Porto Velho

This article describes the capital of the Brazilian state of Rondônia. For the archdiocese of Porto Velho, see Archdiocese of Porto Velho.

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Porto Velho, officially Portuguese Município de Porto Velho, is the capital of the Brazilian state of Rondônia. The city had a population of 539,354 as of July 1, 2020, according to estimates. The area of the entire municipal territory of about 34,091 km² is roughly the size of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, but with a population density of 15.24 inhabitants per km². In 2010, about 91% of the population was concentrated in the actual urban area, and about 9% in the still largely untouched surrounding countryside. Protected areas and three tribal reserves of the Karitiana, Kaxaraxi and Karipuna are located on the municipal territory.

History

It was founded in 1914 as a port on the Rio Madeira. Today it is an important point of the Transamazônica. It is located at an altitude of 85 meters.

There are two legends surrounding the origin of its name: one speaks of a port that was called "Porto do Velho" (Port of the Old) because of a well-known farmer who lived there, and the other speaks of a staging point for the Imperial Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War; after the war, only the name "Porto Velho" remained.

From 13 September 1943, Porto Velho became the capital of the new "Território Federal do Guaporé" and then, on 17 February 1956, the capital of the new "Território Federal de Rondônia".

The town benefited from the rubber boom in its early years, as both the Madeira Mamoré Railway (EFMM) and various shipping routes for rubber mining in the nearby jungle passed through Porto Velho, bringing the town modest wealth. However, the railway line has since been decommissioned. A 25-kilometre section has been restored for tourist purposes, but this too is currently out of service due to problems with the old steam locomotives from Germany and the United States.

Since the 1980s, the city, like the state of Rondônia, has been the destination of a strong influx, especially from northeastern Brazil. Impoverished inhabitants of the states on the coasts move to the interior states, where they hope to be able to convert virgin forest into plantations and thus lead a better life.

Places of interest

Nearby points of interest include Mãe Esperanza, Mãe Petronilha and Albertino Temples.