How to Pronounce Pará

Meaning and Context

Pará is a vast and ecologically critical state in northern Brazil, officially established in 1889 and anchored by its bustling capital city of Belém. Encompassing a significant portion of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, it is the nation's second-largest state by area and serves as a vital gateway to the Amazon River basin. The state's economy is historically driven by mineral extraction, including the massive Carajás iron ore mine, alongside burgeoning industries in agriculture, aquaculture, and bio-economy. Pará's identity is deeply intertwined with its immense biodiversity, iconic waterways like the Tocantins and Xingu rivers, and a profound cultural heritage that blends indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and caboclo traditions, most vividly expressed during the world-renowned Círio de Nazaré festival. This combination of immense natural resources, complex environmental challenges, and vibrant folkloric expressions makes Pará an indispensable region for understanding both the ecological and socioeconomic fabric of contemporary Brazil.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The primary spelling of the state is "Pará," which includes an acute accent on the final 'a'. This accent is crucial as it differentiates the name from the Portuguese preposition "para," meaning "for" or "to." Common misspellings and typographical errors often omit this accent, resulting in the incorrect "Para." In some informal or non-Portuguese contexts, such as older English texts or digital systems that strip diacritics, the accent may be absent. Another less frequent error is the confusion with the similar-sounding Brazilian state of "Paraíba," located in the northeast. When writing in Portuguese, maintaining the correct capitalization ("Pará") and the acute accent is essential for accuracy and respect for the proper noun.

Example Sentences

Tourists flock to Belém, the capital of Pará, to experience the mouth-watering local cuisine and the overwhelming spectacle of the Círio de Nazaré.

Environmental scientists are deeply concerned about deforestation rates in Pará, as the state contains some of the Amazon's most intact and vulnerable ecosystems.

The economy of Pará has been transformed by the export of iron ore from the Serra dos Carajás, one of the world's largest mining complexes.

To truly understand the cultural mosaic of northern Brazil, one must immerse themselves in the folk music and traditions of Pará's riverine communities.

Navigating the intricate network of tributaries in Pará offers an unparalleled perspective on the scale and beauty of the Amazon basin.

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