MANAUS

Manaus is the largest urban area in the Amazon. It is also the most important Amazonian port and the capital of the state of Amazonas. With 1.5 million people, it cannot be called a city by Brazilian standards (two million people are needed for that designation), but it is like a large metropolis. The city is an amazing sight if you visit it on a river cruise and offers many surprises. Surrounded by rivers and rainforests and located at the critical point of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, it serves as a port for the entire region. Recently, Manaus has again emerged as an important commercial center. It continues to be the main port serving the Amazon region; it is also a duty-free zone and the center for Amazon travel. Manaus is a mix of bustling residential areas, crowded markets, office buildings, banks, and traffic-filled streets. The city begins at the river's edge and extends outward and upward in a melange of curving streets, narrow alleys, and mysterious paths.