Alcântara is a small town in the north of the Brazilian state of Maranhão with around 4,000 inhabitants (around 22,000 in the municipal area). It is located on the Baía de São Marcos bay, opposite São Luís, the capital of the state. Alcântara was once one of the most important and richest cities in Maranhão, but later lost this status to São Luís. Numerous monuments, some of which are badly damaged or destroyed, still bear witness to its former wealth. They have been listed as historical monuments since 1948. The vast municipal area is also home to the Alcântara Spaceport, from which Brazil launches rockets and plans to launch satellites into space commercially. Since the 1980s, spectacular finds of dinosaur remains have been made in several places in Alcântara's territory.
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