Breu Branco
Breu Branco | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | Northern |
| State | Pará |
| Mesoregion | Sudeste Paraense |
| Population (2020 ) | |
• Total | 67,332 |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (BRT) |
Breu Branco is a municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil.
The name Breu Branco refers to the resin of the almécega tree (Protium heptaphyllum). The village originated in 1907 with the construction of the Tocantins Railroad. Already in 1908, the villagers joined a movement that tried to emancipate the south-east of Pará, joining it with Goiás. The railroad brought prosperity through the trade of cashew, but was deactivated in 1973. In 1980, the village was submerged by the Tucuruí Dam and the inhabitants were relocated to a new village Breu Branco. In 1991, it became a municipality.
The village Moru (3°33′40″S 49°36′30″W / 3.56111°S 49.60833°W) on the Tocantins was founded in 1793, when the Portuguese transferred a group of Aruã there from the island Marajó.