Velho's modernhistorybegins with the discovery ofcassiteritearound the city, and ofgoldon theMadeira River,at the end of the 1950s. In addition, the government's decision to allow large cattle farms in the territory began a trend of migration into the city. Almost one million people moved to Rondônia, and Porto Velho's population increased to three hundred thousand. This intense migration caused much trouble for the city. Among many other problems, the suburban boroughs, for example, were nothing butshanty towns.[vague]

TheCatedral Metropolitana Sagrado Coração de Jesusis thecathedralarchiepiscopalseeof a Latin Catholic jurisdiction that started on May 1, 1925. The vastTerritorial Prelature of Porto Velhosplit off from the then-Diocese of AmazonasandDiocese of São Luíz de Cáceres,and also lost parts to three newTerritorial prelatures,before being promoted as the first bishopric (Diocese of Porto Velho). On October 4, 1982, it was promoted as MetropolitanArchdiocese of Porto Velho.[clarification needed]

Geography

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Climate

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Porto Velho features atropical monsoon climate(climate typeAm) under theKöppen climate classification.The temperatures tend to be relatively consistent throughout the course of the year, with average daily temperatures typically between 25 and 26 degrees Celsius.[3]The dry season is short and covers the months of June, July and August. Porto Velho is particularly wet from November through April, averaging roughly 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain per month in each of these months.[4]According to the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), between 1961 and 1990 the lowest temperature recorded in Porto Velho was 7.4 °C or 45.3 °F in July 1975,[5]and the highest reached 40.9 °C or 105.6 °F in August 1969.[6]

Climate data for Porto Velho (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 37.2
(99.0) 		36.4
(97.5) 		38.7
(101.7) 		37.1
(98.8) 		36.8
(98.2) 		38.8
(101.8) 		37.9
(100.2) 		40.9
(105.6) 		39.4
(102.9) 		40.0
(104.0) 		39.7
(103.5) 		38.0
(100.4) 		40.9
(105.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.3
(88.3) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.6
(88.9) 		31.6
(88.9) 		31.7
(89.1) 		32.7
(90.9) 		34.3
(93.7) 		34.0
(93.2) 		33.3
(91.9) 		32.6
(90.7) 		31.6
(88.9) 		32.3
(90.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.5
(77.9) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.7
(78.3) 		25.3
(77.5) 		24.7
(76.5) 		24.6
(76.3) 		25.9
(78.6) 		26.2
(79.2) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.0
(78.8) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.6
(78.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.7
(71.1) 		21.8
(71.2) 		21.8
(71.2) 		21.9
(71.4) 		21.0
(69.8) 		19.2
(66.6) 		18.3
(64.9) 		19.0
(66.2) 		20.8
(69.4) 		21.8
(71.2) 		22.0
(71.6) 		22.0
(71.6) 		20.9
(69.6)
Record low °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9) 		15.4
(59.7) 		12.0
(53.6) 		12.8
(55.0) 		12.0
(53.6) 		11.8
(53.2) 		7.4
(45.3) 		10.0
(50.0) 		12.1
(53.8) 		17.7
(63.9) 		18.1
(64.6) 		11.0
(51.8) 		7.4
(45.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 320.9
(12.63) 		316.0
(12.44) 		273.9
(10.78) 		251.0
(9.88) 		126.6
(4.98) 		49.2
(1.94) 		24.2
(0.95) 		36.4
(1.43) 		119.9
(4.72) 		192.7
(7.59) 		225.2
(8.87) 		319.1
(12.56) 		2,255.1
(88.77)
Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) 19 19 20 17 11 4 3 4 11 13 16 19 156
Averagerelative humidity(%) 89 88 89 89 86 84 80 82 84 86 87 88.7 86.1
Averagedew point°C (°F) 23.5
(74.3) 		23.4
(74.1) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.7
(74.7) 		22.8
(73.0) 		21.8
(71.2) 		20.9
(69.6) 		22.6
(72.7) 		23.3
(73.9) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.7
(74.7) 		23.5
(74.3) 		23.1
(73.6)
Mean monthlysunshine hours 107.1 98.3 124.0 140.1 183.7 226.7 259.7 234.0 186.8 166.7 137.1 124.2 1,988.4
Source: Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET).[3][7][8][4][9][10][11][6][5]

Vegetation

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Amazon rainforestand Madeira River.

The Amazon has over half of the planet's remainingrainforestsand is the largest and most species-rich tract oftropical rainforestin theworld.Wet tropical forests are the most species-richbiome,and tropical forests in theAmericasare consistently more species-rich than wet forests inAfricaandAsia.[12]As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleledbiodiversity.

