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65-441: Tocantins has attracted hundreds of thousands of new residents, primarily to Palmas. It is building on its hydropower resources. The Araguaia and Tocantins rivers drain the largest watershed that lies entirely inside Brazilian territory. The Rio Tocantins has been dammed for hydropower, creating a large reservoir that has become a center of recreation. Because it is in the central zone of the country, Tocantins has characteristics of

130-446: A great diversity of plant life, and this becomes evident at the peak of the floods, when vines, shrubs, and floating vegetation flower, covering large areas with a mosaic of color. Most of these plants go on to produce fruit which are consumed by fish. In addition, broad mats of Paspalum repens grass and other floating vegetation with roots suspended in the current create a substrate for a very productive aquatic ecosystem. The roots of

195-407: A large number of river sand beaches on bends of the channels that weave through the interior of the park. The sand itself is the primary habitat for a number of species. Black skimmers , yellow-billed terns , yellow-spotted river turtles , the enormous Amazon river turtle , and other species nest directly on the sand in great numbers. Their eggs attract nest predators like the crested caracara ,

260-497: A string of failed uprisings occurred in the north. Historically the area was inhabited chiefly by Amerindians in some intact indigenous tribes and pardos of Amerindian and Portuguese descent. In the 1970s, the population of northern Goiás lobbied the government to establish a separate state. In the 1988 Constitution, the State of Tocantins was created and admitted as a new Brazilian state . Since its establishment and investment by

325-591: A tributary of the Tocantins River . The Araguaia River comes from Goiás-Mato Grosso south borders. From there it flows northeast to a junction with the Tocantins near the town of São João. Along its course, the river forms the border between the states of Goiás , Mato Grosso , Tocantins and Pará . Roughly in the middle of its course the Araguaia splits into a fork (with the western stream retaining

390-587: A typical Amazonian igapó flooded forest. The Araguaia is also one of the main links between the Amazonian lowlands and the Pantanal wetlands to the south, but the river is not fully navigable. Portuguese Jesuit missionaries explored what is today Tocantins state about 1625, seeking to convert the Amerindian peoples of the area to Christianity. The area is named after the Tocantins River , whose name

455-540: Is a tropical forest ecosystem located in the central Araguaia river basin, the southeastern edge of the Amazon biome , in the Brazilian state of Tocantins . It is one of the biologically richest areas of the eastern Amazon, with over 700 species of birds, nearly 300 species of fish (more than in all of Europe), and large populations of endangered species such as the giant otter and the black cayman . About 90% of

520-651: Is a considerable risk of fire, whether natural or caused by man. Natural fires due to lightning are quite common, but tend to be quickly put out by the ensuing rain. During the annual floods, deciduous forests are the only places where there is dry ground. They become the only feeding grounds available for bird species like the undulated tinamou , the bare-faced curassow , and the several species of wild pigeon that occur in Cantão. Many mammal species that don't do well on trees or in flooded areas also seek refuge in these forests, which consequently become prime hunting ground for

585-498: Is bordered to the northeast by the states of Maranhão and Piauí , Bahia to the east, Goiás to the south, Mato Grosso to the west, and Pará to the northwest. Tocantins was created from the northern two-fifths of Goiás state in 1989 and is divided into 139 municipalities. Following its separation from Goiás, the new state was transferred from Brazil's Central-West Region to the North Region . Most of Tocantins (except

650-495: Is derived from an indigenous language. (From: Tukô , Toucan + tï , beak . lit. "Toucan's beak" in Tupi language .) Before 1988 the area made up the northern two-fifths or one-third of Goiás state. Since the 17th century, this area was relatively isolated by rivers navigable only in short portions and mountains, and difficult to access. As a result, the southern area of the state became more developed, particularly after this area

715-500: Is funneled through the delta of the Javaés, and during the floods, almost all of the Cantão ecosystem is submerged by fast flowing black water, for in effect the Javaés now becomes a single sheet of water nearly twenty kilometers wide, running through the open channels and under the canopy of the flooded forests of its delta with equal swiftness. Five distinct natural communities , each with its own unique species assemblages, occur within

