Fordlândia, Municipality district in Aveiro, Brazil.
Fordlândia is a district in the Brazilian state of Pará, on the eastern bank of the Tapajós. The area covers more than fourteen thousand square kilometers south of Santarém and preserves to this day the traces of an old rubber plantation.
The settlement was founded in 1928 as a project of the Ford Motor Company, which wanted to grow rubber here for its tires. A revolt by the workers in 1930 forced the Brazilian Army to intervene, and the company left the region for good in the 1940s.
The name recalls Henry Ford, whose company built a settlement here in the late 1920s following an American model. Some buildings from that era still stand today and show the attempt to create a North American way of life in the middle of the Amazon.
The journey usually starts from Santarém, from where the district can be reached by boat or road. On site, some old industrial buildings can be visited, including a water tower and a workshop, which are still partly in use.
During the 1930 revolt, known locally as 'Quebra-Panelas', workers protested against food distribution and strict regulations. The unrest was so strong that the military had to intervene to restore order.
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