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- Rondônia:
Official website: http://www.ro.gov.br
Capital: Porto Velho
Area: 238,512 km2
Important cities: Ji-Paraná, Ariquemes, Cacoal, Vilhena
Economy: agriculture and minerals
Important newspapers: Folha de Rondônia
Rondônia is in the western frontier of Brazil, and in the center of South American massland. The long distances made it difficult any settlement in the region; until
the 17th century, only some religious missions had ventured this far.
In the 18th century, the bandeirantes from São Paulo, after being expelled from the auriferum areas of Minas Gerais, headed west and found gold in what today is Rondônia; the
gold rush lasted short, though. Towards the end of 19th century, there was a boom in the rubber tree culture; during the same epoch, the rail road Madeira-Mamoré was being
built, and these two events helped bring some development to the region.
In 1943, part of the states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso were desmembered and turned into the Territory of Guaporé; in 1956, the name was changed to Rondônia, a tribute do
Marechal Cândido Rondon, who explored the region and publicized his findings; in 1981, the territory was elevated to State.
In 1981, mines of cassiterita (copper iron) were found. But the big boost to the economy came from agriculture: with support of government and agri-technology, the cerrados
became the new frontier of Brazilian plantations; large areas were bought for cheap and became plantations of soy, corn and other commodities.
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