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780-468: Is lower in canopy height than the igapó forests, and its undergrowth is thicker and more entangled. It also displays high plant species diversity, including abundant epiphytes like orchids and bromeliads . Many of the plant species of this natural community are drawn from the nearby cerrado. During the dry season, when up to 90 days can go by with no rain at all, many of the trees in the moist deciduous forest drop their leaves. During this season there

845-755: Is not a tributary of the Amazon. "Araguaia" means "River of the macaws " in the native Tupi language . Its principal tributary is the Rio das Mortes , which rises in the Serra de São Jerônimo , near Cuiabá , Mato Grosso, and is navigable to Pará . Other important tributaries include the Bonito , Garcas , Tapirape and the Formoso or Cristalino on the west, and the Pitombas , Claro , Vermelho , Tucupa and Chavante on

910-407: Is one of many species which reproduces in the Cantão backwaters during the dry season. Another is the pirarucú , the world's largest freshwater fish, whose numbers are dwindling everywhere in the region due to relentless poaching. The remote and inaccessible lakes of the interior of Cantão are one of the last remaining sanctuaries for this species. During the floods, almost every aquatic species in

975-475: Is one of the biologically richest areas of the eastern Amazon, with over 700 species of birds, nearly 300 species of fish, large populations of species such as the giant otter , the black caiman , the pirarucú , one of the world's largest freshwater fish, and the Araguaian river dolphin (or Araguaian boto), all occurring within a large area. A large portion of the Araguaia's course is navigable all year, but

1040-530: Is possible to stay overnight on a platform overlooking one of the lakes, and to ride on a canoe powered by electric motor, which facilitates the watching of wildlife such as hoatzins, waterbirds, and giant otters. All visitors must be accompanied by a trained local guide, a list of which is available at the park visitor center. Visitors may stay and hire local guide services in the town of Caseara, which offers simple but clean accommodations and meals. Visitors can also hire guides to go exploring or sports fishing on

1105-483: Is still in the planning phase on the stretch that will pass through the state. The railway already connects Açailândia to Anápolis , but the section south of Porto Nacional is not operated regularly as there are no yards for loading/unloading wagons. Valec is still studying the concession model for the railway. The state's main waterways are the Tocantins River and Araguaia River waterways. The message of

1170-399: Is the largest component of GDP at 59.9%, followed by the industrial sector at 27.2%. Agriculture represents 12.9% of GDP (2004). Tocantins exports: soybean 89.2%, beef 10.5% (2002). Tocantins' economy is based on an aggressive expansionist model of agro-exports and is marked by consecutive records of primary hyper-surpluses: its exports reveal its strong agricultural inclination. Following

1235-600: The Amazon Basin , and also semi-open pastures, known as cerrado . The Bananal Island ( Ilha do Bananal ), in the southwest of the State, is the second largest fluvial island in the world. Tocantins is also home to the Araguaia National Park , the Carajás Indian reservations, and Jalapão State Park , which is about 250 kilometres (160 mi) from Palmas. There, the rivers create oases in

1300-604: The Emas National Park and the Araguaia National Park . The Araguaia has "beaches" - bright sandy banks that seam the stream from May to October. Deforestation and expansion of cattle ranching and agriculture in the Araguaia basin has been extreme during the last four decades. As a consequence, strong linear erosion has produced thousand of gullies just in the upper Araguaia basin, and the river mainstem suffered strong sedimentation and fluvial metamorphism (changes in its channel pattern). Cant%C3%A3o Cantão

1365-454: The Ilha do Bananal , the world's largest river island. Where the Javaés pours back into the main Araguaia, it forms a broad inland delta where it pours back into the main Araguaia, a 100,000 hectare triangular expanse of igapó flooded forest, blackwater river channels, and oxbow lakes. This inland delta is called Cantão. During the wet season, from December to May, the waters of the Araguaia and

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1430-410: The tayra , and even the jaguar , which also takes adult turtles at night when they climb up onto the beach to nest. Sandy beaches and mud banks are also the preferred feeding habitat for wading birds like the roseate spoonbill , the whispering ibis , and several species of ducks. Among the more remarkable inhabitants of river islands and large beaches is the northern screamer , which can be seen in

