Palmas (, ''
Palm trees'';
Akwẽ-Xerénte: ''Akwẽ krikahâzawre wam hã'' ) is the capital and largest city of the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. According to
IBGE
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...
estimates from 2020, the city had 306,296 inhabitants. Palmas has a metropolitan area with 471,639 inhabitants.
Palmas was founded in 1990 and developed
from the ground up in a former agricultural area as the capital of the new state of Tocantins, formed under the 1988 constitution.
It was intended to develop a relatively undeveloped area of the nation to provide better jobs for people. The city has a well-designed road system, and its urban zoning is modeled on that of
Brasília
Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
, the national capital. A symmetrical park lies at the city centre, and a large central avenue similar to Brasília's
Monumental Axis extends north to south.
The city is home to the
Federal University of Tocantins
The Federal University of Tocantins (, UFT) is the public, federal university of the state of Tocantins, in Brazil. The university has campuses spread throughout the state, including in Araguaína, Arraias, Gurupi, Miracema, Palmas, Porto Na ...
.
In 2002, the was completed on the Tocantins River, creating a large reservoir and giving the city new beaches. The project also included construction of a huge bridge: the , long, connects Palmas with the major highway
BR-153
BR-153 is a major federal highway of Brazil, officially named the Transbrasiliana Highway. It also serves as part of the Belém–Brasília Highway in the stretch located between the cities of Wanderlândia, in the state of Tocantins, and A ...
and the district of Luzimangues in
Porto Nacional.
The
Palmas Airport connects Palmas with many Brazilian cities.
History
Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...
's capital,
Miracema do Tocantins, was replaced by Palmas upon the city's creation during 1990.
Geography
Tocantins is a state between the
Amazon rainforest
The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...
and the coastal
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
. As a result, its geography is varied. Many rivers cross through the state (including the
Tocantins River
The Tocantins River ( , Parkatêjê dialect, Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak"). It ...
). Researchers have identified more than 20
archaeologically significant sites of early indigenous cultures in the state.
The municipality contains 88% of the
Lajeado State Park
The Lajeado State Park () is a state park in the state of Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. T ...
.
Climate
Most of Tocantins, including where Palmas is located, (except the extreme west and northern regions) is situated within a vast Brazilian area known as the
cerrado
The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
. The cerrado region's typical climate is hot, semi-humid, with pronounced seasonality marked by a dry winter season from May through September. The annual rainfall is around 800 to 1600 mm. The soils are generally very old, deep, and naturally nutrient-poor.
Palmas is one of the hottest capital cities in Brazil. During the May to September dry season, Palmas can be oppressively hot as temperatures climb into the high 30s (°C). During the October to April rainy season, it is not as hot. The heavy rains and cloud cover keep it much cooler. Palmas receives generous rainfall of about 1,300 mm. It is situated in a 'bow' valley of Rio Tocantins and surrounded by mountains from three sides; with its low elevation, 195 metres above sea level, these factors increase the humidity and discomfort of hot days.
Due to the city's location at 10S, it technically celebrates Christmas and New Year in summer. However summer (December to February) is the rainiest and coldest season in the year. The heavy summer rain can cool down the maximum temperature in summer a lot. In contrast with the rainy and cloudy summer, winter (June to August) has almost no rain and most of winter days are sunny. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the transitions between dry and wet periods. Spring is the hottest season, with September daily average temperatures soar up over 30 degrees Celsius.
Vegetation

In spite of being technically located in a watershed of the Amazon basin, Palmas has no rainforest. Typical are short shrubland trees common to a cerrado region. While the city layout was being developed, builders preserved many of the original trees, left intact in green areas along the widely spaced avenues. Many street trees in Palmas are much older than the city, which was started in 1990. Man-planted palms also grace the main thoroughfare, Avenida JK.
Economy

Palmas was designed to be the
economic
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
and administrative center of
Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...
. The service sector is the main driver of the economy. The share of
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
in the economy is less than the service sector, being based on small farms around the
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and the highways that provide access to Palmas. Larger farms, which cultivate soybeans and raise livestock, are located in the district of
Buritirana.

