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Carajás ([ˌkaˌɾaˈʒas]) is the name for a proposed new Brazilian state, which would consist of the southeast part of the current state of Pará. The proposal was defeated in a referendum in 2011 and by law could not be revived until 2015; as of 2016, no new such proposal has been made. Although voters within the territory of the proposed state voted strongly in favor, the vote was strongly negative among the much larger population in what would have remained of Pará.
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Municipalities
The new state's largest city and proposed capital would be Marabá. Carajás would have a population of about 1.6 million and an area of 289,799 square kilometres (111,892 sq mi), comprising 39 out of Pará's 144 municipalities. As of 2011, its GDP of BRL 19.5 billion constituted 33% of the total GDP of Pará.
The two most populous municipalities would be Marabá (population 233,462) and Parauapebas (population 153,942).
2011 referendum
In a referendum held on December 11, 2011, the residents of the entire state of Pará were asked to vote on proposals to split the state into three parts Voting was highly polarized regionally, with voters in the territories of the proposed new states voting strongly in favor, while voters in the rump Pará voted strongly against. In particular, more than 90% of voters in Marabá voted in favor, while more than 90% of voters in Pará's capital city of Belém voted against. As Belém and its surrounding area comprise over half the population of the original state, the proposal had no chance of passing.