Federal University of Pará

The Federal University of Pará (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Pará, UFPA) is one of the three public universities maintained by the Brazilian federal government in the state of Pará. It was ranked as the 15th largest Brazilian university in a 2011 academic ranking by the number of enrollments. The university has over 60,000 students enrolled in its courses, which are offered across its many campuses in the cities of Belém, Abaetetuba, Altamira, Ananindeua, Bragança, Castanhal, Cametá, Capanema, Breves, Tucuruí and Soure. Among UFPA research teams, there are many nationally recognized groups, particularly in the fields of genetics, parasitology, tropical diseases and geosciences. The Federal University of Pará is the largest institution in the North region of Brazil by enrollment and is a reference in the areas of Biomedical Sciences and Biology research, this last one mainly because of the Amazon Rainforest.

It was founded in 1957, as a non-profit public higher education institution located in the large city of Belem, Para. The university is officially accredited/recognised by the Brazilian Ministry of Education as a prominent, coeducational higher education institution.

UFPA is a Federal Institution of higher education with didactic, scientific, disciplinary, administrative, financial and property management autonomy. It is a multiple-Campus university with operations in the state of Pará with 12 Campuses, 93 Regional Poles and two University Hospitals, being the most important institution in the Amazon region. UFPA hosts more than 66,000 people distributed as follows: 2,462 faculty members; 5,379 technical and administrative personnel; 58,478 students, most of them enrolled in undergraduate courses (48,910), and postgraduate courses (9,424). The university offers 340 undergraduate courses, 62 postgraduate lato sensu courses and 124 postgraduate stricto sensu courses, with 84 master's degree and 40 doctoral degree courses.

The university offers bachelor's degrees in the fields of arts and humanities, business and social sciences, language and culture, medicine and health, engineering and science and technology. Postgraduate degrees (master's and doctorate) are offered in all of the above-mentioned areas, except medicine and health and language and culture (doctorate degree).

Among UFPA research teams, there are many nationally recognised groups, particularly in the fields of parasitology, tropical diseases and geosciences. UFPA is considered the greatest university in the North region of Brazil and is a reference in the areas of biomedical sciences and biology research, the latter due to the city's location as a gateway to the Amazon river and house to the Amazon rainforest.

The university main campus is located in the Pará's capital city, Belém, a city with a tropical climate. It is very humid and moist, with no dry season. This gives the tropical rainforest vegetation the ideal amount of moisture in which to thrive. The Amazon is home to an astounding variety of species; both plant and animal. This area is known for being home to portions of the Amazon River and its jungle, as well as for its abundant rubber and timber plantations. Some of the most popular attractions include Estacao das Docas (Station of the Docks), Teatro da Paz (Peace Theatre) – dating back as far as 1869 and taking one of the many river tours that are conducted on a regular basis. One can also drop by the Mercado Ver-o-Peso, the largest free fair in South America, as well as the Mangrove of Herons Garden, a contemporary-styled park in the Cidade Velha area of Belém.