More than one third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest.[13]

Conservation

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The municipality contains what is left of theRio Madeira Sustainable Yield Forest(B) and (C), created in 1990.[14] It contains the 55,850 hectares (138,000 acres)Lago do Cuniã Extractive Reserve,created in 1999.[15] It contains part of the strictly-protectedCuniã Ecological Station,an area of savannah parkland.[16] It holds all of the strictly protected 87,412 hectares (216,000 acres)Serra dos Três Irmãos Ecological Station.[17] It contains part of theMapinguari National Park,a 1,776,914 hectares (4,390,850 acres) conservation unit created in 2008.[18] It also contains part of the 221,218 hectares (546,640 acres)Jacundá National Forest,a sustainable use conservation unit.[19] The municipality contains 66% of the 197,364 hectares (487,700 acres)Jaci Paraná Extractive Reserve,created in 1996.[20] It contains the 18,281 hectares (45,170 acres)Mujica Nava Ecological Station,created in 1996.[21] It contains part of theBom Futuro National Forest,established in 1988.[22] The majority of the forest surrounding Porto Velho has been cut down, however.[23]

Economy

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As of 2005,GDPfor the city was R$3,656,512,000.[24]

Theper capita incomefor the city was R$9,779 for the same year.[25]

Cityscape

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Panorama of Porto Velho as viewed from Pedrinhas neighborhood.

Transportation

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Porto Velho/Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira International Airport.
HighwayBR-364 near Porto Velho.

International Airport

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Porto Velho International Airport,7 km from the city, has its main access at the Av. Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira, with two lanes. Buses from downtown run to the airport every hour, and there is a fleet of taxis serving only the airport. The airport is served by 98 scheduled flights weekly, most going to other large Brazilian cities. The presence ofPorto Velho Air Force Baseensures considerable movement of military aircraft. The local people refer to Porto Velho International as Belmont Airport because it is located in this district. It became an international airport in 2002. It was built as a replacement toCaiari Airport,which was closed on April 16, 1969.

Porto Velho Air Force Base - ALA6,one of their most important bases of theBrazilian Air Force,is located in Porto Velho.

Highways

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  • BR-174;
  • BR-317;
  • BR-319;
  • BR-364;
  • BR-421;
  • BR-425;
  • BR-429;
  • RO-010;
  • RO-101;
  • RO-490.

Education

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Federal University of Rondônia.

Colleges

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  • Universidade Federal de Rondônia (Unir);
  • Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia - Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Rondônia (IFRO);
  • Instituto Luterano de Ensino Superior de Porto Velho (Iles-Ulbra);
  • Faculdade Interamericana de Porto Velho (Uniron);
  • Faculdade de Ciências Administrativas e de Tecnologia (Fatec-RO);
  • Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Exatas e Letras de Rondônia (Faro);
  • Faculdade da Amazônia (Iesa);
  • Faculdade de Porto Velho/ Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FIP/FGV);
  • Faculdades Integradas Maria Coelho Aguiar (FIMCA);
  • Faculdade São Lucas;

Schools

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  • Maple Bear Canadian School;
  • Colégio Sapiens;
  • Classe A;
  • Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental e Médio João Bento da Costa;
  • Colégio Tiradentes da Polícia Militar;
  • Centro de Ensino Mineiro;
  • Proensino;
  • Instituto Laura Vicuña;
  • Instituto Estadual de Educação Carmela Dutra;
  • Colégio Dom Bosco;
  • Centro Educacional Dr Gilberto Mendes De Azevedo;
  • Instituto Maria Auxiliadora.

Culture

[edit]
Casa da Cultura Ivan Marrocos, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brasil - The House of Culture at Porto Velho.

The culture of Porto Velho is marked by a strongNortheasterninfluence withBumba Meu Boi,the Juninas and Pastorinha peoples, and some influences of south centralBrazil.The interpretation ofNative Americanlegends, such as theIara,theBotoandMapinguarifolklore,influenced by migrants. As forhandicrafts,there are various exhibitions of indigenous works, utilities and adornment using raw materials likeclay,vines,bambooandrubber.The Artisan's House serves as a support to the initiatives of the genre.

Libraries

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Porto Velho Town Hall and Library,Rondônia,Brazil.

The collection of library articles in municipal Porto Velho was waiting for a permanent headquarters for several years until completion of the Municipal Library next to City Hall. The space has two air-conditioned floors in the city center.[citation needed]

Carnival

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The Carnival takes place every year, attracting a large number of people from other cities and neighboring states of Rondônia. During the carnival, there are the parades of carnival and samba schools; among the best known are The Diplomats, Asfaltão, among others.

In July Carnival happens out of season, with characteristics of the Bahia Carnival, with electric trios and 'Axé' groups.[citation needed]

Theatres

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Two theaters enliven the cultural sector: The Municipal Theater, Avenida Nabuco (center) and Theatre Uirassu Rodrigues, Jose Bonifacio Street.[citation needed]

Museums

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Estrada de Ferro Madeira Mamoré em Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brasil.

The railway complex is located the Museum of Railroad Madeira-Mamore, in the city center. Within it lies the State Museum, with abundant material onarcheology,ethnologyandMineralogy.

