Porto Velho, Capital city in Rondônia, Brazil
Porto Velho is a capital city in Rondônia state, Brazil, stretching along the eastern bank of the Madeira River. The city spreads across a wide area in the western part of the country and sits at an elevation of 122 meters (400 feet).
The city was founded in 1914 during the Amazon rubber boom as a base for building the Madeira-Mamoré railway. This rail line was intended to connect Brazil with Bolivia and facilitate trade between the two countries.
The name refers to an old port that once served as a stopping point for steamships traveling along the river. Today the city connects Brazilian and Bolivian influences visible in local markets and daily trade.
The city connects by road to Manaus, Rio Branco, and São Paulo, while the airport offers flights within the Amazon region. Most services and commerce concentrate in the central area along main streets near the river.
The city serves as an extraction point for cassiterite and gold from the Madeira River, supporting regional mining activity. Some sections of the riverbank still show traces of old railway infrastructure from the founding era.
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