1495-478: The 19th century. The flag was adopted with the state flag law (law no 094/89) of November 17, 1989. Tocantins contains 139 municipalities. For statistical purposes, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) divides the state into two mesoregions containing eight micro-regions . These statistical divisions were revised in 2017. Important cities include: Survivor: Tocantins

1560-646: The 2016/2017 harvest. Regarding pineapple , in 2018 Tocantins was the 6th largest producer state in Brazil, with 69 million fruits. In 2019 the state's cattle herd was 8 million animals. About industry, Tocantins had an industrial GDP of R$ 4.5 billion in 2017, equivalent to 0.4% of the national industry. It employs 30,234 workers in the industry. The main industrial sectors are: Construction (34.1%), Industrial Services of Public Utility, such as Electricity and Water (28.4%), Food (22.5%), Non-metallic minerals (5.2%) and Chemicals (1.5%). These 5 sectors concentrate 91.7% of

1625-416: The Araguaia basin and one of the most endangered cetaceans in the world, has its largest protected population in Cantão and in adjacent Araguaia national park. In 1998 the state of Tocantins created Cantão State Park, with 90,000 hectares, in order to protect this unique ecosystem. The park is managed by Naturatins, the state environmental agency. The park's headquarters and visitor center are located near

1690-536: The Araguaia spinetail is a river island specialist. The park is also important habitat for ten nearctic migratory bird species, including the peregrine falcon and the osprey . Eight mammal species on Brazil's endangered species list occur in Cantão. The flagship species is the giant otter , the most endangered large mammal in South America. The lakes of Cantão are an important reproductive are for this species. Other endangered mammal species that abound in

1755-565: The Cantão ecosystem is protected within Cantão State Park . Due to its geographical location and topography, the Cantão ecosystem combines several unique features that contribute to its high biodiversity and productivity: Roughly in the middle of its course, the Araguaia river splits into two forks, with the western one retaining the name Araguaia and the eastern one being called Rio Javaés . They flow their separate ways for over 400 meandering kilometers before reuniting, thus forming

1820-462: The Cantão ecosystem: Igapós are forests which are flooded for four to seven months every year by blackwater rivers. The igapós of Cantão begin to flood in December, and by March the water in the forest is five to eight meters deep, and running between the trees at speeds of one and two knots. Only trees adapted to such extreme conditions grow in the igapós, and the rushing annual floods mean that

1885-420: The Javaés delta as a whole. The entire rest of the Araguaia wetlands contains just over 200 lakes, illustrating the importance of Cantão for the great river's ecosystem. Oxbow lakes are the site of reproduction for many species of fish, and for concentrating 80% of the basin's lakes, Cantão is known as the "nursery of the Araguaia." The peacock bass or tucunaré, one of Brazil's most popular freshwater gamefish,

1950-423: The Javaés rise between six and nine meters over their dry season levels. The Javaés then overflows its banks and fills its broad low floodplain, which becomes an immense mosaic of lakes, marshes, and gallery forest. The water becomes saturated with tannins from the submerged vegetation, and the Javaés becomes a typical blackwater river, its waters turning considerably darker than those of the Araguaia. All this water

2015-493: The closed, forest-like "cerrado" and the " cerradão " ("big cerrado"), a closed canopy forest. Intermediate forms include the dirty field, the "cerrado" field, and the "cerrado" sensu stricto, according to a growing density of trees. The "cerrado" trees have characteristic twisted trunks covered by a thick bark, and leaves that are usually broad and rigid. Many herbaceous plants have extensive roots to store water and nutrients. The plant's thick bark and roots serve as adaptations for

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2080-625: The coast. The main federal highways in Tocantins are BR-153 and BR-226 , which together form the road axis of the Belém-Brasília Highway . The others are BR-010 , BR-235 and BR-242 . These last highways still have many sections that are unpaved or even incomplete. In Tocantins, the Belém-Brasília Highway (BR-153 and BR-226) was the first highway to be built and paved in the state, having been built during

