Roraima ( ) is one of the 26 states of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. Located in the country's North Region, it is the northernmost and most geographically and logistically isolated state in Brazil. It is bordered by the state of

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

to the southeast, Amazonas to the south and west,

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

to the north and northwest, and

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

to the east. The state covers an area of approximately , slightly larger than

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

, being the fourteenth largest Brazilian state by area. The city of Boa Vista is the capital and largest city in the state, and is the only capital in the country located entirely in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

. Antônio Denarium, a member of the conservative

Progressistas Progressistas (; PP) is a centre-right to Right-wing politics, right-wing political party in Brazil. Founded in 1995 as the Brazilian Progressive Party, it emerged from parties that were successors to National Renewal Alliance, ARENA, the ruling p ...

party, has been the governor of the state since 2019. Roraima is the least populous state in Brazil, with an estimated population of 631,181 inhabitants as of 2020. It is also the state with the lowest

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

in Brazil, with 2.01 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its economy, based mainly on the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...

, registers a high growth rate, although its

Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP) is the lowest in the country, with R$ 16.024 billion, representing only 0.20% of the Brazilian economy. The history of Roraima is strongly linked to the

Branco River The Branco River (; Engl: ''White River'') is the principal affluent of the Rio Negro from the north. Basin The river drains the Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion. It is enriched by many streams from the Tepui highlands which separat ...

, which allowed the first Portuguese settlers to arrive in the region. The Branco River Valley's strategic position made it coveted by the English and the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

, who entered Brazil through the

Guiana Shield The Guiana Shield (; ; ; ) is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a 1.7 billion-year-old Precambrian geological formation in northeast South America that forms a portion of the northern coast. The higher elevations on ...

in search of indigenous people to be enslaved. The

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...

also came to invade the northern part of the Branco River and the

Uraricoera River The Uraricoera (or Uraricuera) River is a river of Roraima state in northern Brazil. The confluence of the Uraricoera and Takutu Rivers forms the Branco River. Basin The river drains the Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion. Part of the ri ...

through Venezuela. The Portuguese settlers defeated and expelled all invaders, establishing

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

's sovereignty over the region of Roraima and part of the Amazonas. As a result of

crisis in Venezuela An ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis began in Venezuela during the presidency of Hugo Chávez and has worsened during the presidency of successor Nicolás Maduro. It has been marked by hyperinflation, escalating starvation, disease, c ...

since the 2010s, Roraima has become the leading entry point for Venezuelan refugees in Brazil. Displaced Venezuelans in Roraima are estimated to number around 100,000, approximately one-sixth of the state's population.

Etymology

The word "" comes from the

Pemon language The Pemon language (or in Spanish) is an Indigenous language of the Cariban family spoken by some 30,000 Pemon people, in Venezuela's Southeast, particularly in the Canaima National Park, in the Roraima State of Brazil and in Guyana G ...

. Its etymology gives it three possible meanings: "Green Peak", "Mother of the Winds" and "Cashew Mountain". It would be the junction of ''roro'' (

parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

) and ''imã'' (father, former). In that language, - or also - means "green", and means mountain or peak, thus forming the word "Green Peak", reflecting the natural landscape of that specific region. There is a possibility that the word "Roraima" has two other meanings: "Mother of the Winds" and "Cashew Mountain". The first meaning comes from the windy climate in the region, where indigenous people believed that the winds that blew through southern Venezuela came from that place. The second, "Cashew Mountain", is due to the many mountains and hills that exist in the area.

History

The first Portuguese settlers arrived in the region by the

. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the English and the

were already attracted to the region, to explore the Branco River Valley through the

Guyanas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British, Dutch, and French Guiana respectiv ...

's sovereignty over the region was only established after the

invaded the northern part of the Branco River, along with the

. From 1725, Carmelite missionaries began the task of converting the

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

in the region. The Portuguese occupation intensified from the 1730s when it traveled the Branco River in search of consolidation of the borders and indigenous labour. For this, they organized rescue troops (purchase of indigenous people transformed into slaves during wars of opposing ethnic groups), war troops (punishment and enslavement of indigenous people who attacked Portuguese nuclei or prevented evangelization) and the search for Brazilian products for sale, the so-called ''

sertão The ''sertão'' (, plural ''sertões'') is the " hinterland" or " backcountry" of Brazil. The word refers both to one of the four sub-regions of the Northeast Region of Brazil or the hinterlands of the country in general (similar to the specific ...

'' drugs. Also, they promoted descents – villages of missionaries and indigenous volunteers or compulsory. Boa Vista antiga 1

In the middle of the 18th century, the

Portuguese Crown This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

became concerned with the constant Spanish expeditions to the western region of 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 ...

. Thus, the idea of creating the Royal Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro was considered, which occurred through the Royal Charter of March 3, 1755. The main reason for the creation of the captaincy was the fear of the Spanish threat from the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru (), officially known as the Kingdom of Peru (), was a Monarchy of Spain, Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in ...

, and the arising fear from the Dutch expeditions in

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

to trade and imprison indigenous peoples. The demarcations foresaw by the Treaty of Madrid, of 1750, also lead to a great extent: with the creation of a new administrative unit in the region, the intention was to implement, in practice, the colonization of the Upper

Negro River In the English language, the term ''negro'' (or sometimes ''negress'' for a female) is a term historically used to refer to people of Black people, Black African heritage. The term ''negro'' means the color black in Spanish and Portuguese (from ...

, creating the necessary infrastructure for the meeting and the work of the Portuguese and Spanish demarcation committees, and this meeting never took place, having Portuguese moulds temporarily occupied the course of the lower Branco River in the meantime, carrying out plantations of

manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

and other food, for the provisioning of the commission. The São Joaquim Fort, built in 1755 at the confluence of the Uraricoiera River with the

Takutu River The Takutu River (Takatu River, Tacutu River) is a river in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana and Roraima in Brazil. It forms part of the boundary between the two countries. The confluence of the Takutu and Uraricoera Rivers forms ...

, was decisive in the conquest of the Branco River by the Portuguese. The Fort, which no longer exists today, had the main purpose of providing the Portuguese with total sovereignty of Portugal over the lands of the Branco River Valley, which aroused international greed due to its little exploitation. The Portuguese colonizers, after assuming sovereignty and total control of the region, created several villages and towns in the locality, together with indigenous natives. Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Santo Antônio, on the Uraricoera River; São Felipe, on the Takutu River and Nossa Senhora do Carmo and Santa Bárbara, on the Branco River, were the main settlements created at the time, housing a significant population number. However, due to the conflicts between the indigenous and the colonizers, because the indigenous people did not accept to submit to the conditions imposed by the Portuguese, the villages did not develop. To guarantee the presence of the Portuguese settlers in the lands of the Branco River Valley, commander Manuel da Gama Lôbo d'Almada started breeding cattle and horses in the territory, in 1789. The farms of São Bento, São José and São Marcos, on the Uraricoera and Takutu rivers, respectively, were the first to permanently introduce cattle and equine breeding, between 1793 and 1799. Currently, the São Marcos farm belongs to the indigenous people and is located in front of the place where Fort São Joaquim was located. For a year, between 1810 and 1811, English soldiers entered the Valley but were expelled by the commander of São Joaquim Fort. The border between

and

, whose border demarcation process had already been closed, needed to be re-marked, due to the great English invasions that occurred in that period. Therefore, the colonization of the Branco River was divided into four periods: From 1750 to the beginning of the 19th century, with the discovery of the Branco River; from the mid-19th century until the creation of the municipality of Boa Vista, in 1890; from 1890 until the creation of the Federal Territory of Rio Branco; and the creation of the Federal Territory of Rio Branco to elevate it to the category of Brazilian federative unit renamed Roraima. Decree-Law No. 5,812 of September 13, 1943, which dismembered the state of Amazonas, created the Federal Territory of Rio Branco. In 1962, the territory was called the Federal Territory of Roraima and elevated to the category of Brazilian federative unit by the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. The colonization of the region was highly encouraged at the end of the 19th century, with the establishment of National Farms. However, the state's population only found stability after its emancipation, a century later, with the gold and diamond mines that attracted migratory waves from different regions of the country. This disorderly immigration and exploitation resulted in many conflicts and deaths due to illnesses and murders in the locality. Currently, almost all of the state's indigenous reserves are approved.

Geography

Roraima is a state in the North Region of Brazil, being the northernmost state in the

Federative Republic of Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It has 1,922 kilometres of border with South American countries. It is bordered by the state of

to the southeast for 107 km, Amazonas to the south and west for about 1,200 km partly across the Jufari, Jauaperi and Alalau rivers,

to the north and northwest for 1,403 km across the Serra Parima and north across the Serra Pacaraima, and

to the east for 964 km. Roraima covers an area of approximately , slightly larger than

, being the fourteenth largest Brazilian state by area. Approximately of the state is composed of indigenous areas, representing almost half of the state's territory (46.37%). The area of

environmental preservation Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecologi ...

in the state, under the responsibility of the

Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation ( Portuguese: ''Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade'', ICMBio) is a government agency under the administration of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. It is nam ...

(ICMBio), is also extensive, with , 8.42% of Roraima's area. For this reason, Roraima is the Brazilian state with the second-highest percentage of territory formed by

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

s, behind only the state of

Amapá Amapá (; ) is one of the 26 federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil. It is in the North Region, Brazil, North Region of Brazil. It is Federative units of Brazil#List, the second-least populous state and the eighteenth-largest state by area ...

Relief

Mount Roraima Mount Roraima (; ) is the highest of the Pacaraima chain of tepuis (table-top mountain) or plateaux in South America. It is located at the junction of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. A characteristic large flat-topped mountain surrounded by cliff ...

, located in

Pacaraima Mountains The Pacaraima or Pakaraima Mountains (, ) are a mountain range primarily in southwestern Guyana, and into northern Brazil and eastern Venezuela. Geography The range extends from west to east for over . Its highest peak is Mount Roraima at above ...

