{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Altamira | nickname = | motto = | image_skyline = Altamira Pará.JPG | imagesize = | image_caption = Panorama view of Altamira and Xingu River | image_flag = Bandeira de Altamira.jpg | image_shield = Brasão de Altamira.jpg | image_map = Para_Municip_Altamira.svg | mapsize = 250px | map_caption = Location of Altamira | pushpin_map = Brazil | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Brazil | coordinates = {{coord|3|12|10|S|52|12|21|W|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Brazil}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Northern Region | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = border|22px Pará | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Claudomiro Gomes | leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager --> | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | established_title = Founded | established_date = November 6, 1911 | established_title2 = <!-- Incorporated (town) --> | established_date2 = | established_title3 = <!-- Incorporated (city) --> | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 159533.73 | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_km2 = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2022 Census | population_note = | population_total = 126,279 | population_footnotes = <ref name="IBGE">{{cite web |url=https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/pa/altamira/panorama |title=IBGE 2025 |author=Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)}}</ref> | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = | population_est = 138,749 | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="IBGE"/> | population_urban = | timezone = BRT | utc_offset = −3 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | latd = | latm = | lats = | latNS = | longd = | longm = | longs = | longEW = | elevation_m = 109 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... --> | postal_code = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Altamira''' is a municipality in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil. It has an area of {{convert|159533.73|km2|sqmi|disp=or}}, making it the largest municipality by area both in Pará state and Brazil, and until 2009 it was the world's largest municipal subdivision. It occupies 12.8% of the state's territory, 1.8% of Brazil's territory and 0.8% of South America. It also covers a more extensive area than 104 countries, and its size is comparable to that of the US state of Georgia.
Altamira Municipality encompasses the Altamira city and district, the seat of local government, whose majority population lives in urban area, and nine other mostly rural districts (most of those covered by the Amazon rainforest), whose urban populations are minorities, and live in inhabited areas spaced by tens or hundreds of kilometers. According to the 2010 Brazilian National Census the municipality had 99,075 inhabitants which grew to 115,969 at the 2020 Census, making a density of only 0.73 inhabitants per square kilometer at the same year. It is home to hundreds of indigenous communities and environmental protection areas. The Belo Monte Dam, the world's fourth largest hydroelectric dam is also located in the municipality.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vilela |first1=Pedro Rafael |title=Brazil unveils world’s fourth biggest hydropower plant |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/politica/noticia/2019-11/brazil-unveils-worlds-fourth-biggest-hydropower-plant |access-date=23 March 2024 |work=Agência Brasil |publisher=Empresa Brasil de Comunicação |date=28 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
==History== The history of Altamira traditionally includes the period from the installation of the Jesuit mission of the city to the present day. However, the municipal territory has been inhabited since time immemorial by nomadic and semi-nomadic indigenous peoples.
Kuben-Kran-Keñ, an extinct Jê language belonging to the Kayapó group, was once spoken in the municipality.<ref name="Loukotka">{{cite book |last=Loukotka |first=Čestmír |author-link=Čestmír Loukotka |title=Classification of South American Indian languages |url=https://archive.org/details/classificationof0007louk |url-access=registration |publisher=UCLA Latin American Center |year=1968 |location=Los Angeles}}</ref>
===Mission Tavaquara=== Although it is well known that even before the eighteenth century former Jesuit Missions already inhabited the Xingu region, it was not until the 1750s that Father Roque Hunderfund entered the Xingu River until the Tucuruí Igarapé, later called Vitória. There, he made contacts with indigenous Xipaia and Kuruaya, who guided him towards Volta Grande do Xingu. There, near the mouth of the Panelas stream, they chose the foundation of the Tavaquara Mission, whose settlement formed the city of Altamira.
The policies of the Portuguese Prime Minister Marquês de Pombal, still in the eighteenth century, shut down all Jesuit missions in the colonies, causing the Tavaquara Mission to close its activities. The parish of Souzel continued to assist the village, but only in 1841 did Fr. Antonio Torquato de Souza reopen the sting that linked the Victoria stream on the lower Xingu ground to the Tavaquara Mission, higher up. crossing the waterfalls, making the work in Tavaquara more accessible.