2145-429: The decades, these seeds sprout and grow, overwhelming the cecropias, shading and stifling the undergrowth, and turning into an igapó flooded forest environment. However, further downstream, new sediments are being deposited, pioneer plants are sprouting on the sand, and all the beach and island successional stages are starting anew. The backwaters of Cantão include oxbow lakes, forest ponds (which dry out completely by

2210-528: The dry landscape, attracting many ecotourists to the region. The name "Tocantins" refers to the Tocantins River , which itself derives from the Tupi language words tukã´ , "toucan", and tï , "beak", literally "Toucan's beak". The geography of Tocantins is varied. It straddles both the Amazon rainforest and the coastal savanna . Many rivers (including the Tocantins River ) traverse the state. Researchers have identified more than 20 archaeologically significant sites related to indigenous cultures. Tocantins

2275-449: The dry season, a reverse migration takes place, with large numbers of large mammals and waterbirds from the dried out cerrado crossing into the park in search of water, green grass, and refuge from the seasonal fires of the cerrado. Cantão is thus a key protected area for the conservation of the cerrado of the middle Araguaia valley, which is some of the best preserved lowland cerrado left in Brazil. The Araguaian river dolphin , endemic to

2340-485: The east. It was explored in part by Henri Coudreau in 1897. From 1972 to 1974 this region was the scene of a conflict between left-wing guerrilla movements and forces supporting the then military dictatorship . Among the most important settlements on the banks of the Araguaia River are (in a downstream order): Several parts of the river's course are protected by national parks and other reserves like

2405-449: The end of the dry season), and hundreds of kilometers of narrow channels which crisscross the delta of the Javaés river. All these waterbodies have in common the fact that during the floods, they are all interconnected as the black waters of the Javaés river rise and flow over the entire landscape, while in the dry season they become isolated from one another. There are 843 oxbow lakes within the borders of Cantão state park, and about 900 in

2470-400: The example of neighboring states (Mato Grosso and Goiás), it is becoming a major grain producer (soy, corn, rice). As with much of Brazil, Tocantins' economy is also dependent on cattle ranching. The state's pineapple plantations is considerable. In the state's north, charcoal and oils are extracted from the babaçu palm tree . The gross value of the state's agricultural production

2535-545: The extreme western and northern regions) is situated within a vast Brazilian area known as the cerrado . The cerrado region's typical climate is hot and semi-humid, with pronounced seasonal variation marked by a dry winter from May through October. The average annual rainfall is around 1500 mm. The "cerrado" landscape cover 87% of Tocantins and is characterized by extensive savanna formations crossed by gallery forests and stream valleys. Cerrado includes various types of vegetation. Humid fields and "buriti" palm paths are found where

2600-506: The flag is the phrase "where the sun rises for all". In the middle of the flag is the golden yellow sun, with its rays symbolically targeting to the future of the state. The sun is placed on a white band, where the white color represents peace. The blue in the upper left and the yellow in the bottom right represent the waters and the soil of the state. The colors date back to a flag used by the Autonomous Government of Palmas in

2665-407: The government, as in the new capital of Palmas, Tocantins has been the fastest-growing Brazilian state. Its thriving economy is based on agriculture and agro-industry, attracting thousands of migrants from all over the country. The construction of the long-planned North–South Railway is expected to further boost economic growth. According to the 2022 census , there were 1,511,460 people residing in

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2730-470: The late 1950s. Tocantins has three airports served by regular flights: Palmas Airport , Araguaína Airport and Gurupi Airport . All other airports in the state are served only by air taxi companies. The North–South Railway (or EF-151) is in the construction process, being operated regularly from Aguiarnópolis to Porto Nacional by VLI while the West–East Integration Railway (or EF-334)

2795-412: The most common is the band-tailed antbird , which only nests during the flood season, on the tops of isolated shrubs, only a meter or two above the water. It does so to avoid the abundant predators, which include roaming bands of black-striped capuchin monkeys and coatis . In Cantão, moist deciduous forest occurs wherever the ground is high enough to remain above peak flood levels in most years. It

