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- Created in 1977
following the splitting up of the state of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso
do Sul has been well-endowed by nature. The state includes two thirds
of the Pantanal (marshlands) which is the largest flooded area in
the world, inhabited by an infinite variety of creatures, and Bonito,
a city surrounded by aquaria of crystal waters and a large number
of grottoes and caverns in an almost perfect state of conservation.
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- Because of its
location in the centre west of the country, access difficulties in
relation to the main Brazilian centres led to strong and enduring
ties between Mato Grosso do Sul and its neighbours, Paraguay and Bolivia
and with Argentina to which it is linked by means of the River Plate
Basin. Close contact with the people of those neighbouring countries
resulted in the inhabitants of Mato Grosso do Sul absorbing cultural
traits from them, particularly in the areas closest to the border,
where the residents speak with a strong Spanish accent and musical
rhythms such as guarβnia are typical of those of Paraguay.
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- Nowadays considered
to be a rich agricultural storehouse, the state is seeking the resources
to set up an industrial park for its primary production. The construction
of the Brazil-Bolivia gas pipeline is seen as being strategic in this
as it could supply the energy that is hitherto lacking, the main obstacle
to the setting up of industries in the region. Seen as the tropical
version of the North American corn belt, Mato Grosso do Sul is also
cultivating soya, wheat and cotton plantations and is one of Brazil's
main producers. It is also one of the country's main rearers of beef
cattle, pigs and poultry.
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- The state has
significant mineral deposits in terms of iron and manganese, centred
on Maciηo de Urucum, near Corumbα a town situated 413 kilometres from
the capital, Campo Grande, on the border with Bolivia. Maciηo is close
to the banks of the River Paraguay, well inside the Pantanal zone.
Recent studies have shown that the manganese in the region is up to
66% pure. The same deposits have been yielding 30 billion tons of
iron and 5.5 billion tons of manganese annually.
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- The state's
rainy season is well-defined, being from October to March when drought
sets in for the months of April and September. During the rainy season,
the marshy plains are covered in water and boats are the main method
of transport in the region, making use of the extensive waterway system
formed by the River Paraguay and rivers such as the Miranda, the Jauro
and the Coxim. This network will benefit from the completion of the
Rivers Tietκ and Paranα waterways, which will enable the operation
of a multi-mode transport system, complemented by road and rail access.
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- Served by the
North-West Brazil line whose 1,500 kilometre track links Corumbα with
Bauru, in the state of Sγo Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul's railway network
connects with the South-East and South lines. This link enables the
transportation of the state's products to the ports of Santos, in
Sγo Paulo, Paranaguα in Paranα, and Sγo Francisco in Santa Catarina.
The North-West, the first railway to be privatized in Brazil in the
1990s, also links Campo Grande with Ponta Porγ in the south of the
state on the Paraguayan, and with Santa Cruz de La Sierra to the north,
on the border with Bolivia. The state is also well-served by state
and federal asphalt roads and by two international airports, in the
capital and in Corumbα.
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- After Sγo Paulo
and Paranα, Mato Grosso do Sul is home to Brazil's third largest concentration
of immigrants and Japanese descendants. Consisting of around 60,000
people, the Japanese colony is concentrated mainly in the cities of
Campo Grande, Dourados and Trκs Lagoas.
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