PARA, or with its fell title, Santa Maria alt Belens do Gram Pard, is a town in Brazil, the capital of the province of Pare, iu 1° 18' S. 48° 22' W. long. It is built on the eastern banks of a wide river, formed by the confluence of the river Tocantins with the Tagipure, or southern arm of the Amazonas, and called Rio do Par6. Opposite the town the river is about 7 miles wide, and this may be considered as its mean width to its mouth, a distance of more than 70 miles. On the south aide of the town is the Rio Guarnti, a considerable stream, which joins the Rio do Pant by a westerly course. The streete of Pare are wide and straight, and intersect one another at tight angles. The houses are chiefly built of stone, but not high, consisting rarely of more than two floors and frequently of only one. The cathedral is large and has a fine appearance. The best edifice in the town is the College of the Jesuits, now the residence of the Bishop of Pare: a part of the building is occupied by the college, in which young persona study divinity. The church contiguous to the college has been converted into an hospital. The palace of the governor and
the custom-house ars also good buildings ; and there are several churches and a theatre.
The commerce of Pare is considerable. The exports consist of sugar, rum, molasses, coffee, cacao, cotton, vanilla, copaiba, copal, dye-woods, India-rubber, indigo, arnotto, Brazil nuts, and various other articles, some of which are brought from the countries on both sides of the Amazonas, and frequently from a distance of 1000 miles and more. Pare sends articles of European manufacture by way of the Amazonas and Rio Tapayos to the western interior province of Matto Grosso, from which it receives gold iu exchange.
The town was founded in 1615 by Francisco Caldeyra. In 1820 its population amounted to above 20,000; but in 1836 its prosperity was checked by an insurrection of the Indiana of the province, who took poseession of the town and kept it for about six months ; the popu lation is now estimated at 10,000, chiefly of European descent