Belem sits at the mouth of the mighty Amazon River, in the midst of tropical foliage just 1 degrees south of the equator. White colonial buildings with red tile roofs, tree-filled public squares, and a leisurely pace are the characteristics of this town. The city was founded by the Portuguese a few days after Christmas in 1616, and the name Belem is Portuguese for Bethlehem. Belem is an outlet for all the produce from the Amazon, and in the port you will find freighters loaded with timber, nuts, fruits, jute, fish, cattle, minerals and orchids.