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 Rubber bales ready for removal in Cachuela Esperanza, 1914 | |
 Map highlighting the main cities where the Amazon rubber boom took place, by year of foundation. Cities in the Colombian Amazonia, Venezuelan Amazonia, Northern Brazil, Bolivian Amazonia and Peruvian Amazonia. | |
| Native name | Ciclo da Borracha (Portuguese) Fiebre del Caucho (Spanish) |
|---|---|
| Date | 1879–1912 |
| Location | Amazon basin |
| Also known as | Amazon rubber boom |
| Cause | Increased global demand for rubber |
| Part of a series on the |
| Amazon rainforest |
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The Amazon rubber cycle or boom (Portuguese: Ciclo da borracha, Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈsiklu da buˈʁaʃɐ]; Spanish: Fiebre del caucho, pronounced [ˈfjeβɾe ðel ˈkawtʃo]) was an important part of the socioeconomic history of Brazil and Amazonian regions of neighboring countries, being related to the commercialization of rubber and the genocide of indigenous peoples.
Centered in the Amazon Basin, the boom resulted in a large expansion of colonization in the area, attracting immigrant workers and causing cultural and social transformations. Crimes against humanity were committed against local indigenous societies, including slavery, rape, torture and genocide.
It encouraged the growth of cities such as Manaus and Belém, capitals within the respective Brazilian states of Amazonas and Pará, among many other cities throughout the region like Itacoatiara, Rio Branco, Eirunepé, Marabá, Cruzeiro do Sul and Altamira; as well as the expansion of Iquitos in Peru, Cobija in Bolivia and Leticia in Colombia. The first rubber boom and genocides occurred largely between 1879 and 1912. There was heightened rubber production and associated activities again from 1942 to 1945 during the Second World War.