Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado, port city, southeastern Peru. It lies at the confluence of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers, at 840 feet (256 m) above sea level in the hot, humid rain forest known as the selva (jungle). It was named for Dom Pedro Maldonado, an 18th-century Spanish explorer, but was not mentioned in official documents until 1902. The community serves as the administrative and commercial centre for an area producing Brazil nuts, rubber, rice,...