Manaus lies a thousand miles upriver from the mouth of the Amazon, and the capital of Amazonas state, NW Brazil, on the Rio Negro. A chief commercial & cultural center of the upper Amazon region, an important river port, with floating docks. Surrounded by jungle, Manaus is the only major city in a c.600-1000-km) radius. Founded in 1669, Manaus grew slowly until the late 19th century, when the wild-rubber boom brought prosperity though was short lived. In recent years, Manaus has regained importance because of renewed interest in the Amazon basin, its preservation with accompanying ecotourism, and because of the discovery of oil nearby.


*best viewed in original size*