2860-466: The name Araguaia and the eastern one being called the Javaés River ). These later reunite, forming the Ilha do Bananal , the world's largest river island. The vein of the Javaés forms a broad inland where it pours back into the main Araguaia, a 100,000 hectare expanse of igapós or flooded forest, blackwater river channels, and oxbow lakes called Cantão , protected by the Cantão State Park . It

2925-499: The park can be found in the interconnected backwaters. During the dry season, prey fish become concentrated in isolated water bodies, providing a veritable feast for predators like the giant otter, the Amazon river dolphin, the pirarucú, and the black and spectacled cayman. Along lake edges, five species of kingfisher , nine species of heron , and specialists like the sunbittern and the green ibis forage for fish and invertebrates. Neotropical cormorants and anhingas fish away from

2990-428: The park include the jaguar , the marsh deer , and the bush dog . All three species are well adapted to the seasonally flooded conditions of the Cantão ecosystem. In addition, endangered cerrado species like the giant anteater and the giant armadillo occur in the park and remain in all but the highest floods, when they swim across the narrow Rio do Côco to the surrounding cerrado grasslands and scrub forest. During

3055-460: The park throughout the year. The vegetation growing on this sandy, nutrient-poor environment goes through several successional stages, starting with annual grasses and herbs, which are heavily grazed by mammals and ducks in the dry season and by fish when submerged in the wet season. The next stage is dominated by Sapium and Psidium bushes, both of which fruit during the annual floods, and have their seeds dispersed by fish, especially pacús . As

3120-445: The park's two large terrestrial predators, the jaguar and the puma . Although forest vegetation predominates in the park, marshes , where grassy and shrubby vegetation is predominant, occur on the inside of river bends, at the ends of oxbow lakes, in channels that are in the process of closing, and at other places where recently deposited sediments are flooded by swift-moving water during the rainy season. The marshes of Cantão hold

3185-403: The periodic fires which sweep the cerrado landscape. The adaptations protect the plants from destruction and make them capable of sprouting again after the fire. As in many savannas in the world, the "cerrado" ecosystems have been coexisting with fire since ancient times. Initially they developed adaptations to natural fires caused by lightning or volcanic activity. Along the western boundary of

3250-543: The river below the Cantão wetlands is interrupted by rapids. The middle and lower basin of the river is in the Xingu–Tocantins–Araguaia moist forests ecoregion. The combined watershed of Araguaia and Tocantins rivers (named the Araguaia Tocantins Basin ) covers approximately 9.5% of Brazil's national territory. This area is an integral part of the Amazon biome ; however, the Araguaia River

3315-624: The shore. Even jaguars join in the feast, diving into forest pools to catch large fish, or sitting in ambush for them as they pass through the shallow water channels that connect deeper lakes. Four bird species in the IUCN's red list occur in Cantão: the chestnut-bellied guan , the crowned solitary eagle , the bananal antbird , and the Araguaia spinetail . The last two are endemic to the middle Araguaia. The bananal antbird occurs in igapó forest, and

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3380-433: The side of the Belém-Brasília Highway ( BR-153 and BR-226 ). This highway is vital for Tocantins, as it cuts the state from north to south and allows for a better performance in the economic growth of the cities located on its banks, serving as a warehouse for road transport and services for travelers. In addition, the Belém-Brasília Highway also facilitates the flow of production from Tocantins to other states and to ports on

3445-462: The state is the floodplain of the Araguaia River , which includes extensive wetlands and Amazon tropical forest ecosystems. Bananal Island, formed by two branches of the Araguaia, is said to be the largest river island in the world. It consists mostly of marshlands and seasonally flooded savannas, with gallery forest. Where the two branches meet again they form an inland delta called Cantão ,

3510-421: The state's industry. Its industry is mainly agroindustry, centralized in six districts located in five pole cities: Palmas , Araguaína , Gurupi , Porto Nacional and Paraíso do Tocantins . Its industry is still small and focused mainly on domestic consumption. In the tertiary sector (commerce and services), its main activities are concentrated in the capital Palmas and also in the cities that are located on

