Economic Surges and Growth of Manaus

Abstract

There are few dynamic cities in the Amazon. Those that exist are located in
strategic places for commercially commanding hinterlands or have privileged access to political resources. Manaus is exceptional in that it is a planned industrial city in the middle of Amazon rainforest, has a mestizo ethnic makeup and can be considered a success. However, the history of Manaus has experienced long periods of stagnation, intermittent surges of expansion and collapse. The legacy of a surge or surges in a city's historical constitutes an important way of identifying how it is different from others. Manaus passed through two distinct surges. After centuries of lack of demographic and
economic growth, Manaus experienced the extraordinary rubber boom which lasted a couple of decades and was followed by collapse. Then, after decades of stagnation, in 1967 a second surge was induced by the Brazilian State. Based on industry this surge has achieved a degree of sustainability and is responsible for the present status of Manaus as a regional metropolis. Despite the lack of dynamism in previous centuries before these two surges Manaus had another important function, that of guaranteeing Portuguese possession of the vast Amazon basin which occupies the majority of the interior territories of South America.