Belém, << buh LEHM >> , is a city in northern Brazil. The municipality of Belém has a population of 1,393,399. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Belém is the capital of Brazil’s state of Para and the main port of its Amazon Region. It lies on the Para River, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from the Atlantic coast. Belém is Portuguese for Bethlehem. The city was originally called Santa Maria de Belém do Grao Para (Holy Mary of Bethlehem of Grand Para).
Belém’s industries include tourism and the production of rubber, Brazil nuts, cacao, and timber. Landmarks include Belém’s oldest church, the Merces, which was built in the early 1600’s; and a cathedral and palace that date from the 1700’s. The Museum Paraense Emílio Goeldi in Belém features exhibits on the Amazon Region. Belém was founded in 1616 as a military post.
