Açailândia
Encyclopedia
Açailândia is a Brazil
ian city and municipality in the state of Maranhão
. Its population in 2010 was estimated to be 104,013, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The name of the city means "land of the açaí."
The city is an important center of agribusiness
, the area having the largest cattle stock in Maranhão. The production of pig iron
in the municipality's biggest single economic activity. Açailândia is part of the Carajas Development Corridor and the city houses many of the workers who produce charcoal
in the area.
Açailândia's origins are recent, lying in the construction of the Belém-Brasília highway in 1958, when the fertile lands in the vicinity of the Açailândia Creek came to the attention of those engaged in building the highway. For some time, Açailândia was considered a district of the city of Imperatriz
, the second largest city in the state of Maranhão.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian city and municipality in the state of Maranhão
Maranhão
Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...
. Its population in 2010 was estimated to be 104,013, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The name of the city means "land of the açaí."
The city is an important center of agribusiness
Agribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
, the area having the largest cattle stock in Maranhão. The production of pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
in the municipality's biggest single economic activity. Açailândia is part of the Carajas Development Corridor and the city houses many of the workers who produce charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
in the area.
Açailândia's origins are recent, lying in the construction of the Belém-Brasília highway in 1958, when the fertile lands in the vicinity of the Açailândia Creek came to the attention of those engaged in building the highway. For some time, Açailândia was considered a district of the city of Imperatriz
Imperatriz
Imperatriz is the second most populated city in the Brazilian state of Maranhão. The city extends along the right bank of the Tocantins River and is crossed by the Belém-Brasília Highway, standing on the border with the state of Tocantins....
, the second largest city in the state of Maranhão.