Amapá

One of Brazil's 27 federal territories; area 140,276 sq km/54,161 sq mi; population (1996) 379,459. Situated in the extreme northeast of the country, it borders on French Guiana in the north, the Atlantic in the east, and the Amazon delta in the south. Most of the territory is tropical rainforest and is inaccessible. Rubber, gold, and manganese are all produced in significant quantities, and chestnuts and timber production are also important. The capital is Macapá, a modern town lying on the Equator, where two-thirds of the territory's population lives; population (1996) 179,610. In the hope of stimulating trade in the region, Macapáwas declared a customs-free zone in 1993.