Pará

(pah-rah',) [Pg., " father of waters,"] the name given formerly to the river Amazons (q. v.), but now confined to its S. mouth or æstu ary, from S. Lat. 1º, W. Lon. 50° 30′, a distance of 200 m. to the Atlantic. Its breadth fluctuates bet. 12 and 40 m., and it receives the To can tins and other rivers.-A N.E. p. of Brazil, washed by the Atlantic. Area, 983,898 sq. m. Its surface forms one of the great Brazilian plateaux; soil highly fertile and productive. C. Pará. Pop. 320,000.PARÁ, a seaport-city, C. of above p., at the embouchure of the æstu ary of same name, 300 m. W.N.W. of Maranhaỡ; S. Lat. 1° 30', W. Lon. 48° 22′ 33″. This is a finely built but unhealthy city, and forms the chief entrepôt of the products of the Amazon Valley, consequently its foreign commerce is extensive. Pop. 25,000. [s. 682]