Map of Mato Grosso

History

The Bororo Indians live in the Mato Grosso area. As late as 1880, soldiers patrolled lands on the outskirts of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso's capital and largest city, to protect settlers from Bororo raids.

By the end of the 19th century, although severely reduced by disease and by warfare with explorers, slave traders, prospectors, settlers, and other indigenous groups, as many as five to 10 thousand Bororo continued to occupy central and eastern Mato Grosso, as well as western Goiás. The southwestern part of this state was ceded by Brazil to Bolivia in exchange for the then-Bolivian territory of Acre, according to the Treaty of Petrópolis in 1903.

This historically remote area attracted expeditions of exploration in the early 20th century that sought to find lost civilizations.

Geography

The varied terrain of Mato Grosso includes cliffs, canyons, and waterfalls. It is home to the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, its sandstone mountains have eroded into a remarkably varied vistas.

The biologically rich Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetland/prairie ecosystems, is also located within this state. The Paraguay basin is rich in the number and diversity of fish (around 230 species), a fascinating place for fishermen and scholars. In this basin are numerous species classified as "noble" in sport fishing, others, including ornamental species, are of great interest to aquarists and still others whose rarity has led to detailed research. The fishing industry in the Pantanal plays an important role in the region's economy and, for local people, fish is a staple food.

Economy

Agriculture is the largest component of the state's GDP at 40.8%, followed by the service sector at 40.2%. The industrial sector represents 19% of the GDP (2004). Mato Grosso's major exports include soybeans (83%), wood (5.6%), meats (4.8%), and cotton (3.3%) (2002).

In 2020, Mato Grosso was the leader in national grain production, with 28.0%.

Demographics

Mato Grosso had a high rate of population growth in the 20th century due to timber, ranching and agricultural development. The state as a whole has one of the lowest population densities of any Brazilian state. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), 3,441,998 people resided in the state as of 2018. The population density was 3.8 inhabitants/km2.

Ethnically, the state includes a relatively high proportion of caboclos (persons of mixed European and Indian ancestry), as do other areas of interior Brazil.