The city was founded in 1668 as an aldea by Franciscan Friar Teodósio da Veiga and Captain Pedro da Costa Favela on the Rio Negro, near the mouth of the Rio Aruím. In 1761, a fort was built on the location, and the settlement became the town of São Gabriel da Cachoeira.
Between 1952 and 1966, it was officially called Uaupés, after the nearby Vaupés River.
In 2003, Nheengatu became an official language,[3] with Baníwa, Yepá-masã, and Portuguese in São Gabriel da Cachoeira.[citation needed]
Demography
Most of the inhabitants of São Gabriel da Cachoeira are indigenous people. The city's population is somewhere around 13,000, but the entire region has 46,303 people (2020), scattered over 109,185 km2,[4] mostly indigenous peoples in surrounding tribes and villages.
Most of the non-indigenous residents of the city are affiliated with the Brazilian army, usually serving a term of two years or more.[citation needed]
São Gabriel da Cachoeira is the third largest municipality in Brazil by territorial area, and the second largest in Amazonas. It is also 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.
.png)