The economy is mostly formal, consisting primarily of limited partnerships and sole proprietorships. Micro firms are the most common in the city, where they comprise over 80% of the 4394 companies.
The city has four industrial districts, among them the Industrial District of Palmas, Tocantins Industrial District I Industrial District, and Industrial District Tocantins II of Taquaralto. All are located along the highways and TO-050 TO-010.
Today Palmas city has become a center whose trade and economic influence covers the entire state of Tocantins, in addition to the southeastern
Pará
Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...
, the northeastern
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
, and the southern
Maranhão
Maranhão () is a States of Brazil, state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of and it is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from north, it ...
.
In town are branches of the following national banks:
Banco do Brasil
Banco do Brasil S.A. (, ) is a Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. The oldest bank in Brazil, and among the oldest banks in continuous operation in the world, it was founded by John VI, King of Portugal, on ...
(7 agencies),
Bradesco
Banco Bradesco S.A. is a Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Osasco, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is the third largest banking institution by assets in Brazil and Latin America. It is also one of fifty most valuable ban ...
(five agencies, one of Bradesco Prime),
Caixa Econômica Federal
The Caixa Econômica Federal (, ''Federal Savings Bank''), also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a state-owned Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. It is the fourth largest banking institution in Brazil, as ...
(4 agencies, 3 more ATM's),
Itaú Unibanco
Banco Itaú Unibanco S.A. is a Brazilian financial services company headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
Itaú Unibanco was formed through the merger of Banco Itaú and Unibanco in 2008. It is the largest banking institution in Brazil, as well ...
(3 agencies),
Banco da Amazônia (2 agencies),
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...
(1 agency),
Santander (1 agency),
Banco BMG (1 agency),
Banco Cruzeiro do Sul (1 agency), and
Tribanco (1 agency). Palmas has seven self-service terminals of the
Banco 24 Horas interbank network
An interbank network, also known as an ATM consortium or ATM network, is a computer network that enables ATM cards issued by a financial institution that is a member of the network to be used to perform ATM transactions through ATMs that belo ...
.
In 2007 the
Gross Domestic Product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
had a strong expansion was estimated at $2.2 billion, driven by
investments
Investment is traditionally defined as the "commitment of resources into something expected to gain value over time". If an investment involves money, then it can be defined as a "commitment of money to receive more money later". From a broade ...
of the City of Palms in the economy. The increase in GDP of Palmas was 6% and, compared to that of
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
was very considerable, as the country showed the percentage of 3.5%. By the end of 2007, and
capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
represented 18.4% of the wealth generated by Tocantins and 0.08% in the country. Due to this growth, Palmas has attracted major investments, such as the Capim Dourado Shopping (inaugurated in August/2010), the multimodal yard of the north–south (located in the municipality of Porto Nacional, on the banks of the TO-080), plus branches of hypermarket networks: Atacadão, Makro and Assaí.
Governance

As in all cities in Brazil, Palmas has separate Executive and Legislative branches of local government, represented by the Mayor of Palmas and the Local Assembly, respectively. Since its founding, Palmas has had 5 elected Mayors. The current incumbent is Cinthia Ribeiro, who succeeded Carlos Amastha (
PP).
Mayors
*
* , 1993-1996
*
Odir Rocha, 1997–2000
* , 2001-2004
* , 2005–2012
* , 2013-2018
* , 2018–2024
* , 2025-
Demographics
Sister cities
*
Araguaína
Araguaína () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. Its population was 183,381 (2020), and its area is .
Education Higher education
The city has campuses from several higher education institutions.
There are two camp ...
,
Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 2014 ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
*
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
,
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, United States
Education
Educational institutions include:
*
Universidade Federal do Tocantins
The Federal University of Tocantins (, UFT) is the public, federal university of the state of Tocantins, in Brazil. The university has campuses spread throughout the state, including in Araguaína, Arraias, Gurupi, Miracema, Palmas, Porto N ...
(UFT)
* Centro Universitário Luterano de Palmas (Ceulp-Ulbra)
* Faculdade Católica do Tocantins (Católica do Tocantins)
* Fundação Universidade do Tocantins (Unitins)
* Faculdade Objetivo
Tourism
Palmas is close to
Taquaruçu, an ecotourism resort and village located in the hills. Its cooler microclimate and natural surroundings attract many tourists from Palmas, other regions of
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and abroad. Taquaruçu is famous for the many
waterfalls
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several ...
(cachoeiras) surrounding it, where tourists can swim and also practice sports like rappel.
Transport
Palmas is served by a local public bus service and an interstate bus service. Rodoviaria (central bus station) is located at the edge of city, with connections to all capitals of Brazil.
Airport
The city is served by the
Palmas Airport. Planned for a population of one million, Palmas airport is uncrowded, with only a few flights per day, mostly to and from Brasília. The airport is 30 km from city center, and is served by city bus (2 buses).
Highways
The Rodovia Coluna Prestes (TO-050) connects the city with
Brasília
Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
. The Federal Highway (BR-153) connects Palmas north and south through a 60 km drive west to Paraiso de Tocantins. BR-153 is mostly not twinned. The arterial avenues of the city is the Avenida Teotônio Segurado, connecting the North Director Plan with Taquaralto, on the South Palmas, and Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek, connecting the west of Palmas and Ponte Fernando Henrique Cardoso with the state highway TO-050.
Railway
There is no passenger rail service to Palmas. The newly constructed North-South Railway (Ferrovia Norte-Sul), runs near Palmas. It is intended to alleviate Brazil's heavy truck traffic and to carry bulk goods to ports in North-Eastern Brazil.
Sports
In sports, the most notable
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club in the city is
Palmas FR, which plays at the
Nilton Santos Stadium. Palmas has several sports and entertainment clubs, with swimming pools, other sports and cultural programs, clubs such as AABB and SESC.
In August 2014 Palmas was chosen as the first host city of the
World Indigenous Games, a multisport competition held in September 2015.
Eturbo News
See also
* World Indigenous Games
References
External links
City Hall of Palmas website
Government of the State of Tocantins website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmas, Tocantins
Palmas, Tocantins,
State capitals in Brazil
Planned communities in Brazil
Planned capitals
Municipalities in Tocantins
1989 establishments in Brazil
Populated places established in 1989