3575-413: The state. The population density was 5.45/km (14.1/sq mi). Urbanization : 71.5% (2004); Population growth: 2.6% (1991–2000); Houses: 355,502 (2005). The 2022 census revealed the following numbers: 939,260 Pardos (brown, multiracial ) people (62.1%), 350,613 White people (23.2%), 199,394 Black people (13.2%), 18,735 Amerindian people (1.2%), 3,405 Asian people (0.2%). The service sector

3640-400: The tops of isolated trees in the middle of the marshes, safe from terrestrial or arboreal predators. Many other species of bird also nest over marsh waters during the wet season, including the ubiquitous great kiskadee and the peculiar greater ani , which builds its communal nests in tangled vegetation over water. Cantão State Park includes 24 sandy islands on the Araguaia river, as well as

3705-496: The town of Caseara . Cantão Park was formally opened for visitation in June 2013. Visitor infrastructure includes a visitor center featuring videos and interpretative displays, and an 18 km system of trails through the forest, including hiking trails and canoe trails. The trails give access to five pristine lakes in the interior of the park, where top predators such as black caiman, giant otters, and pirarucú fish can be seen. It

3770-406: The understory is unusually open for a tropical forest. Many flooded forest trees flower and fruit during this season, and the fruit fall into the water and are eaten by fish, which disperse the seeds. The most common large tree species in the igapó forests of Cantão are the landi and the piranheira . Both of these commonly grow over twenty meters in height, and both of them drop their fruit into

3835-432: The vegetation are shaped so as to act like filters, trapping organic particles brought by the current, and doing so near the surface, where oxygen and sunlight are abundant. As a result, not only fish, but also fish predators like giant otters and the black-collared hawk move into the marshes to forage. Marshes are also the prime breeding habitat for the park's abundant hoatzin population. The build their stick nests on

3900-461: The water table is near the surface. Alpine pastures occur at higher altitudes and mesophytic forests on more fertile soils. In the north of Tocantins the cerrado gives place to a zone of transition for the Amazon biome , near Tocantins River . The savanna formations are not homogenous. There is great variation between the amount of woody and herbaceous vegetation, forming a gradient from completely open "cerrado" — open fields dominated by grasses — to

3965-457: The water, to be dispersed by fish. The piranheira tree earned its name due to a further contribution it makes to the aquatic ecosystem: it sprouts new leaves after the peak of the floods, which attract great numbers of caterpillars. These drop into the water whenever the wind shakes the tree tops, attracting schools of small piranha and other omnivorous fish. The igapós of Cantão have a rich bird fauna, including some habitat specialists. One of

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4030-423: The years pass, the ever-thickening mass of roots begins to accumulate detritus brought by the floods, and the formerly barren sands turn into soils capable of supporting a greater variety of plant species. Finally, a canopy of Cecropia trees forms above the bushes. The cecropias fruit year-round, and the dense stands that form in attract a great many frugivores which bring seeds from the surrounding forest. Over

4095-473: Was estimated at more than R$ 7.6 billion in 2019. In soy , Tocantins is the largest producer in the northern region of Brazil. In the 2019 harvest, Tocantins harvested 3 million tons. In maize , the state harvested close to 1 million tonnes in 2019. In 2019 Tocantins was the leader in rice production in the North region, becoming the 3rd largest producer in Brazil. Harvested more than 670 thousand tons in

4160-469: Was selected in 1956 as the site for the development of the new capital of Brasília and the Federal District . A strong separatist movement developed in the north for independence of its people. After the government levied heavy taxes on mining in 1809, local residents began to organize a separatists movement. They made a minor revolt which was quickly crushed by the army. In the 19th century,

4225-468: Was the setting for the eighteenth season of the United States reality show Survivor , filmed in the microregion of Jalapão in Tocantins. The premiere aired February 12, 2009. Araguaia River The Araguaia River ( Portuguese : Rio Araguaia [ˈʁi.u aɾaˈɡwajjɐ] , Karajá : ♂ Berohokỹ [beɾohoˈkə̃], ♀ Bèrakuhukỹ [bɛɾakuhuˈkə̃]) is one of the major rivers of Brazil , and

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