Rio Branco

The capital of the state of Acre developed from the rubber plantation founded on December 28, 1882, by migrant settlers from the Northeastern Region of Brazil. Then called Seringal Volta da Empresa, it was located on the right bank of the Acre river. The Gameleira tree marks this site. This is now classified as the Second District of the city. Almost 150 years ago, the construction of workers' shacks had begun, in lands previously occupied by the Aquiri, Canamari, and Maneteri Amazonian indigenous tribes. Years later, the same Gameleira tree survived the battles fought at Volta da Empresa, between Acre revolutionaries and Bolivian troops, during the critical period of the Acre War. As a result, Brazil acquired Acre at the beginning of the 20th century. …

Rio Branco is located at 9° 58' 29" south and 67° 48' 36" west, at an altitude of 143 metres (469 ft) above sea level. The city has developed on both sides of the Acre River, with areas known as the First (left bank) and Second Districts. The river is crossed by six bridges, the newest bridge being the Joaquim Macedo Catwalk. Rio Branco is located in the mesoregion of Vale do Jurua and the microregion of Rio Branco. It is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Bujari and Porto Acre; to the south by the municipalities of Xapuri, Capixaba, and Plácido de Castro; to the east by the municipality of Senador Guiomard; and to the west by the municipality of Sena Madureira. The municipality contains part of the 931,537 hectares (2,301,880 acres) Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, a sustainable use environmental unit created in 1990. …

Historically, the economy of Rio Branco has been based on the extraction of rubber and brazil nuts. Currently, wood is the main product of export in the state of Acre, which it is also a major producer of açaí fruit, farinha, copaiba oil and beef. Rio Branco is currently undergoing a transformation in its economy; transformation that includes an expansion to Agribusiness, Aquaculture and Ecotourism. Brazil's largest oil and gas company Petrobras, says the region has potential for future extraction of petroleum. The city has six newspapers; two are published daily and four weekly. O Tabloide, A Gazeta, Página 20, A Tribuna, and O Estado are weekly newspapers. Cellular carriers who maintain coverage in the region are Vivo S.A., TIM, Oi, and Claro. The main companies offering fixed telephone coverage in the city are Embratel, Oi, and GVT. …

The population of the municipality in 2024 is estimated at 387,852 inhabitants by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), almost half of the population of Acre. It is the largest city in the state and one of Brazil's most populous. The population density of 43.89 inhabitants per square kilometer. According to the 2000 census, 51% of the population are male and 48.2% female; 92.73% of the population lives in urban areas and 7.22% live in rural areas. According to the Atlas of Human Development in Brazil, the population of Rio Branco is 0.16% of the national population. According to the Superior Electoral Court, Rio Branco has 271,518 voters in 2024. The Municipal Human Development Index of Rio Branco is considered average by the United Nations Development Programme, with a value of 0.754. The education index is 0.860, while Brazil's is 0.849. …