Mosqueiro is an island near the south bank of the
Pará River
The Pará River (), also called Parauaú River, Jacaré Grande River, Marajó River Channel, Macacos River Channel, Ribeirão Santa Maria, Santa Maria River Channel and Bocas Bay, is a watercourse and immense Estuary, estuarine complex that fun ...
in the
Brazilian state of
Pará. Since July 6, 1989, the northwest coast of the island has comprised an administrative district of the city of
Belém, roughly north of the downtown area of the city.
The island has of beaches with freshwater tides, which draw vacationers primarily in the
dry season.
The largest settlement on the island is the town of Vila (often referred to simply as Mosqueiro) on the westernmost part of the island.
Origin of the name
Scholars have
attributed the name ''Mosqueiro'' to a corruption of the native
Tupinambá word ''moqueio'', which referred to the local practice of
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
meat and fish. In the early period of
Portuguese colonization
Portuguese maritime exploration resulted in the numerous territories and maritime routes recorded by the Portuguese as a result of their intensive maritime journeys during the 15th and 16th centuries. Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of Eu ...
, the Tupinambá supplied smoked meat and fish to the city of Belém. The Portuguese, unfamiliar with the term ''moqueio'', called the island ''Mosqueiro'', which was the name of several places on the
Iberian Peninsula.
In
Portuguese, the word ''mosqueiro'' means "
flypaper
Flypaper (also known as a fly ribbon, fly strip, fly capture tape, or fly catcher) is a fly-killing device made of paper coated with a sweetly fragrant, but extremely sticky and sometimes poisonous substance that traps flies and other flying inse ...
".
Climate
The island has a tropical climate, with an average temperature of . The rainy season peaks in March, while the dry season peaks in November.
Landmarks
Chapéu Virado
The Chapéu Virado is located on the plaza bearing its name, at the intersection of avenues ''16 de Novembro'' and ''Beira Mar''. It was originally a modest inn and restaurant of wood construction, dating from the heyday of the
rubber plantation industry in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. The hotel was constructed in a mix of European architectural styles, with allowances for the local climate. After the original structure was destroyed by fire, the mayor of Belém and the governor of Pará provided funding for its reconstruction.
(Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
The , located on the plaza Chapéu Virado, was constructed by Guilherme Augusto de Miranda Filho in fulfillment of a promise he made to God while ill on the island, in exchange for the return of his health. The chapel was dedicated on December 17, 1909, by the acting archbishop of Belém. On the second Sunday in December, the chapel holds a special observation for the
patron saint of the people of Mosqueiro.
Villa Porto Franco
Located on the plaza Chapéu Virado, the
neoclassical Villa Porto Franco was once home to Portuguese artist
José Franco José Franco may refer to:
* José Franco (artist) (1920–2009), Portuguese potter and sculptor
* José Franco (poet) (born 1931), Panama poet and diplomat
* José Antonio Franco (footballer, born 1979), Paraguayan footballer
* José Antonio Franc ...
.
Sebastião Rabelo de Oliveira Bridge
The Sebastião Rabelo de Oliveira Bridge, at a length of , connects Mosqueiro with the mainland. The bridge was inaugurated on January 12, 1976, with Brazilian president
Ernesto Geisel in attendance.
(Mosqueiro Island Municipal Park)
Since 1988, of the island have been set aside as a municipal park by the city of Belém, which is seeking to promote
ecotourism. The park includes of trails. The Brazilian
Ministry of the Environment has approved an investment of
R$200,000 (approximately
US$90,000 ) in physical infrastructure, including a pier, administrative building, and research center.
Wildlife
In June 2011, an amphibian identified as belonging to the species ''
Atretochoana eiselti
''Atretochoana eiselti'' is a species of caecilian originally known only from two preserved specimens discovered by Sir Graham Hales in the Brazilian rainforest, while on an expedition with Sir Brian Doll in the late 1800s, but rediscovered in 2 ...
'' was photographed near Praia de Marahú, on the island of Mosqueiro. ''A. eiselti'', previously known only from two preserved specimens dating from the late 1800s, is the largest known lungless tetrapod.
Gallery
File:Mosqueiro welcome arch.jpg, alt=Welcome arch on Pará Highway 391, which reads (in Portuguese): "Mosqueiro: our beach, our home" , Welcome arch on Pará Highway 391, which reads (in Portuguese): "Mosqueiro: our beach, our home"
File:Praia do paraiso.jpg, alt=Praia do Paraiso (Paradise Beach), on the north of the island , Praia do Paraiso (Paradise Beach), on the north of the island
File:Mosqueiro_mercado_municipal.jpg, alt=Façade of the municipal market in the town of Vila, in the southwest of the island , Municipal market in the town of Vila, in the southwest of the island
File:Embratel point-to-point dish.jpg, Point-to-point radio dish
A parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or par ...
(retired) at Embratel facility, facing west across the Baia de Marajó
References
External links
{{Municipalities of Pará
Islands of the Amazon
Landforms of Pará
River islands of Brazil
Belém