BR-163
Encyclopedia
BR-163 is a highway
in Brazil
, going from Cuiabá
, the capital city of Mato Grosso
state, to Santarém
in the state of Pará
. It runs through 1780 km (1,106 mi) in the heart of the Amazon Basin
. Currently, only 44% of the road are paved. Most parts of the road are mud
dy and impassable in the wet season. Lorries can get stuck for up to 10 days. As part of the Avança Brasil
project, it has been proposed to pave the road in its entirety.
Conservationists worry that paving the road will lead to deforestation
in the Amazon through greater access to pristine areas, cheaper transportation costs for soybean
s and other agricultural commodities, and land speculation along the highway.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
in Brazil
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...
, going from Cuiabá
Cuiabá
Under the Koppen climate classification, Cuiaba features a tropical wet and dry climate. Cuiabá is famous for its searing heat, although temperatures in winter can arrive sporadically at 10 degrees, indeed atypical, caused by cold fronts coming from the south, and that may only last one or two...
, the capital city of Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
state, to Santarém
Santarém, Pará
-External links:*...
in the state of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
. It runs through 1780 km (1,106 mi) in the heart of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
. Currently, only 44% of the road are paved. Most parts of the road are mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
dy and impassable in the wet season. Lorries can get stuck for up to 10 days. As part of the Avança Brasil
Avanca brasil
Avança Brasil or Advance Brazil is a large infrastructure program planned in Brazil. The project would cost about $43 billion and be implemented from 2000-2020....
project, it has been proposed to pave the road in its entirety.
Conservationists worry that paving the road will lead to deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
in the Amazon through greater access to pristine areas, cheaper transportation costs for soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s and other agricultural commodities, and land speculation along the highway.
External links
Al Jazeera video report on the BR-163- http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/habitats/last-of-amazon.html