, is the highest point in the state and one of the highest in the country, with . The relief in the state is quite varied. Near the borders of Venezuela and Guyana are the mountains of Parima and Pacaraima, where

is located, with an altitude of . As it is in the far north of Brazil, its points in the far north are the Uailan River and Mount Caburaí. Roraima is predominantly flat. About 60% of the area is below , about 25% averages between 200 and 300 metres, 14% from 300 to 900 metres and only 1% has elevations over 900 metres above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. There are also two

geomorphological Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topography, topographic and bathymetry, bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. Ge ...

structures: the Wavy Plateau and the Northern Escarpments, which are part of the

. Its Wavy Plateau is a large pediplain, formed by isolated and dispersed massifs and peaks. Because of its variations, the relief is divided into five degrees: The first-degree houses areas of the state that can be flooded, which do not have a specific form of relief, but which are covered by a thin layer of water; the second degree would be the

pediplain, an important unit of enormous expression in the state since it occupies a large part of its lands. In this pediplain, the altitudes vary from 70 to 160 metres and have a low slope towards the river channels. The third degree is formed by elevations that can reach an altitude of 400 metres. There are mountain ranges such as Serra da Lua, Serra Grande, Serra da Batata and others. The fourth degree is characterized by elevations that can vary from 600 to 2,000 metres of altitude, formed mainly by the Pacaraima mountain range, Serra do Parima and Serra do Urucuzeiro. These mountains are joined in the form of chains and the rivers that form the

Uraricoera river The Uraricoera (or Uraricuera) River is a river of Roraima state in northern Brazil. The confluence of the Uraricoera and Takutu Rivers forms the Branco River. Basin The river drains the Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion. Part of the ri ...

are born there. Finally, the fifth degree, groups the highest regions, formed by elevations that reach almost 3,000 metres of altitude.

Climate

According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, the prevailing climate in Roraima is similar to that of other states in the North Region that shelter the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...

: basic variations of the

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...

. The average temperature during the year varies from in points of relief with higher altitudes, to in areas of smooth or flat relief. The rainfall index in the eastern part is about 2000 millimetres. In the western part, it is approximately 1500 millimetres. In the capital and nearby areas, the indexes reach 2600 millimetres. In general, the climate varies according to the region. The south and west of the state have a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

(''Af''). The average annual temperature ranges from . In the north and east, the prevailing climates are the

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(''Am'') and

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(''Aw''), where the average temperature is similar to the other regions of the state, however the rainfall index is lower, and the dry season is well defined. Despite the latitude, in the extreme northwest and northeast, in the highest areas of the state, it is possible to find climatic patterns compatible with those of

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

s (''Cfa'' and ''Cwa''), as in the region around Mount Roraima, which has an annual average temperature between , and a dry season between December and March.

Hydrography

The state of Roraima has extensive hydrography. Its territory is abundantly irrigated by 14 rivers, being these: Água Boa do Univiní, Ailã, Ajarani, Alalaú, Branco, Catrimani, Cauamé, Itapará,

Mucajaí Mucajaí () is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality located in the midwest of the state of Roraima in Brazil. Its population is 18,172 (2020) and its area is 12,461 km². Mucajaí started as Colônia Agrícola Fernando Costa, an agricu ...

Surumu Surumu (26 February 1974 – 3 November 1999) was a German Thoroughbred racehorse and an important Sire (horse), sire. Background Surumu, a Chestnut (coat), chestnut, was foaled in 1974 at Andreas Jacobs, the Jacobs family's Gestüt Fährhof nea ...

, Takutu, Uraricoera, Urubu and Xeruini. The hydrography of Roraima is part of the

Amazon River basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

and is basically based on the Branco River sub-basin of , the largest and most important in the state. This river is one of the tributaries of the

. Most of the rivers in the region have a large number of

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

es in the summer, ideal for tourism and leisure. Besides, there are rapids rivers located in the north of the state, which are an option for water sports, such as

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

. Almost all water sources in the state originate within its territory, except for two rivers with springs in

. All Roraiman rivers flow into the

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...

Fauna and flora

The diversity of

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

s and

biome A biome () is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...

s in Roraima contributes to the formation of the fauna in Roraima. In the Roraiman

region, animals such as ''

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...

peccaries Peccaries (also javelinas or skunk pigs) are pig-like ungulates of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North America. Peccari ...

alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...

s, margay cats,

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...

s'', and other species are found. In the general fields of the Branco River and the savannas, there are ''

anteater Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they ar ...

armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...

tortoise Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...

pampas deer The Pampas deer (''Ozotoceros bezoarticus'') is a species of deer that live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations.Geist, Valerius. Deer of the world their evolution, behaviour, and ecology'. Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books, 1998 ...

paca A paca ia a rodent in South and Central America. Paca or PACA may also refer to: People * William Paca (1740–1799), a Founding Father of the United States * Paca Blanco (Francisca Blanco Díaz, born 1949), Spanish activist * Paca Navas (Franc ...

agouti The agouti (, ) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus ''Dasyprocta''. They are native to Central America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced else ...

,'' several species of snakes and other species. Among many species, the

wild horse The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus Equus (genus), ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domestication of the horse, domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the Endangered species, endangered ...

s stand out, they are called '' cavalos lavradeiros'' (in English: savannah horses or steppe horses), one of the last populations of wild horses in the world. In the Branco River basin, where most fish species are found, the variety of species is large. Among the main fish are the ''

pacu Pacu () is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater Serrasalmidae, serrasalmid fish related to piranhas. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw alignment; piranha ...

, peacock bass,

surubi ''Pseudoplatystoma'' is a genus of several South American catfish species of family Pimelodidae. The species are known by a number of different common names. They typically inhabit major rivers where they prefer the main channels and tend to st ...

