Pôrto Velho

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Pôrto Velho (pōr´tŏŏ vĕ´lyŏŏ), city (1996 pop. 287,534), capital of Rondônia state, NW Brazil, on the Madeira River. It is a rail terminus and the last point of navigation on the river. The city's economy is based on the exploitation and shipment of the rubber and Brazil nuts found in surrounding forests.