Acre – A State on the Edge of Brazil

Acre is the westernmost state of Brazil. It is part of the Região Norte and located in the southwest of the Brazilian Amazon basin. Its capital is Rio Branco. As of July 1, 2021, the population was estimated at 906,876 inhabitants living in an area of 164,173 square kilometers, corresponding to a population density of 5.3 inhabitants per square kilometer. Economically, the extraction of rubber and Brazil nuts, as well as agriculture, especially livestock, are of great importance.
Acre borders the state of Rondônia to the east and Amazonas to the northeast. International borders run to the southwest with Peru and to the southeast with Bolivia. For a Brazil vacation of the natural kind, Acre is a particularly attractive area!

Until the second half of the 19th century, Acre was inhabited by indigenous peoples and still belonged to Bolivian and Peruvian territories. From 1877, the first immigrants arrived in the territory of Acre to mine latex. Between 1899 and 1909, disputes arose between Bolivians, Peruvians, and Brazilians over ownership.
The conflicts with the Bolivians culminated in the Treaty of Petrópolis in 1903, when Brazil acquired the territory of Acre. With this treaty, Brazil ceded territories of Mato Grosso to Bolivia, paid the neighboring state compensation of 20 million pounds sterling, and undertook to build a railroad. The conflict with the Peruvians, for its part, ended six years later. On June 15, 1962, Acre was elevated to the rank of a federal state.

Acre's more than 900,000 inhabitants now live mostly in cities, almost half of them in the capital Rio Branco. However, many still work in agriculture. In addition, many indigenous peoples live in Acre.
The territory of Acre is composed of 15 ethnic groups and three more isolated ones, the so-called "isolated Indians". According to current data from the "Fundação Nacional do Índio" (FUNAI) and the "Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health", these peoples account for just over 19,600 people, or 2.7 percent of the state's total population and 9.7 percent of the rural population.

There are also some sights to see in Acre. The Palácio Rio Branco is the seat of government of the Brazilian state of Acre. It is located in the city of Rio Branco and was built in 1930. The cornerstone of Palácio Rio Branco was laid on June 15, 1929, on the second anniversary of Hugo Carneiro's government. The building was inaugurated unfinished in 1930, gradually completed, and fully inaugurated under the government of Guiomard Santos. Today, the building is one of the landmarks of Rio Branco. It was a unique structure at the time because it was not built entirely of wood, compared to the other buildings of the time. With a vision for the future, the governor of the time, Hugo Carneiro, began to construct a series of buildings made of masonry, starting with the Palácio Rio Branco. In this way, the palace became a landmark of modernity in many ways. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, the palace was severely neglected and some of its values disappeared or were destroyed. After its revival by Jorge Viana, it began to tell the story of the origins of Acre and to show part of its cultural and archaeological heritage, such as the Revolution of Acre, the life of the rubber tappers, the drawings, and the struggle of Chico Mendes.
The Chico Mendes Environmental Park, located in Rio Branco, was established in 1996 and houses several plant species as well as about 200 wild animals and 33 Amazonian animals in an area of 57 hectares. Among the three other public parks, Parque Ambiental Chico Mendes has a thematic focus on the conservation of environmental diversity and is the only one that houses native animals. Within the complex, visitors can walk more than 1,300 meters of trails, visit replicas of rubber tappers' houses, monuments that pay homage to Brazilian folklore, an eco-shop, and a memorial about the life of Chico Mendes.

Serra do Divisor National Park is a Brazilian nature reserve located in the state of Acre, on the border with Peru, whose territory is distributed in the municipalities of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, Marechal Thaumaturgo, Porto Walter, and Rodrigues Alves. The park, along with the national parks Cabo Orange, Montanhas do Tumucumaque, Monte Roraima, and Pico da Neblina, make up the group of national parks that border the Brazilian Amazon.

The Chico Mendes Reserve is a natural resource reserve in the Brazilian state of Acre. The Chico Mendes Reserve was established on March 12, 1990 and is managed by the "Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity". The reserve is named after the murdered rubber tapper and environmentalist Chico Mendes and was intended to be preserved by the families of traditional rubber tappers who harvest latex and nuts. It is classified as a Category VI protected area by the "International Union for Conservation of Nature": a protected area with sustainable use of natural resources. About 10,000 people live in the Chico Mendes Reserve, spread over 46 tree plantations. Many of the reserve's residents participate in a community-based monitoring program that was established in 2013. The 40 monitors who live in the reserve were selected and trained to collect data and interview other residents of the reserve. The "Global Canopy Program" then shares the overall monitoring results with the observers, who in turn share the information with their fellow residents. The program has provided useful information on how local people are involved in and affected by the "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program", which helps strengthen the management of the reserve.

Another attraction typical of Acre is ayahuasca rituals, which are celebrated throughout Brazil but are particularly common in Acre. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant decoction, puts the person in a trance-like state that helps solve personal problems and get in touch with nature and God. Many Brazilians come to Acre specifically to celebrate one of these rituals with a shaman.

Rio Branco is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Acre. Rio Branco was founded on December 28, 1882. The city is the main starting point for tourists visiting Acre. The city is divided by the Rio Acre into two halves, the first and second districts, which in turn are divided into about 110 districts or neighborhoods, the bairros.

Cruzeiro do Sul is a medium-sized city in the Brazilian state of Acre. It is the second largest city after Rio Branco, which is 632 kilometers away. In the municipal territory there are two Indian reservations inhabited by Yaminawás and Katukinas, who belong to the Pano language families. The Katukinas are particularly affected by the BR-364 highway, which runs through the middle of their settlement area.

Xapuri is a small town with a large communal area. The rubber tapper and union leader Chico Mendes was from this town.

Senador Guiomard is a small town in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Acre with about 23,000 inhabitants called Guiomarens. It is the seventh largest city in Acre by population. It is located 24 kilometers northeast of the capital and borders the state of Amazonas to the north. It is known mainly for its peanut cultivation.

The state of Acre is a real insider tip in Brazil and has preserved much of its original nature. Besides the bigger cities, nature is a special attraction. In addition, Acre shares not only its geography, but also history with its neighboring countries. If you want to visit a special insider tip on your Brazil trip and at the same time you are interested in the nature of the Amazon, you should definitely pay a visit to Acre!

Sources: mundoeducacao.uol.com.br, www.agencia.ac.gov.br, www.brasiloo.de, www.portalamazonia.com