The territorial conflict in Iberian America in the middle of the 18th century, as the result of the Treaty of Madrid (1750), prompted the Portuguese authorities to create a significant number of new villages in Amazonia. It was their intention to guarantee the possession of vast territories located far beyond the meridian of Tordesilhas (1494), in particular those close by the rivers Amazonas, Branco, Madeira e Solimão. Most of these new villages, previously administrated by the ecclesiastical authorities, were occupied by indigenous. Unfortunately, the information about living standards of indigenous peoples and their distribution between rural and urban areas is still scarce in a macro perspective. Therefore, the population maps (“mapas da população”) for the captaincies of the late eighteenth century provide a great opportunity to better understand unique demographic characteristics of Amerindian villages.

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Indians,Brazil,Colonial population,Urban populations

• History and Archeology - Humanities