State of Para

Pará State commands Brazil's Amazon mouth—where the world's largest river system meets the Atlantic. Belém, the capital (1.5 million, 2.5 million metro), serves as the gateway to the Amazon, historically channeling rubber, Brazil nuts, and timber exports. The city's Ver-o-Peso market, dating to the 17th century, remains one of Latin America's largest open-air markets.

The state's economy depends on mineral extraction, particularly iron ore from Carajás—the world's largest iron ore deposit. Vale operates massive extraction and railroad operations that transport ore to São Luís port. Hydroelectric dams on the Tocantins and Xingu rivers (including the controversial Belo Monte) generate power that feeds Brazil's grid while displacing indigenous and traditional communities.

Deforestation pressure intensifies as cattle ranching and soy agriculture expand into the Amazon. Pará consistently ranks among Brazil's highest deforestation states. The tension between extraction-based development (mining, logging, ranching) and forest preservation defines the state's political economy. Traditional populations—indigenous groups, quilombolas, riverside communities—compete for land against agricultural and mining interests backed by capital and political power.