Porto Velho is the capital of the state of Rondônia in Brazil, and is located in the northern region of the country.
The city was founded at the beginning of the 20th century as a strategic point for navigation of the Madeira River, which connects the region with the rest of Brazil and Bolivia.
The construction of the BR-364 highway in the 1960s helped fuel the growth of the city and the region.
The history of Porto Velho is closely related to the construction of the Madeira-Mamoré Railway, an engineering work that began in 1907 and whose objective was to facilitate the transport of rubber from Bolivia to the port of Santo Antonio on the Madeira River.
The construction of the railway line was an enormous challenge due to extremely difficult geographical conditions and malaria, which decimated the workforce. The railway line was finally completed in 1912, but its commercial use was limited and the railway was abandoned in the 1970s.
Today, the city of Porto Velho is a major gateway to the Brazilian Amazon and boasts a rich mix of indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and migrant cultures from other parts of the country. Some of its tourist attractions include the Cathedral of Santo Antônio, the Madeira-Mamoré tourist complex and the Central Market, where you can find typical products of the region.