, matrinxã, redtail catfish,

tambaqui The tambaqui (''Colossoma macropomum'') is a large species of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It is native to tropical South America, but kept in aquaculture and Introduced species, introduced elsewhere. It is also known by the names ...

, acará, mandi, cachorra,

piranha A piranha (, or ; ) is any of a number of freshwater fish species in the subfamily Serrasalminae, of the family Serrasalmidae, in the order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Although ...

, traíra, piraíba,

arowana Arowanas are freshwater bony fish of the subfamily Osteoglossinae, also known as bony tongues (the latter name is now often reserved for Arapaiminae). In this family of fish, the head is bony and the elongated body is covered by large, heavy sca ...

'' and many other species. On the beaches of the lower Branco River, it is still possible to find species of

turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...

s, such as the ''

yellow-spotted river turtle The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (''Podocnemis unifilis''), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles. '' ...

''. There are many species of birds in the state, from large to small ones. Among the large ones, the ''passarão'' (literally big bird) and the ''

jabiru The jabiru ( or ; ''Jabiru mycteria'') is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It sometimes wanders into the United States, usually in Texas, but has also been reported in Mississippi, Oklahoma ...

'' stand out. Among the small ones, '' guans,

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

crested caracara The crested caracara (''Caracara plancus'') is a bird of prey (raptor) in the falcon Family (biology), family, Falconidae. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Polyborus'' before being given in its own genus, ''Caracara (genus), Caracara''. It i ...

'' and others stand out. In Roraima, the flora is divided into three regions: * Amazon rainforest ''(Floresta tropical amazônica)'': composed of dense and humid forest typical of the lower Branco River, extending through the southwest region. * General fields of the Branco River ''(Campos Gerais do Rio Branco)'': approximately , also known as the lavrado region. Lavrado is also known as the savannah. Formed by grass-plot, but along the watercourses, called ''igarapés'', there are large

palm trees The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially ...

known as ''buritizeiros''. In the lavrado there are also, in great quantity, bushes, paricaranas and muricizeiros. * Mountainous region ''(Região Serrana)'': with typical mountainous vegetation, thinner trees and valleys rich in

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

with good-quality grass for livestock. In any of the regions, there are three different types of vegetation cover taking into account the river banks. These are: * Mainland forests ''(Matas de terra firme)'': comprising forests located in lands never affected by river floods. * Floodplain forests ''(Matas de várzeas)'': these are the forests that cover the lands affected by the floods of rivers. * Riparian forests ''(Matas ciliares)'': these are preserved by law and are also flooded every year by river floods.

Demography

According to the population estimate of 2020 carried out by the

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

(IBGE), Roraima had a population of 631,181 inhabitants, which makes the state the least populous federative unit in Brazil. The capital, Boa Vista, concentrates 66.4% of the state's population. The population of Roraima has almost doubled in twenty years. In 1991, the state had only 217,583 inhabitants, a significant increase of 95.51% in population growth. The municipalities that showed the highest population growth were Boa Vista, the capital, and

Rorainópolis Rorainópolis () is a municipality located in the southernmost point of the state of Roraima in Brazil. Its population is 32,647 (as of 2022) and its area is 33,594 km2. The municipality is crossed by the equator. History In the 1970s, the ...

. As for the annual population growth in Roraima, the state ranks among the fastest-growing in Brazil, with a rate of 4.6%, much higher than the national average of 1.6% growth. In this regard, it is second only to

, which registers more than 5% annual growth. However, this high population growth has been declining in recent years. An example of this is the rate presented in 2000 when Roraima showed 49.09% of population growth with 1991. In the last census, in 2010, that number dropped to 31.13%. Of the total population of the state in 2010, 229,343 inhabitants are men and 221,884 inhabitants are women. In recent years, the growth of the urban population has intensified significantly, exceeding the total rural population. According to the 2000 estimate, 80.3% of the inhabitants lived in cities. The

was 1.8 inhab./km² in 2006. This mark is lower than the Brazilian density, 19.94 inhab./km². The distribution of the state population is uneven, with a greater concentration in the capital region and the south of the state. Five municipalities – Boa Vista, Rorainópolis, Alto Alegre, Caracaraí and Bonfim – concentrate more than half of the population of Roraima. In 2017, the

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

(HDI) of Roraima was 0.752, considered high and placing the state in 12th position among the 26 states in Brazil.

Ethnicity

Cultural, political and economic traits inherited from the Portuguese,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

are influential in Roraima. Also, the importance of the

in terms of ethnic contribution cannot be forgotten. It was the indigenous people who initiated human occupation in the

Amazon region The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

, and their descendants, the ''

caboclo A caboclo () is a person of mixed Indigenous Brazilian and European ancestry, or, less commonly, a culturally assimilated or detribalized person of full Amerindian descent. In Brazil, a ''caboclo'' generally refers to this specific type of ' ...

s'', developed in close contact with the environment, adapting to the regional peculiarities and opportunities offered by the forest. In its historical formation, the Roraiman demography is the result of the

miscegenation Miscegenation ( ) is marriage or admixture between people who are members of different races or ethnicities. It has occurred many times throughout history, in many places. It has occasionally been controversial or illegal. Adjectives describin ...

of the three basic ethnic groups that make up the population in the state: the Indigenous, the Europeans and the Africans, thus forming the mestizos of the region (''

s''). Later, with the arrival of migrants, especially from the Northeast of Brazil, a "broth" of singular culture was formed, which characterizes a large part of the population, its values and way of life. According to the 2022 census, the total population of Roraima was composed of ''

Pardo In the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas, ''pardos'' (feminine ''pardas'') are triracial descendants of Europeans, Indigenous Americans and Africans. History In some places they were defined as neither exclusively ...

s'' (

mixed-race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

, 57.3%),

Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

(20.7%),

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

(14.1%),

Afro-Brazilians Afro-Brazilians (; ), also known as Black Brazilians (), are Brazilians of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Most multiracial Brazilians also have a range of degree of African ancestry. Brazilians whose African features are mo ...

