Port and capital of Pará federal unit (state) in northern Brazil, on the River Pará near the mouth of the River Tocantins and River Amazon, 144 km/89 mi from the Atlantic; Belém lies just 161 km/100 mi south of the Equator, and is hot (mean temperature 27°C/80°F) and humid with a high rainfall. It is the chief trade and distribution centre of northern Brazil, and main exports include rubber, nuts, tropical hardwoods, and jute.Belém was founded by the Portuguese in 1616 as Santa Maria de Belém do Grãs Pará, and became a trading centre for cacao, vanilla, cassia, and cinnamon; the town grew considerably during the second half of the 19th century when rubber became the chief export. Belém is one of the major ports of Brazil City of Belém, capital of Pará, is home to several beautiful islands. Among the major Belem Tourist Attractions, you cannot afford to give the breathtaking islands featuring Mosqueiro and Caratateua a miss on memorable Belem travel. Stroll along the fresh water beaches along the Mosqueiro Island.

One of the major tourist attractions in Belem, the Emílio Goeldi Museum is a must see. The museum is home to a rich collection of over two thousand species of plants and six hundred animal species. You can also see the fine examples of colonial architecture in Belem.Don't miss a visit to the Bosque Rodriguez Alves on enriching sightseeing tours to the Belem Tourist Attractions. This botanical park was founded in 1883. Over 2,500 forest species have grown naturally in this park. These forest species were not planted and were enclosed to shelter the species of the wild Amazon forests. Visit the Lauro Sodre Palace on some exotic sightseeing to the Belem Tourist Attractions. Located on the Praça Dom Pedro, the Lauro Sodre Palace is an 18th century Italianate building. Brazil's largest framed painting, the Conquest of Amazonia is the unique attraction of this building.

The specialty of Belém is pottery, mostly fashioned in the style of either the Marajóara or Tapajônica tribes. The best place to shop for pottery is in the village of Icoaraci. The Ver- o- Peso Market is one vast shoppers' paradise. In Belém's historic downtown, the Rua Gaspar Viana is a pretty pedestrian street with cobblestones and countless small shops selling everything from hammocks to lingerie, clothing, appliances, and bootleg CDs. The Largo das Mercês is a good place to look for leather sandals, belts, and handbags. For jewelry and raw gemstones, go to the Gem Museum of Pará. For anything else, there's the three- floor Shopping Iguatemi mall.

Belém is a great place to eat out, and an opportunity to get acquainted with the distinctive cuisine of the Amazon region. Fish takes pride of place in Amazonian cooking. You'll come across dozens of species, the best being peixe nobre (the noble fish), which Amazonians prize above all others for its flavour. There are many kinds of huge, almost boneless fish, including pirarucu, tambaqui and filhote, which come in dense slabs sometimes more like meat, and are delicious grilled over charcoal. The other staple food in Amazônia is manioc. Farinha, a manioc flour and a staple food throughout Brazil. Other typical regional dishes include maniçoba, pieces of meat and sausage stewed with chicory leaves, and vatapá, a north Brazil version of the Bahian shrimp dish.