Macapá

Macapá (mekepä´) is the capital of the state of Amapá in Brazil, (2005 pop. 339,500), 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 food. Founded in 1688 by military men in the vicinity of a fortress protecting access to the mouth of the Amazon, Macapá grew very slowly until it became the capital of Amapá, which was created (as a federal territory) in 1943. The old fortress is now a regional museum.

The city lies exactly on the Equator, at 0º N, and hosts a monument to this, known as Marco Zero ("Zero Mark"). Next to it there are both a sambadrome and a football stadium (the Zerão), proud to be the only one in the world where each half of the field is located in opposite hemispheres.