Definition

Proper noun: * A port city in Brazil: Feliz Lusitania is the historical name for the city now known as Belém. It is located in northern Brazil at the mouth of the Amazon River delta and serves as a major port and commercial hub for the Amazon River basin.

Usage Notes

• Historical Term: "Feliz Lusitania" is primarily a historical name. In modern contexts, the city is almost exclusively referred to as Belém. Using "Feliz Lusitania" today would be for historical or poetic reference.
• Capitalization: As a proper noun, both words are always capitalized: .

Examples

• Historical Reference:
  • The settlement of Feliz Lusitania was founded in 1616 by Portuguese explorers.
  • The fort built to protect Feliz Lusitania still stands in Belém today.

Advanced Usage

• Etymology and Meaning: The name is Portuguese, meaning "Happy Lusitania." "Lusitania" was an ancient Roman province roughly corresponding to modern Portugal, so the name poetically signifies a "Happy Portugal" in the New World.

Variants and Related Words

• Belém (Proper noun): The modern and common name for the city.
• Belém do Pará (Proper noun): A fuller name sometimes used to distinguish it from other places named Belém.

Synonyms

• Belém: The direct and modern synonym.
• The gateway to the Amazon: A descriptive synonym referencing its geographical and economic role.

Noun

1. port city in northern Brazil in the Amazon delta; main port and commercial center for the Amazon River basin