With a population of about 175,000, Castanhal is the fifth largest city in the Brazilian state of Pará. It is located some 65 km east of the state´s capital Belém and is accessed by car or bus via federal highway BR-316 . The climate is equatorial tropical. coordinates: 1° 18′ S, 47° 55′ W
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Castanhal was officially founded on January, 28th of 1932 (date of certification) and received its name due to the common nut trees (portug: Castanha) around the train station of the Bragança - Belém railway. Workers from the Brazilian Northeast started settling around the station. Local farmers started selling their products at the new market. Though, the new marketplace Castanhal was founded. The Bragança railway was shut down in 1964 and the rails were removed. The government of the state of Pará gave Castanhal the nickname "cidade modelo" (Model Town). In 2004, Pope John Paul II erected the diocese of Castanhal, which is subordinated as a suffragan diocese to the archdiocese of Belém, Pará.
Castanhal has become an regional center for education in the state of Pará. The educational level is well above the national average. There are eight secondary schools and three universities:
Due to its convenient geographic location, Castanhal has become an important trading spot for food and agricultural products (cereals, corn, maniok, pepper, palm oil), affecting the entire Northeastern part of the state and beyond.
Likewise Castanhal is becoming a hot spot for technology.
There are energy companies, specialized in high-voltage and high tech well drilling. Further, there is a factory producing work boots for food industry as well as an industry producing metallurgical equipment for mining companies.[4]