Benjamin Constant is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
located in the
Brazilian state
The federative units of Brazil () are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Federative Repu ...
of
Amazonas. Its population was 43,935 (2020) and its area is 8,793 km² (5,495 mi²).
History
The area is inhabited by
Ticuna Indians. The Magüta Museum in the town is devoted to their culture and language. In 1988 the town was the scene of the murder of 14 Ticunas in a dispute between them and logging interests.
The town was named after the Brazilian revolutionary
Benjamin Constant
Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque (25 October 1767 – 8 December 1830), or simply Benjamin Constant, was a Swiss and French political thinker, activist and writer on political theory and religion.
A committed republican from 1795, Constant ...
(1836–1891).
Geography
The town is located by the confluence of the
Javary River
The Javary River, Javari River or Yavarí River (; ) is a tributary of the Amazon that forms the boundary between Brazil and Peru for more than . It is navigable by canoe for from above its mouth to its source in the Ucayali highlands, but o ...
and the
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
, close to the border with
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. However, there are no customs or immigration facilities in Benjamin Constant, and entry and exit formalities take place at
Tabatinga
Tabatinga, originally Forte de São Francisco Xavier de Tabatinga, is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the Tres Fronteras, Três Fronteiras area of Western Amazonas. It is in the Brazilian States of Brazil, state of Amazonas (Brazilia ...
on the opposite bank of the Amazon.
There are no roads into Benjamin Constant and the only access is by river boat. By fast boat it is about 31 hours from
Manaus
Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...
(about 7 days by slow boat). The nearest airport is at Tabatinga, 2 hours by boat.
Climate
Gallery
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 02.jpg, A passenger boat (Ze Alberto 2013) docked at the town
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 03.jpg, View of the town from the F/B Vitória Régia boat on the Javary River
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 04.jpg, View of the town from the river
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 05.jpg, View of the town from the river
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 06.jpg, View of Benjamin Constant port from the river
Image:Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil 07.jpg, View of Benjamin Constant port from the river
References
Municipalities in Amazonas (Brazilian state)
Populated places on the Amazon
{{AmazonasBR-geo-stub