Acre (state)

Acre (state)

Acre is one of the 27 states of Brazil. It is situated in the southwest of the Northern Region, bordering Amazonas to the north, Rondônia to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and the Ucayali Region of Peru to the south and west. It occupies an area of 152,581.4 km2, being slightly smaller than Tunisia.

Its capital is the city of Rio Branco. Other important places include: Cruzeiro do Sul, Feijó, Sena Madureira, Senador Guiomard and Tarauacá.

This state is the western extreme of the North Region of Brazil, with a one hour time difference from Brasília (DF). In it is located the last Brazilian population to see the sun rise, on the Serra da Moa, on the Peruvian border. The intense extractive activity, which reached its height in the 20th century, attracted Brazilians from many regions to the state. From the mixture of sulista, paulista, nordestino, and indigenous traditions arose a diverse cuisine, which unites sun-dried meat (carne-de-sol) with Arapaima (pirarucu), a typical fish of the region. Such dishes are seasoned with tucupi, a sauce made from manioc.

Fluvial transport, concentrated on the Juruá and Moa rivers, in the western part of the state, and the Tarauacá and Envira Rivers in the northwest, is the principal form of circulation, especially between November and June, when the rain leaves the BR-364 impassable, which connects Rio Branco to Cruzeiro do Sul.