Manaus, Brazil, emerged as
an important port city in the nineteenth century during the rubber boom.
Today, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants, it is the largest city
in the Amazon Basin. It is located on the banks of the Rio Negro (darker,
to the left) at that river's confluence with the Amazon River (lighter,
to the right). Although it is 1450 kilometers upstream from the Atlantic
Ocean, Manaus remains an important port city for oceangoing vessels. It
currently exports rubber, Brazil nuts, lumber, and various fruits. Recent
discoveries of oil and manganese (used in steel production) may further
invigorate its economy. Surrounding this city for hundreds of kilometers
in all directions is dense rainforest. Because there are no bridges spanning
the rivers in the vicinity of Manaus, ships are used to transport goods
across these rivers.