(7.7%) and

Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...

(0.1%). Roraima also recognizes

mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

identity. Mestizo Day (June 27) is an official date in the state.

Religion

According to data from 2010, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the main religious denominations of Roraima were: Catholicism (50.5%),

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(30.3%), no religion (12.98%), Indigenous religions (2.75%),

Spiritism Spiritism may refer to: Religion * Espiritismo, a Latin American and Caribbean belief that evolved and less evolved spirits can affect health, luck and other aspects of human life * Kardecist spiritism, a new religious movement established in ...

(0.91%),

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

(0.13%),

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, especi ...

(0.08%), Esoteric traditions (0.03%),

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

and

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

(0.03% each),

Umbanda Umbanda () is a religion that emerged in Brazil during the 1920s. Deriving largely from Kardecist spiritism, Spiritism, it also combines elements from African diasporic religions, Afro-Brazilian traditions like Candomblé as well as Roman Catho ...

(0.02%) and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

(0.01%). The Roman Catholic Diocese of Roraima with 22 parishes under Bishop Evaristo Pascoal Spengler (2023), a

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandr ...

of the Archdiocese of Manaus, is the only Catholic diocese in the state of Roraima. It belongs to the

Ecclesiastical Province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of Manaus and the Northern Regional Episcopal Council of the

National Conference of Bishops of Brazil The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil ( Portuguese: ''Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil'', CNBB) is a group of the Catholic Bishops of Brazil formed under the Code of Canon Law. All diocesan bishops in Brazil belong to CNBB along ...

. The episcopal see is in the Cristo Redentor Cathedral, in the city of Boa Vista. In addition to the majority Catholic Church, there are dozens of different Protestant denominations in the state. In recent years,

Eastern religions The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western and African religions. Eastern religions include: * East Asian religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Tengrism ...

Mormonism Mormonism is the theology and religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationism, Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to va ...

and evangelical denominations have grown considerably in the state. Among the Christian restorationist denominations,

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

(0.55%) and

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(0.15%) stand out. Among the new Eastern religions, the

Church of World Messianity The Church of World Messianity (), abbreviated COWM, is a Japanese new religion founded in 1935 by Mokichi Okada. Its headquarters in Atami, Shizuoka is called the (). History In 1926, Okada claimed to have received a divine revelation tha ...

stands out (0.06%). Other beliefs are shared by 1.47% of the population.

Education

In 2009, the state had a network of 585

elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, of which 322 are state schools, 252 municipal, 10

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

and 1 federal public school. The teaching staff consisted of 4,842 teachers, of whom 2,952 worked in state public schools, 1,627 in municipal public schools and 217 in private schools. 86,547 students studied in these schools, of which 82,208 in public schools and 4,339 in private schools.

High school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

was given in 100 establishments, with an enrollment of 17,512 students. Of the 17,512 students, 16,175 were in public schools and 1,337 in private schools. Bloco I UFRR

As for higher education, the Federal University of Roraima (UFRR), the State University of Roraima (UERR) and the Federal Institute of Roraima (IFRR) stand out. There are also private Higher Education establishments: Roraiman College of Higher Education (FARES), Estácio Atual College, Cathedral College and Faculty of Sciences, Education and Theology of Northern Brazil (FACETEN). About 14,500 pre-school students were also registered, divided into 270 teaching units. Of these, 258 were municipal, with none at the state level. There were 857 pre-school teachers in the state. In 2019 the illiteracy rate in the state was 5%, placing Roraima in the 7th position among the states of Brazil with the highest percentage of literate population, ahead of all states in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

regions. In 2019, in the Basic Education Development Index (IDEB), the state reached a score of 5.7 points, being higher than the national average and becoming the 15th position among the Brazilian states. In 2011, the average grade of Roraima in the National High School Exam (ENEM) is 35.03 in the objective test and 56.37 in the essay test, being one of the highest scores in the North-Northeast of Brazil. In these two regions, Roraima lost only to Amazonas (57.77). However, even with the second highest score, the Roraiman average was below the national average, which was 57.26. Regarding the number of students, 7,463 participated in ENEM in 2010, of which 2,404 were high school graduates and 4,493 graduates. 85.52% of the total students came from public schools. A survey carried out by Portal G1 identified Roraima as one of the Brazilian states that best remunerates middle school teachers, with an average salary of R$ 2,099.47 for 25 hours per week. According to the survey, the highest salary in the country, in the

Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...

– in the amount of R $3,121.96 – was related to a workload of 40 hours. In the same year, the NGO Todos pela Educação also mentioned Roraima as the second Brazilian state with the highest investment in basic education students per year, with R$4,834.43, for each student.

