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  Manaus
is located in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest some 900
miles from where the Amazon River flows into the Atlantic.
For those
expecting to see only a sea of green of the Amazon rainforest
when they fly into Manaus, the sight of a modern city with
high-rises and a busy port may come as a surprise.
With more
than 1.5 million people it is the jump off point for many Amazon travel
programs and the best place from
where to
visit the Amazon Jungle.
The city is
situated on the north bank of the Rio Negro, 11 miles (18 km)
above the Meeting of the Rivers where the Negro merges with the
Rio Solimões (Amazon). The city sprawls,
but the center of town, the Centro, where most of the hotels and
attractions are located, rises above the river on a slight hill.
As the largest city and a major port on the river, Manaus is
commercial. Local industries include brewing, shipbuilding, soap
manufacturing, the production of chemicals, the manufacture of
electronics equipment, and petroleum refining of oil brought in
by barge. And tourism, of course.
A must see in Manaus is the Italian Renaissance Opera House
built in the 1890’s with marble and frescoes from Italy,
wrought-iron banisters from England, crystal chandeliers and
tiles from France. Closed for many years, the theater reopened
in 1997 and now hosts international entertainers. The Opera
house has a spectacular interior. |
