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explorers, slave traders, prospectors, settlers, and other indigenous groups, as many as five
to ten thousand Bororo continued to occupy central and eastern Mato Grosso, as well as
western Goiás.The southwestern part of this state was ceded by Brazil to Bolivia in
exchange for Acre, according to the Treaty of Petrópolis in 1903.

Mato Grosso had a high rate of population growth in the 20th century due to timber, ranching
and agricultural development. The state as a whole still has one of the lowest population
densities of any Brazilian state. Ethnically, the state includes a relatively high proportion of
caboclos (persons of mixed European and Indian ancestry), as do other areas of interior
Brazil.

Agriculture is the largest component of GDP at 40.8%, followed by the service sector at
40.2%. The industrial sector represents 19% of GDP (2004). Mato Grosso exports:
soybeans 83%, wood 5.6%, meats 4.8%, and cotton 3.3% as of 2002. The state's share of
the Brazilian economy is 1.8% as of 2014.

Federal University of Mato Grosso in Cuib á

Portuguese is the official national language, as well as the primary language taught in
schools. However, English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum. There
are more than 58 Universities located in the state of Mato Grosso.

Culture, Tourism & Recreation

The local culture is very rich, due to the influences of and encounters with various cultures,
such as indigenous peoples, colonial Spanish and other European settlers, Africans
enslaved and transported there in the Atlantic slave trade, originally by the Portuguese, and
other Europeans; and immigrants and settlers since the late 19th century. Dance and music
were traditionally connected to the worship of Catholic saints and their festivals, Saint
Benedict (the city's patron), being one of the favorite.

Carnival

The four-day period before Lent leading up to Ash Wednesday, known as Carnival is well
celebrated. As with every state in Brazil, Mato Grosso celebrates this holiday in a typical
fashion - including parades, music, and dance - with wide participation.
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