Health care

In 2005, there were 455 hospital establishments in the state, with 725

beds A bed is a piece of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many be ...

and 56 doctors, 10 graduated nurses and 60 nursing assistants. In 2010, of the 455 existing hospitals, 378 were for adults and children, 22 were exclusively for children, being 49 general and 3 specialized. In 2005, 85.2% of the population of Roraima had access to the water network, while 75% benefited from the sanitary

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...

network. According to the 2010 Brazilian Census, 81.4% of the population of Roraima rated their health as good or excellent; 72.5% of the population regularly undergo medical consultations; 44.9% of the inhabitants consulted the dentist regularly and 7.4% of the population has been hospitalized in the last twelve months. Approximately 22% of the inhabitants declared to have a

chronic disease A chronic condition (also known as chronic disease or chronic illness) is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the ...

and only 9.8% have health insurance. Another significant fact is the fact that 44.7% of the inhabitants declare that they always need the Family Health Unit Program (PUSF). Regarding

women's health Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated ...

, 30.5% of women over 40 years old had a clinical breast exam in the last twelve months; 39.1% of women between 50 and 69 years old had a

mammogram Mammography (also called mastography; DICOM modality: MG) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer ...

in the last twenty-four months, and 85.6% of women between 25 and 59 years old had a preventive exam for

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...

in the last thirty-six months.

Economy

With a

(GDP) of only R$ 13,37 billion, the economy of the state of Roraima is the smallest in Brazil, corresponding to only 0.2% of Brazil's economy. It is based on

agricultural production Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food ...

, mainly in grain

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

, with emphasis on

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

s and

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

. It is said that the state works in the so-called "paycheck economy", when there is a circulation mainly of the amounts paid in salaries to public servants and private employees of commerce. In

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

, the live cattle trade for slaughter in

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 ...

was, until the 1970s, the main economic base. For years, between 6 and 10 thousand oxen were traded with Manaus annually. This type of trade brought

foodstuff Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

, household items, among others, to Roraima. This form of supply ended due to two main factors:

population growth Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The World population, global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to aroun ...

in the state, through the inauguration of the Manaus–Boa Vista Road, and the decrease in the cattle herd. Rice took the place of meat, starting to be traded with Manaus in the late 1970s. In 1977, agricultural mechanization for rice crop was introduced, increasing production capacity. In the beginning, mechanization was applied in the area of plowing for the production of

upland rice Upland or Uplands may refer to: Geography *Hill, an area of higher land, generally *Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points *Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level *I ...

, which did not have the success expected by several factors. One of them was the lack of physical structure for storing production, as there were no dryers and warehouses. However, this system made it possible to shift production to irrigated rice. With more capitalized producers and government support in the construction of warehouses and dryers, production became viable. This type of rice came to be produced in the floodplains of the Branco, Takutu, Uraricoera and Cauamé rivers, with productivity high enough to cover the high costs of implanting and maintaining this crop in Roraima. Subsequently, the cultivation of soybeans appeared in the plowing, with the planted area being increased year by year. The biggest problems of this crop are in the area of guaranteeing land tenure, its incompatibilities with environmental laws, in addition to irregularity and poor reliability of transport. These two largest crops in Roraima decreased with the conquest by the peoples from the Demarcation of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Area. Other crops such as corn,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

and beans are also present. But they do not reach the level of rice and soy production. In the case of

for the production of

flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

, Roraima is self-sufficient. In the area of fruit growing,

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...

and

tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in colour, that is considered either a variety of the mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), or a closely related species, under the name ''Citrus tangerina'', or yet as a hybrid (''Citr ...

are produced in the state. The melon, watermelon and papaya stand out for their quality recognition. There has been great progress with vegetables in recent years. The production of

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...

green onions "Green Onions" is an instrumental composition recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. One of the most popular soul songs ever, and R&B instrumentals of its era, it utilizes a twelve-bar blues progression and features a rippling Hammond M3 ...

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...

, peppers,

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

es,

string beans Green beans are young, unripe fruits of various cultivars of the common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris''), although immature or young pods of the runner bean (''Phaseolus coccineus''), yardlong bean ( ''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis' ...

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

and

sweet pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

have increased, and it can be said that there is also self-sufficiency in this sector. Greenhouse production has helped in this process. Brazil_nuts

Roraima has always occupied a secondary position in the economic geography of the Amazon when it comes to plant extractivism, producing

Brazil nut The Brazil nut (''Bertholletia excelsa'') is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds. It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. ...

s, rowanberries and

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

. The first two in the southern region of the state, especially under the

. They are sold in Manaus, but on a small scale. The wood has been explored and traded with

and, more recently, with other countries in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. The Roraiman industry is small. In the Industrial District of Boa Vista, located on the edge of the

BR-174 BR-174 is a federal highway of Brazil. The road connects Cáceres to Pacaraima on the Venezuelan border. It is the only road connection of the state of Roraima with the rest of the country. 458 kilometres are under construction, and there is n ...

, there were 58 plants in operation in 2015. They produce cereals, wood, leather, and others. The commercial sector is traditional, buying from other places, such as

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

and Manaus, and reselling in Boa Vista and other municipalities. Getting closer commercially with neighboring countries to practice

foreign trade International trade is the exchange of Capital (economics), capital, goods, and Service (economics), services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countr ...

is a path that has been recently traced. The main trading partner for exports and imports is Venezuela; the main product exported in 2004 and 2010 was wood; in 2015, there was a good diversification with the export of soy, leather and

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

, in addition to wood. The products imported in greater quantity have been machines, devices and mechanical instruments. The municipalities that export the most are Boa Vista, Bonfim, Caracaraí, Mucajaí and Rorainópolis.

