Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
A lagoon at the National Park
Location	Northeastern Maranhão, Brazil
Coordinates	Coordinates: 02°32′S 43°07′W / 2.533°S 43.117°W / -2.533; -43.117
Area	1550 km²^[1]
Established	1981
Governing body	IBAMA

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses) is located in Maranhão state, in northeastern Brazil, just east of the Baía de São José, between 02º19’—02º45’ S and 42º44’—43º29’ W. It is an area of low, flat, occasionally flooded land, overlaid with large, discrete sand dunes. It encompasses roughly 1,500 km² (580 sq mi), and despite abundant rain, supports almost no vegetation. The area became a National Park on June 2, 1981.

Description

The Lençóis Maranhenses

Panorama of the Lençóis Maranhenses lagoons

Composed of large, white, sweeping dunes, at first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert, but in fact it is not an actual one. Lying just outside the Amazon Basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rains cause a peculiar phenomenon: fresh water collects in the valleys between sand dunes and is prevented from percolating down by a layer of impermeable rock which lies underneath the sand. The resulting blue, green and black "lagoons" are surrounded by the desert-like sand, and reach their fullest between July and September.

The lagoons have large numbers of fish that arrive when the lagoons are at their fullest after July, when they are interconnected to rivers such as the Rio Negro. One species of fish, the wolf fish or tiger fish (Hoplias malabaricus) stays dormant in the mud and moist areas after the majority of the water has evaporated, re-emerging during the next rainy season.^[2]

Inhabitants

According to local folklore, the region was inhabited by Caeté Indians, who woke up one day to find their town covered by sand.

The national park status serves only as a means of protecting the area's ecology; consequently many people reside in the park, as is also the case with nearby Jericoacoara. The inhabitants work primarily as fishermen during the rainy season. During the dry season, many leave for neighboring regions to work small plots of land.

Visiting

Located on the northeastern coast of the state of Maranhão by the banks of the Preguiças River, the park embraces the municipalities of Humberto de Campos, Primeira Cruz, Santo Amaro do Maranhão and Barreirinhas, the latest serving as the main jumping off point into the protected park.

There are several regular bus/truck routes between Barreirinhas and São Luís, Brazil (Maranhão's capital), a distance of about 260 km (160 mi). There are also air taxis from São Luís to Barreirinhas. The Rio Preguiças river connects the park to Atins, a small town at the southern edge of the park. The most important access roads near the park are BR-135, BR-222, MA-404, and MA-225.

The National Park is quite extensive and has no direct access roads. Because of the nature of the park's protected status, most vehicles are not permitted access. Entrance to the park is made exclusively by 4-wheel drive trucks.

In popular culture

The park was featured in the Brazilian film The House of Sand. Kadhal Anukkal, a song from an Indian film Enthiran starred by Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was also shot here.^[3]^[4]

Gallery

Landscape of the park seen from the dunes
Pond
Freshwater lagoon
Dunes and lagoons
Sunset
Pond
Lagoa dos Peixes (Fish pond)
Fisherman
Preguiças Lighthouse
The village of Mandacaru, on the outskirts of the park, seen from the lighthouse
Dunes
Lago Verde (Green pond)
Panorama of the park
Lagoa Bonita

References

↑ "Lençóis Maranhenses Dicas Parque dos Lençóis Maranhenses". Parquelencois.com.br. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
↑ "Brazil Dunes - National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Magazine - NGM.com". Retrieved 2014-05-31.
↑ "Kollywood in search of exotic locations". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
↑ "Lençóis Maranhenses National Park – Brazil". Wherewasitshot.com. 2010-09-28. Retrieved 2015-04-17.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lençóis Maranhenses.

Protected areas of Brazil

Ecological stations	Aracuri Caracaraí Carijós Guaraqueçaba Iquê Jari Juami-Japurá Jutaí-Solimões Maracá Maracá-Jipioca Niquiá Pirapitinga Rio Acre Seridó Serra das Araras Taiamã Taim Tamoios Tupinambás Tupiniquins Uruçui-Una

Biological reserves	Abufari Andradina Atol das Rocas Augusto Banhados do Delta Canela Preta Carmo da Mata Colônia 31 de Março Comboios Córrego de Veado Córrego Grande Fazenda São Mateus Fontes do Ipiranga Guaporé Guaratiba Guaribas Gurupi Ibirapuitã Ilha do Cabo Frio Jaíba Jaru Lago Piratuba Lami José Lutzenberger Lapinha Marinha do Arvoredo Mata do Acauã Mata do Jambreiro Mata dos Ausentes Mata Paludosa Mogi-Guaçu Pedra Talhada Perobas Pindorama Poço das Antas Praia do Sul Biological Reserve Professor José Ângelo Rizzo Rio Trombetas Saltinho Santa Isabel Santa Rita São Camilo São Donato São Sebastião do Paraíso Serra Negra Sooretama Tamboré Tapirapé Tinguá Uatumã Una Vila Facchini

National parks	Abrolhos Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park Amazônia Anavilhanas Aparados da Serra Araguaia Araucárias Brasília Cabo Orange Campos Gerais Caparaó Cavernas do Peruaçu Chapada das Mesas Chapada Diamantina Chapada dos Guimarães Chapada dos Veadeiros Emas Fernando de Noronha Furna Feia Grande Sertão Veredas Iguaçu Ilha Grande Itatiaia Jacupiranga Jaú Jericoacoara Jurubatiba Juruena Lençóis Maranhenses Monte Pascoal Monte Roraima Nascentes Pacaás Novos Pantanal Matogrossense Pau Brasil Pedra Azul Pico da Neblina Pontões Capixabas Lagoa do Peixe Saint-Hilaire São Joaquim Sempre Vivas Serra da Bocaina Serra da Bodoquena Serra da Canastra Serra da Capivara Serra da Cutia Serra de Itabaiana Serra da Mocidade Serra do Cipó Serra do Divisor Serra do Itajaí Serra do Pardo Serra dos Órgãos Serra Geral Sete Cidades Superagüi Terra Ronca Tijuca Tumucumaque Ubajara Vale do Catimbau Viruá Xingu

Wildlife refuges	Castanheiras Pied Tamarin Ilha dos Lobos

Environmental protection areas	Anhatomirim Barra do Rio Cairuçu Cananéia-Iguape-Peruíbe Carste Cavernas do Peruaçu Descoberto River Basin Fernando de Noronha Guaraqueçaba Ibirapuitã Igarapé Gelado Morro da Pedreira Petrópolis Piaçabuçu Guapimirim Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago São Bartolomeu River Basin Serra da Mantiqueira Serra de Tabatinga

Ecological reserves	Alcobaça Apiacás IBGE Raso

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