Rondônia

Lore & Background

Before the Portuguese discovery of Brazil, the region was populated by indigenous peoples speaking Arawan, Chapacuran, Macro-Je, Nambikwaran, Panoan, and Tupian languages, as well as language isolates. The decline of mining and the proclamation of the First Brazilian Republic reduced the region's economic importance until the rubber boom at the end of the nineteenth century.

Reader's Guide

Rondônia's significance lies in its transformation from a sparsely populated indigenous territory to a state shaped by migration, resource extraction, and agricultural expansion. The Madeira-Mamoré railway, built after the Treaty of Petrópolis in 1903, spurred development. The Federal Territory of Guaporé was created in 1943 from parts of Amazonas and Mato Grosso, renamed Rondônia in 1956. Its economy relies on agriculture, livestock, food industry, and mineral extraction, with major exports including frozen beef and soy. Rondônia is also the origin area of the Tupian languages and home to over 20 indigenous languages.

Did You Know?

• Rondônia is named after Marshal Cândido Rondon, who explored northern Brazil in the 1910s.
• The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indigenous Territory, covering over 1.8 million hectares, is the largest in the state.