Politics

Roraima is a state of Brazil governed by three powers, the

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

, represented by the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

, the

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

, represented by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Roraima, and the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, represented by the Court of Justice of the State of Roraima and other courts and judges. Popular participation in government decisions through

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

s is also allowed. The current constitution of the state of Roraima was enacted on December 31, 1991, in addition to the changes resulting from subsequent

constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...

s. The Roraima

Executive Branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

is centered on the state governor, who is elected by

universal suffrage Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...

and direct and secret vote, by the population for terms of up to four years in duration, and can be reelected for another term. The Senador Hélio Campos Palace is the seat of the Roraima government since 1991. The

Legislative Power A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers o ...

of Roraima is

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

, constituted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Roraima. It consists of 24

deputies A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nati ...

, who are elected every 4 years. In the National Congress, the representation of Roraima is made up of 3 senators and 8 federal deputies. The highest court of the Roraima Judiciary is the Court of Justice of the State of Roraima. The judiciary is made up of judges and judges of law. When it comes to political representation organizations, 34 of the 35 Brazilian political parties have representation in the state. According to information released by the

Superior Electoral Court The Superior Electoral Court (, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Election Justice, Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court (Brazil), Regional Electoral Court (, TRE) in each of the 26 states and th ...

(TSE), based on data from April 2016, the political party with the largest number of affiliates in Roraima is the Progressive Republican Party (PRP), with 6,732 members, followed by the Social Democracy Party (PSDB), with 5,356 members and the Democratic Labor Party (PDT), with 5,087 members. Other political parties in the state, by number of members, are the Progressive Party (PP), with 4,521 members; and the

Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...

(PTB), with 3,406 members. Also according to the Superior Electoral Court, the

Sustainability Network The Sustainability Network (, REDE) is an Environmentalism, environmentalist List of political parties in Brazil, Brazilian political party founded in 2013 by Marina Silva, a Brazilian politician from Acre, Brazil, Acre. The party formed a strate ...

(REDE) and the Unified Socialist Workers Party (PSTU) are the least representative political parties in Roraima, with 21 and 24 members, respectively. The New Party (NOVO) is the only Brazilian party that has no representation in Roraima.

Subdivisions

Roraima is politically divided into 15 municipalities. The most populous of them is Boa Vista, with 419,652 inhabitants, being the oldest municipality in the state, emerged as a village, the first with urban characteristics in Roraima. The municipalities are distributed in four immediate geographical regions, which in turn are grouped into two intermediate geographical regions, according to the division of the

(IBGE) in force since 2017.

Transportation

Airways

Gate de embarque do Aeroporto Internacional de Boa Vista em julho de 2018

In the state, there is only one

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

managed by

Infraero Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária (abr. Infraero) is a Brazilian government corporation founded in 1973, authorized by Law 5,862, that is responsible for operating the main List of the busiest airports in Brazil, Brazilian com ...

, Boa Vista International Airport - Atlas Brasil Cantanhede, located in the state capital. In 2009, the airport in the state capital handled 190,469 passengers and 931,248

air cargo Air cargo is any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft. Air cargo comprises air freight, air express and airmail. Aircraft types Different cargo can be transported by passenger, cargo or combi aircraft: * Passenger aircraft use the ...

. The state also has 7 other state-class and smaller airports: Auaris Airport, in

Amajari Amajari () is a municipality located in the northwest of the state of Roraima in Brazil. Its population is 13,185 and its area is 28,472 km². It is the westernmost municipality in Roraima. The municipality of Amajari is a region of 8 indig ...

; Mucajaí Airport, in

; Pacaraima Airport, in Pacaraima; Surucucu, Uaicas and Surucucus Airport, in Alto Alegre, the latter located inside the

Yanomami Indigenous Territory The Yanomami Indigenous Territory () is an Indigenous territory (Brazil), indigenous territory in the states of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas and Roraima, Brazil. It overlaps with several federal or state conservation units. It is home to ...

; and Caracaraí Airport, in

Caracaraí Caracaraí () is a municipality located in the state of Roraima in Brazil. Its population is 22,283 and its area is , making it the largest municipality in Roraima state. Caracaraí is located on the Branco River. Overview Caracaraí was found ...

. These airports are of municipal and state administration. Air transport is the fastest to regulate in Roraima, being in better conditions than the others. The cities, districts and towns of the inland of Roraima are served, in most cases, by transport from Boa Vista. That said, it is the most isolated federative unit in Brazil. There is no rail network in the state.

Highways

The only Brazilian state that has a road connection with Roraima is Amazonas, through the

, which connects the municipalities in the South to the municipalities in the North of the state, and is also responsible for connecting Brazil to

. The BR-174 is long and crosses the territory of the state from south to north, crossing the

at the height of Caracaraí through the Caracaraí Bridge. There is also the

BR-210 BR-210 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 411.7 kilometre road, popularly known as ' ("north perimeter"), is primarily located in the North Region, Brazil, Northern Brazilian state of Roraima, with other segments in Amazonas (Brazilian state), A ...

