Manaus, the state capital of Amazonas, is the main financial and corporate centre of northern Brazil and the 10th largest tourist destination of the country. Currently, the city has a population of approximately 2 million and is the seventh most populous city in Brazil. Its metropolitan area has a population of approximately 2.5 million. It is a city recognized for its economic dynamism, its culture and its historical heritage, with a large connection to Portugal. It is also considered as one of the top 20 cities to do business in Latin America and the sixth municipality that most contributes to Brazilian GDP.
Manaus was founded in the XVII century by Portuguese people to secure the Lusitanian domain in the Amazon region, which already held a strategic position in Brazilian territory. The city began on the left bank of “Rio Negro” river with the construction of the “Fort of São José do Rio Negro“, designed by the Portuguese explorer Francisco da Mota Falcão in 1669.
The city also has great connections to Portugal, standing out the strong presence of the Luso-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce – Amazon in Manaus society and of an influential Portuguese descendants community.
