Chapada Diamantina National Park
Encyclopedia
The Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina in Portuguese
) is a 1,520 km² national park
in the Chapada Diamantina
region of Bahia
state in the Northeast
of Brazil
. The park is located between 41º35’-41º15’W and 12º25’-13º20’S; approximately 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia.
Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.
, however it has no shortage of water
, from the many river
s and streams. On average, the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level
, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. In this place is located the highest point of state in Pico do Barbado
with 2,036 meters. The park is typified by hills, mountain
s, valley
s and monolith
s, with few plain
s.
links Horácio de Mattos Airport
, the gateway of Chapada Diamantina, with Salvador da Bahia, the capital of the state. There are buses leaving the Salvador Bus Station daily.
systems were formed by the rivers that run through the region. Several of these rivers run red due to tannin in the water. Both gold
and diamond
s have been found there.
The flora and fauna are highly varied. Although there are few large mammal
s, there is a wide variety of reptile
s, amphibians, bird
s, insect
s and small mammals. The flora mainly consists of small scrubland bushes
, orchids and cactus
.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) is a 1,520 km² national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast of Brazil.The Chapada Diamantina has a dramatic landscape with high plains, table-top mesas, and steep cliffs or towers known as 'tepuy.' Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 19th century, the only local inhabitants of the...
region of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
state in the Northeast
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
of 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...
. The park is located between 41º35’-41º15’W and 12º25’-13º20’S; approximately 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia.
Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.
Geography
The region is semi-aridSemi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
, however it has no shortage of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, from the many river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s and streams. On average, the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. In this place is located the highest point of state in Pico do Barbado
Pico do Barbado
Pico do Barbado is the highest mountain in the Brazilian state of Bahia, and the highest in all Northeastern Brazil, reaching above sea level. It is located within the area of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. From Catolés, it is possible to reach the peak via a trail....
with 2,036 meters. The park is typified by hills, mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s and monolith
Monolith
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
s, with few plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s.
Access
Weekly flights by TRIP Linhas AéreasTRIP Linhas Aereas
TRIP Linhas Aéreas S/A is a domestic regional airline based in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil in October 2011 Trip had 3.81% of the domestic market share in terms of passengers per kilometre flown.-History:The airline was established in 1998...
links Horácio de Mattos Airport
Lençóis Airport
Coronel Horácio de Mattos Airport is the airport serving Lençóis and Chapada Diamantina National Park, Brazil, located in the adjoining municipality of Coronel Octaviano Alves...
, the gateway of Chapada Diamantina, with Salvador da Bahia, the capital of the state. There are buses leaving the Salvador Bus Station daily.
Geology
Many caveCave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
systems were formed by the rivers that run through the region. Several of these rivers run red due to tannin in the water. Both gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s have been found there.
Flora and fauna
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, there is a wide variety of reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, amphibians, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and small mammals. The flora mainly consists of small scrubland bushes
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, orchids and cactus
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
.
Principal cities and towns in and near the park
- LençóisLençóisLençóis is a municipality/county in the state of Bahia in Brazil. The population in 2004 is 9,590. The town has a well-preserved colonial atmosphere and is the starting point for treks into Chapada Diamantina....
- PalmeirasPalmeiras (Bahia)Palmeiras is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
- AndaraíAndaraíAndaraí is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
- MucugéMucugêMucugê is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
- Vale Do Capao
- SeabraSeabraSeabra is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...