Ferreira Gomes

The Araguari River holds a central place in the history of Ferreira Gomes, a municipality created in 1987 in central Amapá. Its development brings together settlement in the interior, farming and, later, the expansion of power generation. Hydroelectric plants became part of the economy and landscape, also bringing social and environmental changes.

For residents, the Araguari is equally a place for meeting, work and recreation. The waterfront, fishing and family farming reveal relationships with the territory that extend beyond the energy sector. Visiting Ferreira Gomes makes it possible to recognise these different layers: a city connected to its waters, rural production and the changes that major infrastructure projects brought to the river valley.

Local celebrations include Carnaguari, an out-of-season carnival that welcomes visitors from Macapá and other places. Music and social gatherings add another dimension to an Araguari trip; the programme changes with each edition.

In the energy landscape, Coaracy Nunes, also called Paredão, Ferreira Gomes and Cachoeira Caldeirão are separate projects. Ferreira Gomes’s second generating unit received commercial operating authorisation in December 2014. Distinguishing these names helps explain different stages in the river’s transformation, without confusing the power plants’ history with the town’s origins.