Belem
| Belém | |||
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Município de Belém Municipality of Belém |
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Top row left: Theatro da Paz and Vitória Régia, in Paraense Emílio Goeldi Museum.
Middle row: The city of Belem seen from the River Guama. Bottom row left: Cathedral of Sé and Ver-o-Peso market. |
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| Nickname(s): "City of Mango Trees", "Metropolis of Amazon". | |||
| Motto: Os Estados do Norte estão conosco e nos seguem (Northern states are with us and follow us) |
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 Location of Belém in the State of Pará |
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 Belém
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| Coordinates: 1°27′21″S 48°30′14″W / 1.45583°S 48.50389°WCoordinates: 1°27′21″S 48°30′14″W / 1.45583°S 48.50389°W | |||
| Country |
 Brazil
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| Region | North | ||
| State |
 Pará
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| Founded | 12 January 1616 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Zenaldo Coutinho (PSDB) 2013–2016 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Municipality | 1,059.40 km2 (409.04 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) | ||
| Population (2015 census) | |||
| • Municipality | 1,439,561 (11th) | ||
| • Density | 1,322/km2 (3,420/sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 2,249,405 | ||
| Time zone | BRT (UTC-3) | ||
| Postal Code | 66000-000 | ||
| Area code(s) | +55 91 | ||
| HDI | 0.746 (UN) | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Belém (Portuguese pronunciation: [beˈlẽj]), literally Portuguese for Bethlehem, is a Brazilian municipality, the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the country's north. It is the gateway to the River Amazon with a busy port, airport, and bus/coach station. Belém lies approximately 100 km upriver from the Atlantic Ocean, on the Pará River, which is part of the greater Amazon River system, separated from the larger part of the Amazon delta by Ilha de Marajó (Marajo Island). With an estimated population of 1,439,561 people — or 2,249,405, considering its metropolitan area — it is the 11th most populous city in Brazil, as well as the 16th by economic relevance. It is the second largest in the North Region, second only to Manaus, in the state of Amazonas.
Founded in 1616 by the Kingdom of Portugal, Belém was the first European colony on the Amazon but did not become part of Brazil until 1775. The newer part of the city has modern buildings and skyscrapers. The colonial portion retains the charm of tree-filled squares, churches and traditional blue tiles. The city has a rich history and architecture from colonial times. Recently it witnessed a skyscraper boom.
Belém is also known as the Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region or the Cidade das Mangueiras (City of Mango Trees) due to the vast number of those trees found in the city. Brazilians often refer to the city as Belém do Pará ("Belém of Pará") rather than just Belém, a reference to an earlier name for the city, Santa Maria de Belém do Grão Pará, and also to differentiate it from a number of other towns called Belém in Brazil. It is named after Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon, also better known by its shortened name, Belém.
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