, also called Perimetral Norte, a project originating in the mid-twentieth century, from the

Federal Government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

, which had been carried out only partially and which, in principle, would link the state to

and the municipality of

São Gabriel da Cachoeira São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Saint Gabriel of the Waterfall'') is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality located on the northern shore of the Rio Negro (Amazon), Rio Negro River, in the region of Cabeça do Ca ...

(in Amazonas). This highway is long and crosses the state in an east–west direction. Another highway in Roraima that crosses Brazil is the BR-401, connecting the state with

. It starts in Boa Vista and crosses the Branco River through the Macuxis' Bridge, entering the Guyanese territory. Other federal highways are BR-431, BR-432 and BR-433. Federal roads in Roraima add up to . There are state highways as well, including the RR-205 (which connects the capital to the headquarters of Alto Alegre) and the RR-203 (connecting the headquarters and districts of Amajari to the BR-174), both of which are fully paved, signposted, and with good traffic conditions. Other important highways are the RR-325 and the RR-319, which cut through important agricultural areas and colonies of rural settlements. State highways add up to just over in length and are largely in conditions of improper use.

Waterways

River transport is also notable in the state, as well as in other states in the

. However, river navigation is limited to the

. Transportation on the Branco River is heavily used for the economy, but with little passenger movement to inland cities. Regular navigation on this river occurs only in the mouth section (Negro River/Caracaraí), about long. In this segment, the Branco River has a maximum draft of 5 metres in the period of floods and a minimum of 0.7 metres in the period of drought. Roraima is at a disadvantage in relation to the other Amazonian states in terms of waterway system. As it is the only one in which all its notorious rivers have their source in their own territory – the state's hydrographic system is 100% Roraiman –, it is bound to have few river outlets. In fact, Roraima has only one major fluvial outlet: through the Branco river, reaching the Negro river, heading from there to

and

. Even so, the most important river in Roraima still poses additional difficulties.

Tourism

Roraima has great tourism potential, especially in

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

. Because it is located in the extreme north of Brazil, in the northern part of this country and because it borders on three South American countries, Roraima maintains close commercial relations based on tourism with these countries, especially

. Natural attractions are the main tourist points of the state, especially

. Mount Roraima is one of the oldest places on the planet and attracts many tourists from all over the world. Pedra pintada frente

Archaeologists have a strong interest in Pedra Pintada, which is the most important site of

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

in the state. In it, there are inscriptions of ancient civilizations, such as rock paintings, pieces of ceramics, hatchets, necklace beads, among other artifacts that indicate the history of human evolution, dating back to four thousand years. The rock is a granite monolith sixty metres in diameter and about 40 metres high. On the outer face, there are red rock paintings that are still considered an enigma for scientists. There are also funerary caves up to 12 meters long. Pedra Pintada is located in Pacaraima. Serra do Tepequém is also a state tourist attraction. It has a rich handicraft in

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in sub ...

and its area is free to explore diamonds. The place serves as a trekking practice, to the Paiva, Sobral, Barata and Funil waterfalls. The plateau is the culmination of the entire mountain, where the

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

that delimits the borders between Brazil and Venezuela begins. It has an average altitude of 1,500 metres and is located in the municipality of

. Another tourist spot in the state is Mount Caburaí. Geographers have proven that it is located 70 km north of

Oiapoque Oiapoque () is a municipality in the north of the state of Amapá, Brazil. Its population is 27,906 and its area is . Oiapoque is also a major river in the same state, forming the international border with French Guiana. The Oyapock River Bridge, ...

, which makes the mountain the northernmost point in Brazil, having been recognized by the official institutions responsible for geographic territorial demarcations, such as the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Also noteworthy is

Lake Caracaranã Lake Caracaranã ( Portuguese: Lago Caracaranã) is a lake in the Normandia municipality of Roraima, Brazil. The lake is located in the Raposa Serra do Sol Terra indígena Raposa/Serra do Sol ( Portuguese for ''Fox/Sun Hills Indigenous Land'') ...

, in the municipality of

Normandia ''Normandia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1872. The genus contains only one species, ''Normandia neocaledonica'', which is endemic to New Caledonia. The genus is r ...

. With almost 6 kilometres of

perimeter A perimeter is the length of a closed boundary that encompasses, surrounds, or outlines either a two-dimensional shape or a one-dimensional line. The perimeter of a circle or an ellipse is called its circumference. Calculating the perimet ...

, it is known for its fine sand beaches surrounded by cashew trees.

Notable people

* Bianca Matte (b. 1990), Beauty Queen *

Thiago Maia Thiago Maia Alencar (born 23 March 1997), known as Thiago Maia, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club SC Internacional, Internacional. Club career Santos ...

(b. 1997), professional footballer. * Lucas Barbosa (b. 1992), mixed martial artist, World Champion. * Arthur Silva (b. 1995), footballer. *

Luiz Altamir Melo Luiz Altamir Lopes Melo (born 9 May 1996 in Boa Vista) is a Brazilian swimmer. International career 2013–16 He was at the 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he finished 5th in the 200-metr ...

(b. 1996), swimmer, World Champion, former World Record holder.

References

External links

Official Website

Brazilian Tourism Portal
{{Authority control Federative units of Brazil * States and territories established in 1988 1988 establishments in Brazil