Fast Facts about Manaus

1 Manaus began life as a defence created by Portuguese settlers against Spanish invaders coming from the Amazon river.

2 The name “Manaus” originates from “Manaos”, the name of the native tribe that lived in what is now Manaus many years ago.

3 Among the estimated 2.8 million people living in the Amazonas, about two-thirds of consider Manaus their home.

4 Manaus plays host to the world’s largest samba festival which takes place every October, with more than 18 bands and over a 100,000 guests attending from all over the world.

5 Manaus was once the hub of the world’ s rubber trade and became extremely wealthy as a result.