Located in the North Region, the state of Pará, with a territorial extension of 1,247,950,003 square kilometers, is the second largest federative unit in the country. According to a population count carried out in 2010 by the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the population of Pará totals 7,581,051 inhabitants.
In 2009, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Pará reached the mark of 49.5 billion reais; the GDP per capita is 7,707 reais. The state's share of the Brazilian GDP is 1.9%; for the regional GDP, this contribution is 37.1%, being the largest in the North Region. The composition of Pará's GDP is as follows:
Agriculture: 8.6%.
Industry: 31%.
Services: 60.4%.
Therefore, the services and commerce segment is the main responsible for the state's GDP (60.4%). This activity is driven by tourism, which has been highlighted, mainly in Belém, capital of Pará. Other destinations for visitors are Santarém, the northwestern portion of the state, which has mountains and prehistoric inscriptions, in addition to the east of Pará, with maritime beaches, such as Salinas.
Agriculture is based on the cultivation of oranges, bananas, sugar cane, coconut, rice, cassava, cocoa, beans and, mainly, black pepper, whose state is the largest national producer.
Black pepper
Livestock is more developed in the southwestern portion of Pará, the cattle herd is approximately 14 million heads of cattle. There are also birds, pigs, horses and buffaloes, the latter being more common on the island of Marajó.
The industrial sector is concentrated in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. The main industrial segments are wood, food, chemical, aluminum, etc.
Mineral extraction is the main economic activity in Pará. This segment is based on the exploration of bauxite, iron, manganese, limestone, gold, tin. Aluminum and iron ore are the main export products.
Plant extraction is also of great importance (wood, Brazil nuts, etc.).
During the 1980s, large quantities of gold were extracted in Serra Pelada, according to data from National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), in 1983 alone, around 14 tons of gold were extracted in that area. However, the gold has run out, and currently, the Ouro Serra Leste project, by Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, removes the ore from deep deposits.
State export and import data:
Export:
Iron ore – 36%.
Other ores – 14%.
Calcined alumina – 13%.
Raw aluminum – 10%.
Cast iron – 8%.
Wood and its products – 6%.
Cattle – 3%.
Kaolin – 3%.
Others – 7%.
Import:
Caustic soda – 17%.
Machines and equipment – 14%.
Mineral coal and derivatives – 10%.
Petroleum derivatives – 8%.
Dump trucks – 7%.
Products from chemical industries – 6%.
Grader, Loader and Drilling Machine – 6%.
Electronics – 6%.
Tires – 6%.
Others – 20%.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team
For - North region
geography of Brazil - Brazil School
