Manaus is a fascinating region of Brazil that is a must see for all nature enthusiasts. The city is set amongst the trees of the Brazilian Amazon, and dense jungle surrounds it on all sides. The Rio Negro lines Manaus, and this city is home to one million inhabitants. It is the Amazonas state capital, and a marvelous region to explore. You have likely never visited a city quite like Manaus. The Manao tribe named the city, which means Mother of the Gods.

The rubber boom meant Manaus's entire existence was based on rubber production and shipment for decades. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 90% of the world's rubber came from Manaus. Unfortunately, the resulting wealth was realized by only a few rubber barons, who exploited the local workers and brought in Indian slaves from all over South America. Northeast Brazil was extremely overcrowded and severely depressed economically, so many Brazilians welcomed the opportunity to find work down in Manaus. Once they got there, however, they were forced to work for hours on end in terrible conditions for low wages. Whenever the barons were displeased with production, they took to slaughtering some of the Indians to get their point across. This went on for many years until Asian rubber manufacturers ended the monopoly in Manaus. Once the Asians began to produce large amounts of rubber, Manaus suffered an economic depression that lasted for decades.

Finally, in 1967, Manaus was made a free-trade zone, and since that time the economy has really been bolstered. In under twenty years, the population has catapulted from 200,000 to 900,000. Present-day Manaus is a picturesque town filled with interesting sights and fabulous hiking trails. The jungle may be mysterious and daunting, but the city itself is friendly and inviting.