Manaus which literally means “Mother of God” is the capital of the state of Amazonas. It was on October 24, 1848, that Manaus was given the city status and was declared as the capital of Amazonas.

The formation of the city began around the 1600s when foreign countries like Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands were interested to mark Amazonas as one of their conquests. The reason that sparked the interest of these other countries can be attributed to the stories that were told about the Orellana expedition who stopped over in the region. This was headed by Francisco de Orellana.

During this time, the city was colonized by the Portuguese and threats of other countries occupying the region made them strengthen their resolve to defend their conquered cities. That is why they erected a fort, the São José da Barra Fort, which would serve the purpose of defending the region and maintaining Portuguese control.

A small village developed around the fort. In time this small village would be known as Manaus. In 1833, the village was given the villa status and in 1848 gained city status.

All of the invasion attempts by the different countries became unsuccessful and the town followed a path to its growth and progress.

The rubber boom was a great key player in Amazonas’s economy and Manaus was the center of this. But it eventually fell into decline when rubber was being smuggled outside of Brazil. Now, the state has changed into becoming an industrial center. Manaus is now the biggest manufacturer and provider of electronic products in the region.