The name Belem is the Portuguese for Bethelem, the city where Jesus Christ was born; the city had a few other names before becoming Belem. Brazil also has a city called Natal, which means Christmas.

Belem is a rainy and hot city. Humidity is very high. The climate is equatorial which means there is little variance from day to day. The wettest months are between January and May.

The city is home to the Federal University of Para. The city has a rich history and architecture from colonial times, a natural rubber boom, World War II, 1960-70s Amazonic rediscovery and, recently, a skyscraper boom.

The city of Belem, capital of Para, is full of indentations and recesses forming islands all around it; there are fifty five of these islets, most of which are wild and uninhabited, although some are home to small populations. These include the islands of Mosqueiro - fringed by fourteen fresh water beaches - and Caratateua which receive a large number of visitors in summertime. In addition to these and also near Belém, is the island of Tatuoca which is the location of the only geodesic station in Latin America, one of seven in existence in the world.

Wikipedia articles for Belem

• Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
• Latitude and longitude of cities, A-H
• Theatro da Paz
• Belém
• Ver-o-peso
• Baenão
• Estádio da Curuzú