Marajó
Geography

Marajó Island is separated from the mainland by Marajó Bay, the Pará River, some smaller rivers (especially Macacos and Tajapuru), the Companhia River, the Jacaré Grande River, Vieira Grande Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The island sits almost directly on the Equator.

Together with smaller neighboring islands that are separated from Marajó by rivers, they form the Marajó Archipelago, with an aggregate area of 49,602 square kilometres (19,151 sq mi). The archipelago is contained in the 59,985 square kilometres (23,160 sq mi) Marajó Archipelago Environmental Protection Area, a sustainable-use conservation unit established in 1989 to protect the environment of the region.

Large parts of the islands are flooded during the rainy season because of higher water levels of the rivers along the coast and heavy rainfall in the interior. Marajó is almost entirely flat. During the rainy season, much of the island becomes flooded as a large lake.

There are 20 large rivers on the island. Because of the changing water levels and regular seasonal flooding, many settlements are built on stilts (Palafitas).

The island is known for the pororoca, a tidal bore phenomenon in the river that creates large waves reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height. It is a tourist destination, especially for surfing of the bore.
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