Macapá

Macapá (məkəpä'), city (1996 pop. 214,197), capital of Amapá state, extreme N Brazil, on the Amazon River. Mining is central to its economy. It exports tin iron, gold, and manganese, as well as lumber, oil, animal pelts, and fish. Manufactures include rubber products and automobiles. Founded (1688) by military men in the vicinity of a fortress, Macapá grew very slowly until it became the capital of Amapá, which was created (as a federal territory) in 1944. The old fortress is now a regional museum.