Balsas, Maranhão

For the Mexican river, see Balsas River. For the Ecuadorian canton, see Balsas, Ecuador.
Balsas
Municipality
The Municipality of Balsas

Flag

Seal
Nickname(s): "Bls", "Balsinhas de Açúcar", "Princesinha do Sul do Maranhão", "Capital da Agricultura e da Lavoura Mecanizada" ("Bls", "Little Sugar Ferries", "Little Princess of Southern Maranhão", "Capital of the Mechanized Agriculture")

Location of Balsas in the State of Maranhão
Coordinates: 07°31′38″S 46°02′39″W / 7.52722°S 46.04417°W / -7.52722; -46.04417Coordinates: 07°31′38″S 46°02′39″W / 7.52722°S 46.04417°W / -7.52722; -46.04417
Country Brazil
Region Northeast
State Maranhão
Founded March 22, 1918
Government
  Mayor Francisco de Assis Milhomem Coelho (PMDB)
Area
  Total 13,141.637 km2 (5,074.014 sq mi)
  [1]
Elevation 283 m (928 ft)
Population (2012)
  Total 87,057
  Density 6.6/km2 (17/sq mi)
  [2]
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
HDI (2000) 0.696 – medium[3]
Website www.balsas.ma.gov.br

Balsas is a city in the state of Maranhão, northeast Brazil. It is located in southern Maranhão, 800 km from the capital of the state, São Luís.

Geography

Balsas covers an area of 13,141.64 km², being the largest municipality in Maranhão. The median elevation of the city is 283 meters (810 ft).

Climate

Balsas has a Savanna tropical climate. Temperature is hot from April through October. It rains from November through March.

Vegetation

Cerrado is the typical vegetation of the area. However, due to the advance of agricultural activities, the ecosystems is threatened.

Hydrography

Balsas River, crossing the city of Balsas.

There are many streams and rivers in the municipality, but the most important is Rio Balsas, which crosses the city.

Demographics

According to 2001 census, Balsas has 60,613 inhabitants. 82.73% live in Urban areas. The infant mortality rate is 35.1 deaths /1,000 live births and life expectancy is 64.1 years.

The annual median growth of the population is 4.21%. In 2007 the population was over 78,000 inhabitants. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balsas.

References

  1. IBGE -
  2. "2012 Populational Estimate" (PDF). Censo Populacional 2012. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). July 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  3. UNDP
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