Brazilian States

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. I was an independent territory from 1899 to 1903. Before that I was claimed by Bolivia but my remote location prevented the claim from ever being settled in any conventional way. Amazonas Amapá Roraima Acre

2. I'm famous as being the hub of Afro-Brazilian culture, religion and cuisine. My capital was the colonial capital of the whole of Brazil up to 1763 and its name in English is still often confused with that of the state. Minas Gerais Salvador Bahia & Baía & Baia Pernambuco

3. I'm the youngest of Brazil's states and my territory was detached from that of the state of Goiás. I'm named after the main river crossing me from south to north and which is a tributary of the mighty Amazon. Santa Catarina Pará Tocantins Roraima

4. I'm the most industrialized state in Brazil and the most populous. That's enough hints. Rio de Janeiro Alagoas Rio Grande do Sul Sao Paulo & São Paulo

5. My capital is where "The Girl from Ipanema" hails from and it is still Brazil's cultural capital. Rio Grande do Sul Paraíba Rio Grande do Norte Rio de Janeiro

6. Waves of immigrants from Europe (Italy, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Ukraine and others) made my prosperity from the 1880s onwards. It has lasted. My citizens enjoy the highest quality of life in Brazil and the second highest income. My capital city is on an island. Mato Grosso do Sul Rio Grande do Sul Santa Catarina Paraná

7. My capital shares a name with a province in South Africa (and for the same reason). I'm a favourite with European tourists trying to escape their cold winters and enjoy my not too hot summers, greatly tempered by the maritime influence of the Atlantic which makes up my northern and eastern shores. I'm the easternmost of all Brazilian states. Sergipe Piaui Maranhão Rio Grande do Norte

8. My north borders on the Amazon rain forest. My southern part contains parts of one of the world's most fascinating ecosystems - the Pantanal. Before 1977 my area was well over 1.2 million sq.km, but a new state was created from bits of me. The most prosperous ones, lying nearest to SP and Bolivias's oil and gas rich Santa Cruz province. Mato Grosso do Sul Goiás Espirito Santo Mato Grosso

9. I'm famous for my gauchos (cowboys), distinctive culture, relative prosperity, and for my southern location. Rio Grande do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul Roraima Paraná

10. During the XVIII and XIX century I was so rich in gold and precious stones that I kept the Portuguese Empire afloat on the taxes successive Kings and Emperors could collect (in theory the Royal Quarter - 25%; in practice never more than 5 to 10%). My capital in those days was calledVilaRica (Rich Town). It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its name is Ouro Preto (Black Gold) not because of oil riches but on account of the peculiar streaks of black found in the gold mined in these places. My new capital was purpose built in 1893 on someone's farm. It's now a bustling city of four million. I'm the only state to have a genuine form of architectural style (Brazilian Baroque) that can be called Afro-Amerindian-European. Rio de Janeiro Tocantins Minas Gerais Amazonas