AMAZONAS, the extreme north-western and largest State of Brazil, bounded north by Colombia and Venezuela, east by the State of Path, south by the State of Matto Grosso and Bolivia, and west by Peru and Colombia. It embraces an area df 731,363 sq.m. wholly within the Amazon basin. A small section bordering the Venezuelan sierras is elevated and mountainous, but the greater part forms an immense plain, densely wooded and tra versed by innumerable rivers, whose flood-plains are subject to extensive annual inundations. The climate is tropical and gen erally unfavourable to white settlement. The State is sparsely populated (193o) : c. 433,777 ; two-thirds of the inhabitants are Indians, forming small tribes, and subject only in small part to Government control. The principal commercial products are rub ber, cacao and nuts; cattle are raised on the elevated grassy plains of the north, west and south-west, while curing fish and collecting turtle eggs for their oil give occupation to many people on the rivers. Maize, manioc, rice and various fruits are produced for domestic needs. The capital, Mangos, is the only city and port of general commercial importance in the State ; it is situated on the Rio Negro, Iom. above its junction with the Amazon, about from the sea. Since rubber production was active along the upper Amazon, Mangos attained a population of some 83,736 people (193o) . A decline in rubber gathering brought stagna tion in trade, but failed to reduce the number of inhabitants. There is but one railway in the State, the Madeira—Mamore line built around the Zoom. of rapids (caxoeiras) on the Madeira river. Transportation depends upon the Amazon river and its tributaries, the Madeira, the Purus, the Jutahy, the Jurua, the Rio Negro and others, a total of some 7,5oom. of navigable waterways. Up to all the Portuguese territory on the Amazon formed part of the capitania of Para. The upper districts were then organized into a separate capitania, called S. Jose do Rio Negro, to facili tate administration. When Brazil became independent in 1822, Rio Negro was overlooked in the reorganization into provinces, and reverted, notwithstanding the protests and an attempted revo lution (1832) of the people, to a state of dependence upon Para. In 185o autonomy was voted by the general assembly at Rio de Janeiro, and on Jan. 1, 1852, the province of Amazonas was for mally installed. In 1889 it became a federal state in the Brazilian republic. A governor is chosen by direct election for four years and is ineligible for immediate reelection. A single-chambered legislature of twenty-four members elected for three years exists. For purposes of internal administration the state is divided into 28 municipalities. Since the rubber crisis the state, which depended largely on export taxes on rubber for its revenue, has suffered financially and has a large bonded and floating debt. Public edu cation is in a very rudimentary condition.