Amapá: Encyclopedia - Amapá

Amapá

Amapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana in the north. In the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state Pará.

Amapá - Geography

Amapá is located at the mouth of the Amazon River, and is mostly covered with rainforest. The interior features a number of low hills that constitute the extreme eastern end of the Guiana Highlands.

The state is currently a great producer and exporter of iron, bauxite, and other ores.

See also:

• List of cities in Brazil (all cities and municipalities)

Amapá - History

Amapá was disputed with France from the 17th to the 19th century. It became a federal territory in 1944 and did not achieve statehood until 1988.

Amapá - Flag

The flag was adopted with decree No. 008 of April 23, 1984. The blue color in the top symbolizes the sky over Ampaná, as well as justice; the green in the middle the native rainforest; the yellow in bottom stands for the union as well as the natural resources. The black in the small strips reminds of the deceased who worked for the state, and the white for the will of the state to live in peace and stability. The symbol in the left symbolizes the Fortress of São José, out of which the state capital grew.

Before 1984 the state had a red-white-red flag very similar to the flag of Peru.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Amapá", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki