Marajó

Marajó mərəzhôˈ [key], island, c.150 mi (240 km) long and c.100 mi (160 km) wide, N Brazil, at the mouth of the Amazon River. It divides the river into the Amazon proper and the Pará. Cattle are raised on the extensive eastern grasslands, and water buffaloes are bred in the low, swampy west. The island is famous for its prehistoric mounds, which yield handsome pottery.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: South American Political Geography