Belem - History
Belém,
on the Pará River near the confluence of the Pará and the Amazon, is one
of Brazil's busiest ports. Colourful fishing boats, much like the ships
which have docked at Belém for centuries, are a familiar sight.
Founded
in 1616 by the Portuguese, Belém was the first centre of European
colonization along the Amazon. Belém's harbour is located along the Pará
River, a tributary of the Amazon that links the waterway with the Atlantic
Ocean and is accessible
to ocean-going ships.
The
city is the capital of Pará State. The Republic of Pará was proclaimed
on 16th
November 1689, and in the following
year,
the Municipal Council of this state
accepted the proposal of its President,
Artur Indio do Brazil recognizing the
flag of the Republican Club
as the
official
flag of the Municipality
of Belém.
Afterward, the traditional symbol of the republicans was adopted as the flag of the Pará State.
The
Belém-Brasilia Highway, completed in 1960, runs 2,350 km (1,460 mi) in an
almost straight north-south line between the two cities. A state
university, several newspapers, and the large, white marble Paz Theater
serve the educational and cultural needs of the people.
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