===Administrative recognition=== The first administrative elevation took place on April 14, 1874, when the municipality of Souzel (now Senator José Porfírio) was created, where the Tavaquara Mission (Altamira) was elevated to the status of village. During this period the village survived from the extraction and commercialization of rubber and other drugs from the backlands, as well as communicating with Souzel and Moz Port by steam navigation.
On April 2, 1883, under the influence of Colonel Francisco Gayoso, the town of Tavaquara was elevated to the town of Souzel, receiving the name of Altamira. Also under the influence of Colonel Gayoso, a bite was opened, linking the bass to the middle Xingu, with the objective of turning it into a road, employing African slave labor.
In 1880, Agrarian Cavalgante resumed the works of Col. Gayoso, rectifying the layout of the road, starting from where today is the headquarters of the municipality of Vitória do Xingu and arriving at the mouth of the Ambé stream, there building Fort Ambé, which no longer exists.
==Economy==
The municipal GDP is around US$450 million and is mainly linked to agricultural activities, trade and since 2010 has been driven by the construction of the Belo Monte Dam.
The municipality is served by Altamira Airport.
==Belo Monte Dam== {{main|Belo Monte Dam}} In Altamira the third-largest dam in the world by generating capacity (behind the Three Gorges Dam and Itaipu Dam), with a capacity of 11.233 GW, is being built. As of October 2019 all turbines at Pimental and 17 turbines in main power powerhouse are online with total installed capacity of 10,388.87 MW at Belo Monte site, totaling 10,621.97 MW with the Pimental site.<ref name="cron">{{Cite web|url=https://www.norteenergiasa.com.br/pt-br/uhe-belo-monte/historico|title=A história de Belo Monte – Cronologia|website=Norte Energia|language=pt-BR|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404200230/https://www.norteenergiasa.com.br/pt-br/uhe-belo-monte/historico|archive-date=4 April 2019|url-status=live|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>
==Geography==
Altamira is located in a transition area between the Brazilian Highlands and Amazonian Lowlands, is situated on the shores of the Xingu River a tributary of the Amazon River, with average elevation of 109 meters.
The municipality contains part of the {{convert|724965|ha|adj=on}} Altamira National Forest, a sustainable use conservation unit created in 1998.<ref>{{citation|ref={{harvid|Unidade de Conservação ... MMA}}|language=pt |title=Unidade de Conservação: Floresta Nacional Altamira|publisher=MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente |url=http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=83|access-date=2016-05-29}}</ref> The municipality contains part of the Jamanxim National Park, a protected area.<ref>{{citation|language=pt|title=Unidade de Conservação: Parque Nacional do Jamanxim|publisher=MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente|url=http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=267|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314232445/http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=267|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2022|access-date=2016-05-19}}</ref> It contains part of the {{convert|3373134|ha|adj=on}} Terra do Meio Ecological Station, a strictly protected conservation unit created in 2005.<ref> {{citation|ref={{harvid|Unidade de Conservação ... MMA}}|language=pt|title=Unidade de Conservação: Estação Ecológica da Terra do Meio|publisher=MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente|url=http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=47|access-date=2016-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001170617/http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=47|archive-date=2018-10-01|url-status=dead}} </ref> It also contains part of the {{convert|342192|ha|adj=on}} Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve, a strictly protected conservation unit established in 2005.<ref>{{citation|language=pt |title=Unidade de Conservação: Reserva Biológica Nascentes Serra do Cachimbo|publisher=MMA: Ministério do Meio Ambiente |url=http://sistemas.mma.gov.br/cnuc/index.php?ido=relatorioparametrizado.exibeRelatorio&relatorioPadrao=true&idUc=216|access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> The municipality contains 49% of the {{convert|445408|ha|adj=on}} Serra do Pardo National Park, established at the same time.<ref>{{citation|ref={{harvid|PARNA da Serra do Pardo – ISA}}|language=pt |title=PARNA da Serra do Pardo|publisher=ISA: Instituto Socioambiental |url=https://uc.socioambiental.org/pt-br/uc/6266|access-date=2016-08-08}}</ref>
===Climate=== The climate of Altamira is tropical monsoon (Köppen ''Am''), with high temperatures all year and average rainfall of {{convert|1844|mm|in|0|disp=or}} annually. The seasons are undefined by temperature, but there is a distinct wet season from November/December to May/June and a dry season from July to October, although some rain does occur during this dry season.
