| São Gabriel da Cachoeira | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
| The Municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira | |||
|
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| Nickname(s): Uaupés | |||
| Location in the State of Amazonas | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Brazil | ||
| Region | North | ||
| State | Amazonas | ||
| Founded | September 3, 1668 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Pedro Garcia (PT) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 109,185 km2 (42,156.6 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 92 m (302 ft) | ||
| Population (2008) | |||
| • Total | 40,806 | ||
| • Density | 0.31/km2 (0.8/sq mi) | ||
| [1] | |||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| HDI (2000) | 0.673 – medium[2] | ||
São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Saint Gabriel of the Waterfall) is a city and a Municipality located on the Northern shores of the Rio Negro River, in the region of Cabeça do Cachorro, Amazonas state, Brazil. Between 1952 and 1966, it was officially called Uaupés, after the nearby Vaupés River. Most of its inhabitants are indigenous people. The city's population is somewhere around 13,000, but the entire region has 40,806 people (2008), scattered over 109,185 km²[3], mostly indigenous peoples in surrounding tribes and villages.
In 2003, Nheengatu became an official language along with Portuguese in São Gabriel da Cachoeira. [3]
The city is the northernmost city of Amazonas, and part of its territory is within the Pico da Neblina National Park. However, the peak itself is located in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, and São Gabriel da Cachoeira is in the lowlands. It is not far from the Equator, and the climate is correspondingly hot and humid.
The city is served by São Gabriel da Cachoeira Airport.
Most of the non indigenous residents of the city are affiliated with the Brazilian army, usually serving a term of two years or more.