Roraima

Lore & Background

Roraima is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the country’s North Region. It is the northernmost and most geographically and logistically isolated state in Brazil. The state is bordered by Pará to the southeast, Amazonas to the south and west, Venezuela to the north and northwest, and Guyana to the east. Its capital and largest city is Boa Vista, which is the only Brazilian state capital situated entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. Roraima covers an area slightly larger than Belarus, making it the fourteenth largest Brazilian state by area. It is the least populous state in Brazil, with an estimated 631,181 inhabitants as of 2020, and also has the lowest population density at 2.01 inhabitants per square kilometre. The state’s economy is based mainly on the tertiary sector and registers high growth, though its Gross Domestic Product is the lowest in the country, representing only 0.20% of the Brazilian economy. The name “Roraima” comes from the Pemon language, with possible meanings including “Green Peak,” “Mother of the Winds,” and “Cashew Mountain.” The first Portuguese settlers arrived via the Branco River. Before them, English and Dutch explorers entered the Branco River Valley through the Guyanas seeking indigenous slaves, and Spaniards invaded from Venezuela. Portuguese settlers defeated and expelled all invaders, establishing Portugal’s sovereignty. The São Joaquim Fort, built in 1755 at the confluence of the Uraricoera and Takutu rivers, was decisive in this conquest, though it no longer exists today. As a result of the crisis in Venezuela since the 2010s, Roraima has become the leading entry point for Venezuelan refugees in Brazil, with an estimated 100,000 displaced Venezuelans in the state.

Reader's Guide

Roraima's significance lies in its unique position as Brazil's northernmost and most isolated state, with a history shaped by colonial rivalries among Portuguese, English, Dutch, and Spanish powers. The Branco River Valley was a strategic frontier, and the Portuguese ultimately secured sovereignty through military forts and settlement. Roraima remains the least populous Brazilian state, with the lowest population density and the smallest GDP, though its economy grows rapidly. Its capital, Boa Vista, is the only Brazilian capital entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The state's name, from the Pemon language, reflects its landscape and indigenous heritage. The legacy of colonial conflict and recent humanitarian crisis underscores Roraima's role as a borderland of cultural and geopolitical intersection.

Did You Know?

• Roraima is the only Brazilian state whose capital, Boa Vista, lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The word 'Roraima' may mean 'Green Peak', 'Mother of the Winds', or 'Cashew Mountain' in the Pemon language.