{{Weather box|width=auto |metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Altamira (1981–2010) |Jan high C = 31.3 |Feb high C = 30.9 |Mar high C = 30.9 |Apr high C = 31.2 |May high C = 31.8 |Jun high C = 32.5 |Jul high C = 33.0 |Aug high C = 33.8 |Sep high C = 34.1 |Oct high C = 33.9 |Nov high C = 33.4 |Dec high C = 32.3 | year high C = 32.4 |Jan mean C = 26.3 |Feb mean C = 25.9 |Mar mean C = 26.1 |Apr mean C = 26.3 |May mean C = 26.7 |Jun mean C = 26.8 |Jul mean C = 27.0 |Aug mean C = 27.6 |Sep mean C = 27.8 |Oct mean C = 28.0 |Nov mean C = 27.8 |Dec mean C = 27.0 | year mean C = 26.9 |Jan low C = 22.5 |Feb low C = 22.2 |Mar low C = 22.5 |Apr low C = 22.5 |May low C = 22.8 |Jun low C = 22.1 |Jul low C = 22.0 |Aug low C = 22.2 |Sep low C = 22.7 |Oct low C = 22.9 |Nov low C = 23.0 |Dec low C = 22.8 | year low C = 22.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 288.5 |Feb precipitation mm = 319.4 |Mar precipitation mm = 414.6 |Apr precipitation mm = 366.9 |May precipitation mm = 228.1 |Jun precipitation mm = 120.6 |Jul precipitation mm = 65.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 27.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 43.6 |Oct precipitation mm = 54.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 93.5 |Dec precipitation mm = 171.8 |year precipitation mm = 2194.3 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm | Jan precipitation days = 19 | Feb precipitation days = 21 | Mar precipitation days = 24 | Apr precipitation days = 22 | May precipitation days = 18 | Jun precipitation days = 11 | Jul precipitation days = 7 | Aug precipitation days = 4 | Sep precipitation days = 5 | Oct precipitation days = 6 | Nov precipitation days = 6 | Dec precipitation days = 12 | year precipitation days = | Jan humidity = 83.7 | Feb humidity = 85.3 | Mar humidity = 85.7 | Apr humidity = 85.6 | May humidity = 84.2 | Jun humidity = 81.0 | Jul humidity = 77.8 | Aug humidity = 75.1 | Sep humidity = 73.4 | Oct humidity = 73.1 | Nov humidity = 74.9 | Dec humidity = 79.5 | year humidity = 79.9 |Jan sun = 130.1 |Feb sun = 110.3 |Mar sun = 114.3 |Apr sun = 132.6 |May sun = 164.4 |Jun sun = 205.9 |Jul sun = 236.3 |Aug sun = 234.4 |Sep sun = 199.3 |Oct sun = 180.3 |Nov sun = 143.3 |Dec sun = 127.2 |year sun = 1978.4 |source 1 = Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia<ref name=INMET>{{cite web | url = http://www.inmet.gov.br/portal/index.php?r=clima/normaisclimatologicas | title = Normais Climatológicas Do Brasil 1981–2010 | publisher = Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia | language = Portuguese | accessdate = 21 May 2024}}</ref> }}
==Media== Altamira is an important destination in the 1979 movie ''Bye Bye Brasil''.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Altamira, Para}} Category:Municipalities in Pará Category:Populated places established in the 1750s