Museum of Railroad Madeira-Mamore

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TheMuseumis housed in a warehouse that was used for loading and unloading for almost a century. One can see hundreds of materials in this preserved railway. The museum has several pieces from the time of its construction and operation. Besides the first locomotive brought to the Amazon, theCoronel Church,there is also a 'stork and a tricycle', used to transport the line foremen who checked lathes, machines, furniture, as well as photographs of workers, books, documents and more. The museum is located at Avenida September 7 - Railroad Square Madeira-Mamore. Outside the museum, on the waterfront, you can take a ride in one of the "barges" to Teotônio waterfall.[citation needed]

Monuments

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The Three Boxes Water

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Praça das Três Marias, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brasil - Three "Marias" Square, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.

Also known as The Three Marias, the water tanks are in the center of town, in the square of the same name. The first was erected in 1910 and the other two in 1912. They were designed and built by Chicago Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago as per information contained in cast-iron plate, carved pilasters on each of them. There are three cylindrical tanks, covered with metal sheets in a conical shape, with a concave-shaped base. Each tank is elevated from the ground by four columns made of iron lattice on concrete foundations. They are at the height of the bulge surrounded by a walkway railing with metal lattice through which arrives via a ladder. Each reservoir has a capacity for 200,000 liters and supplied the city of Porto Velho by the year 1957, working as gravity-fed reservoirs.

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Main article:Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Porto Velho

The Cathedral had its construction initiated in 1917, but was completed only ten years later because of difficulties in transporting material. Original paintings of a religious nature inside the Cathedral, were executed by Father Angelo Cerri and Alfonso Liguori. The stained glass windows that surround it, with the themes of the Cross, were all donated by the community-velhense port.

Sport

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The city currently has sevenfootballteams:CF Amazônia,Cruzeiro EC,Porto Velho EC,SC Genus de Porto Velho,SC Shallon,Moto ECandRondoniense SC.In the past the city was also home toFerroviário AC,CR Flamengo,São Domingos EC,andYpiranga ECbefore these clubs folded. All clubs share the one stadium in the city, theAluizão,named afterAluízio Ferreira,with a smaller groundSaldanãoalso available.

References

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  1. ^IBGE 2021
  2. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).United Nations Development Programme(UNDP). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 1,2013.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ab"Temperatura Média Compensada (°C)"(in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  4. ^ab"Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm)"(in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  5. ^ab"Temperatura Mínima Absoluta (°C)".Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet).RetrievedAugust 23,2014.[dead link]
  6. ^ab"Temperatura Máxima Absoluta (°C)".Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet).RetrievedAugust 23,2014.[dead link]
  7. ^"Temperatura Máxima (°C)"(in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  8. ^"Temperatura Mínima (°C)"(in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  9. ^"Número de Dias com Precipitação Mayor ou Igual a 1 mm (dias)".Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. Archived fromthe originalon August 27, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  10. ^"Insolação Total (horas)".Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  11. ^"Umidade Relativa do Ar Média Compensada (%)".Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2014.RetrievedAugust 23,2014.
  12. ^Turner, I.M. 2001.The ecology of trees in the tropical rain forest.Cambridge University Press,Cambridge.ISBN0-521-80183-4
  13. ^Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Plants, Amazon River Animals
  14. ^Millikan, Brent; Cardozo, Ivaneide Bandeira; Leroy, Jean Pierre; Caminha, Ludmila; Hargreaves, Maria Inês; Motta, Rogério Vargas; Alves, Vânia; Glass, Verena (June 2008),O Fim da Floresta? A Devastação das Unidades de Conservação e Terras Indígenas no Estado de Rondônia(PDF),Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico - GTA,retrieved2016-09-05
  15. ^RESEX do Lago do Cuniã(in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental,retrieved2016-09-03
  16. ^Unidade de Conservação: Estação Ecológica de Cuniã(in Portuguese), MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente,retrieved2016-05-16
  17. ^"Estação Ecológica da Serra dos Três Irmãos",Via Rural(in Portuguese),retrieved2016-05-24
  18. ^PARNA Mapinguari(in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental,retrieved2016-06-02
  19. ^Unidade de Conservação: Floresta Nacional de Jacundá(in Portuguese), MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente,retrieved2016-05-16
  20. ^RESEX Jaci Paraná(in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental,retrieved2016-10-30
  21. ^Raupp de Matos, Valdir; Almeida, José, junior (7 November 1996),Decreto n.º 7635 de 07 de Novembro de 1996(in Portuguese),retrieved2016-10-30{{citation}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^FLONA do Bom Futuro(in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental,retrieved2016-10-30
  23. ^"Google Maps".
  24. ^GDP(PDF)(in Portuguese). Porto Velho, Brazil:IBGE.2005.ISBN85-240-3919-1.Retrieved2007-07-18.
  25. ^per capita income(PDF)(in Portuguese). Porto Velho, Brazil:IBGE.2005.ISBN85-240-3919-1.Retrieved2007-07-18.
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